Mary Alice Malone obit

In Memoriam: Mary Alice Malone (1950 - 2025)

 

She was not on the list.

Mary Alice Dorrance Malone, a trailblazer in American sport horse breeding and a lifelong equestrian, passed away peacefully at home on June 16, 2025, surrounded by her loving family.

Born on February 3, 1950, Mary Alice's passion for horses began in her childhood. As a young rider, she participated in the Bridlewild Pony Club in Gladwyne, Pennsylvania, where her deep bond with horses took root and grew into a lifetime of dedication, innovation, and excellence in the equestrian world. In recognition of her extraordinary influence, Mary Alice was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the KWPN-NA in 2025, a fitting tribute to the lasting impact she made on the sport horse community.

In the early 1970s, she operated a successful boarding and training facility in Arizona, where she trained horses, coached young riders, and helped grow the equestrian community by founding the Tucson Dressage Club and the Saguaro Pony Club. Even in these formative years, Mary Alice demonstrated her commitment to education and sport.

In 1976, Mary Alice returned to Pennsylvania and founded Iron Spring Farm in Coatesville. With vision and determination, she began importing European warmbloods at a time when they were still largely unknown in the United States. Through her efforts, American breeders and riders gained access to the world’s top sport horse bloodlines. Her pioneering work helped raise the standard for American sport horses and transformed the landscape of North American breeding.

Mary Alice was instrumental in importing some of the most influential KWPN stallions of the era, including Roemer, Winston, Sebastiaan, Consul, and Contango. Roemer, who excelled at both Grand Prix jumping and dressage, became one of the most recognized stallions in the country. To honor Roemer’s influence, Mary Alice established The Roemer Foundation to support educational initiatives in dressage across the United States.

Pioneer for Friesians in U.S. Dressage

She was also a pioneer in introducing Friesians to competitive dressage. At a time when the breed was rarely seen in FEI competition, Mary Alice became one of the first to import Approved KFPS Friesian stallions specifically for high-performance sport. In 2001, Mary Alice imported the charismatic Goffert 369, competing him successfully through Fourth Level before turning the reins over to her trainer and friend Belinda Nairn-Wertman, who developed and showed Goffert 369 to success at Grand Prix. Mary Alice also competed the Approved KFPS stallions Heinse 354, Erik 351, and Ulbert 390 at the FEI levels, helping to elevate the Friesian’s profile in international sport and earning admiration for her vision and horsemanship.

Mary Alice’s insight as a breeder was matched by her skill in the saddle. With Rampal, she earned a place on the U.S. Olympic shortlist and helped elevate the reputation of American-bred horses on the international stage. Another cornerstone of her legacy, Contango, achieved 33 Grand Prix wins and multiple championships. Over the course of her career, Mary Alice had over 87 Grand Prix victories, including top honors at the Royal Dressage Festival and the USET Festival of Champions. She earned her Bronze, Silver and Gold medals with the USDF. The offspring of her stallions have competed and went on to win the FEI World Cup Dressage Final, compete in the Olympics and Paralympics, earn medals in World Driving Championships, and achieve success at International venues such as Aachen, Hickstead, and Spruce Meadows.

High Standard

Equally committed to mare quality, Mary Alice built a foundation of excellence with mares who earned numerous titles and awards. Her breeding program produced standout mares like Andorra ISF and Persimmon ISF, both successful in competition and breeding.

Mary Alice on Friesian Brend 413

Over nearly five decades, Iron Spring Farm bred more than 300 sport horses, many of whom became USDF Horse of the Year recipients, national champions, and international competitors. Among them was Judgement ISF, one of the most accomplished American-bred show jumpers in history, who won the $1,000,000 CN International Grand Prix at Spruce Meadows and represented the U.S. on 10 Nations’ Cup teams and at the World Championships.

Mary Alice also was one of the founding members of the Dressage at Devon Breed Show, helping to establish it as one of the most prestigious and influential dressage breed shows in North America. Her advocacy for breed quality and her leadership in the early years of the show left an enduring mark on generations of breeders and horse lovers alike.

She was an American billionaire and heiress to the Campbell Soup Company fortune.

Mary Alice Dorrance is the daughter of John T. "Jack" Dorrance Jr (died 1989), the last Dorrance to run Campbell, and the granddaughter of John Thompson Dorrance. She had a bachelor's degree from the University of Arizona.

She was married to Stuart Malone, divorced in the mid-1990s, has two children, and lived in Coatesville, Pennsylvania.

From 2009 to 2010, she was the victim of an extortion attempt by her "longtime cook, traveling companion and confidante", involving "a tell-all book and movie about the heiress's personal life".

In 2006, Malone purchased an oceanfront home in Barnegat Light, New Jersey.