Barbara Lindsay

Barbara Lindsay

Barbara Ruth Lindsay of South Salem, New York, a horsewoman and riding teacher at Echo Farm, passed away unexpectedly on Jan. 5.

Born in Caracas, Venezuela, in 1943, she was the daughter of the late John Lindsay and Margaret Eugenia Dull, of Caracas and Connecticut. She graduated from the Madeira School and Pine Manor Junior College.

Growing up in Venezuela, Barbara rode her own and others’ horses successfully in youth and adult competitions. While living in Westport and Redding, she rode at the Fairfield Hunt Club. Later, she was a pupil of George Morris, and became a lifelong advocate of his teaching methods.
After a brief stint working in publishing, she taught riding at the Ox Ridge Hunt Club, and then, with professional horseman Gerry Barden, founded Wayside Farm. Most recently, she taught at Echo Farm in South Salem, New York, for over a decade.

Over the years, Barbara taught hundreds of children and adults to ride. Many of her students went on to qualify for finals; she coached at the Fairfield-Westchester PHA and National PHA Finals and the CHJA medal finals, to name a few. Barbara also enjoyed training the Echo Farm Interscholastic Equestrian Association team, which made it all the way to the national finals. She instilled in all her riders, whether they competed or rode for pleasure, a love of the animal and her knowledge of true horsemanship.
A Labrador Retriever enthusiast, Barbara was active in both obedience and field work, training with Graham Sharp on Long Island and in Georgia, Rick la Fleche in New Hampshire, and Buck Shope in Massachusetts. Her dogs earned multiple obedience titles, from CD to Utility, and their AKC Hunt Test titles included Junior Hunter, Senior Hunter and two Master Hunter titles. Her dogs earned multiple North American Hunting Retriever Association titles as well. She was an AKC Junior Hunter judge and was actively involved in the former Labrador Retriever Club of Central Connecticut and the Hudson Highlands Hunting Retriever Association. Her dog Marco sired many puppies who went on to win obedience and hunting titles.

Barbara loved dogs, horses and all her students at Echo. She will be missed by many students and former students from the Fairfield-Westchester area, as well as innumerable horses, ponies, dogs and people who loved and admired her.

She is survived by her sister, Jean Lindsay de Streel of Pennsylvania; a niece, Margaret de Streel; nephew Giles de Streel and his wife, Nancy, and their son.

A memorial service is planned for noon on Saturday, April 7, at South Salem Presbyterian Church, with a reception to follow at the Horse and Hound in South Salem. Please consider donations to the Fairfield-Westchester Professional Horsemen’s Association (FWPHA.com, or FW-PHA, 146 Branca Court, Milford, CT 06461) or Hearts 4 Heroes US (h4hus.org).