Lydia is a transplanted Midwesterner and former Floridian. She grew up about 20 minutes from the Chicago Loop around the corner of Lake Michigan in Northwest Indiana. “I was born with the horse gene” Lydia says. She fell in love with horses on a pony ride at a County fair as a child. Her folks fostered her passion by making sure she got to ride at dude ranches on summer vacations. She also had an uncle who had horses and she would ride them with her cousins. On Sundays after church her family would drive out to the countryside and when they would pass farms that had horses running around she “would ask to stop and see if I could ride a horse and wouldn’t you know it —- every once in a while someone would come out of the barn and throw a saddle on and let me ride in their pasture! “

Lydia explains, “I’ve been an outlier in my career and an outlier in my passion with horses. “ As a female financial planner of her own company in the 1980’s, which was dominated by men, and then as a person who never had formal riding lessons, competed in shows, owned a farm or even driven a truck hauling horses she carved out a unique niche for herself. In the 1990’s she and her husband John moved to Florida and Lydia discovered dressage and polo and also Fox Hunting! She got involved in the Dressage community by scribing for shows. She also got involved exercising polo ponies — “I played a little arena polo but I mostly enjoy just being with the horses and helping to get them fit – – they are such incredible athletes!”

She and John decided to find a summer home in the foothills to escape the Florida heat. Lydia wanted to buy a condo and board her horse as she had always done. “John, on the other hand, saw the Derbyshire community and thought that would be a great place to be in a gated equestrian community“ Lydia said. They bought a beautiful lot overlooking the lake in 2016 and began building a home. After some years Lydia decided self-boarding was not for her and bought a condo in town. “I realized that this city girl is happier being a “townie”.”

They became social members with the Tryon Hounds. She found a barn that leased hunt horses and caps with them on occasion. “The Hunt has been extremely successful over 100 years and continues to thrive because the people here understand and appreciate the value of Riding to Hounds in the countryside – – the Foothills of Western North Carolina are absolutely spectacular! The fields, forest, and farmland are exquisite and of course fall is when everything comes alive in this community.” Lydia said.

By far, her favorite thing about the Tryon Hounds is the Opening Meet. “The meet is open to the public and it’s so fun to have people come and witness the Blessing of the Hounds and see us off on a Hunt! Also afterwards we started a tradition of a pitch-in as a Thanksgiving Day meal, which I find warm and inviting for members who hunted that morning and participated in the Blessing of the Hounds. Even though many of us enjoyed cooking a yummy Thanksgiving meal to nurture our family and friends, it’s also nice to enjoy the camaraderie of our fellow members on this special holiday. “