Remembering Two Remarkable Horsewomen – Lynn Leedy and Carol Harris
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By Megan Arszman
Over the summer, the horse industry lost two inspirational women, both full of vigor and passion for their horses, the industry, and the friends and family members they held most dear.
Lynn Leedy
There wasn’t a quiet bone in Lynn Leedy’s body. Her passion for horses and her loved ones was larger than life itself. When she passed away on July 2, 2021, a large void was left in the lives of those who called themselves lucky enough to know her.
Leedy is best known for owning and campaigning Dandy Zippo, a stallion that became the leading sire of performance horses in 1997. She earned her first World Championship at the young age of nine in Saddleseat Equitation. She was then recognized by author and equitation coach, Helen Crabtree, in her book, Saddleseat Equitation. Throughout Leedy’s career, she would attain World Championships in Western Pleasure, Halter, Saddleseat, and Fine Harness, with her talents and abilities expanding across multiple disciplines and breeds within the industry. As an owner and exhibitor, Leedy earned over 10 National and World Championships.
“Since the age of 13, Lynn had a clear list of goals she wanted to accomplish. There were too many to mention,” recalls longtime friend and agent, Shelley Casciato. “There’s so much I could say about Lynn that it could fill a book. But one of her most famous quotes is, ‘there are three kinds of people in this world: those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who wonder what in the world was happening.’ Lynn made things happen. She was the best, most authentic, kindest, and truest person I have known.”
Leedy made a big splash on the Western Pleasure industry with Dandy Zippo, a 2013 Appaloosa Horse Club Hall of Fame Inductee. The 1990 National Champion in the 2-Year-Old Snaffle Bit Western Pleasure class, with Tommy Manion, consistently topped the list for leading sire of point-earning performance horses and leading sire of performance winners throughout his career.
