Carolyn Rogers, a longtime owner, breeder, buyer, seller, and patron of the Thoroughbred industry, died Feb. 14 in Leesburg, Va., at the age of 88. Just a day before, Rogers had cheered on her homebred Lovable Lady to a commanding four-length victory at Laurel Park in the fourth race.
Carolyn Rogers, shown here courtesy of LoudounNow, passed away February 14, 2016.
Rogers and her late husband, Sam Rogers Jr., owned White Oaks Farm in Virginia and had been mainstays at the major East Coast sales and races since the early 1960s. Rogers, who at one time had been a licensed Thoroughbred trainer, was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, to Phin and Frances Medearis Horton. She was raised in Winston-Salem and attended Mary Baldwin College in Staunton, Virginia. Having learned how to ride horses from her father at a very early age, she became an accomplished horsewoman and successfully showed both Saddlebreds and hunters in the highest level of horse shows along the east coast and even Canada.
Sam and Carolyn Rogers’ home-bred Lovable Lady, won a $45,000 allowance race at Laurel February 13th, the day before she passed away.
Together with her husband of 68 years they bred, raced, or pinhooked over 50 stakes winners including Summer Guest, Sharp Cat, Grab the Green, Splendid Try, Diamond Stripes, Recapturetheglory, Changing World, Advice, Irish Playboy, and Miss Golden Circle. In addition, they are tied for the longest consecutive yearling consignors at Fasig-Tipton’s Saratoga yearling sale at 50 years.
The Rogers’ were one of the earliest weanling-to-yearling pinhookers, and notable graduate Sharp Cat, winner of 7 Grade I stakes, is shown here.
Rogers was preceded in death by her husband four months ago, and is survived by three children: Lyn Rainbow (Bill) Acorn Farm, Ocala, Fla., Susan Parks(Ken) Leesburg, Va., and Sam Rogers III (Matthew Hamblet) Jefferson, Md., as well as four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, February 27, 2016 at Hall Funeral Home at 2:00 p.m. Interment will be in Union Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Old Friends Equine Retirement, 1841 Paynes Depot Rd., Georgetown, KY 40324 www.oldfriendsequine.org