The Magnificent Mister Mayberry

The Magnificent Mister Mayberry

Story and photos by Dillonkeenphotography

In the early light of a hunt morning, riders are likely to see a little blue truck driven by a gentleman with a friendly smile pulling into the fixture and planning to follow the hounds in search of fox, equipped with sound amplifying earphones and a story ready to tell.

Richard Mayberry was born in Warrenton on September 15, 1935. His father was a foxhunter, and they would hack to the nearby hunts, mostly Casanova, before he went into the service.

Richard Mayberry

Following the Piedmont Fox Hounds near Beaver Dam Farm

He served in the Marine Corps, grooming and exercising the horses at Quantico for 18 months and served six years in the military.

Afterward, he spent two years at Rockburn, owned by the late Hubert Phipps. He kept the horses in shape, groomed them and rode eight to ten hours a day.

Once he left there, Paul Fout found him a job working for the Kennedy family. He took on the role of a groom there, something he was particularly good at. He had the horses beautifully turned out for every foxhunt.

Nowadays, braiding is mostly done on Opening and Thanksgiving meets. Back in the day, horses were braided “each and every time no matter what,” he said. This took an hour per horse and he usually braided six horses per hunt.

Mr. Mayberry’s favorite grooming trick before the modern day use of professional type products was to put mineral oil on a rag and rub the horse to bring out the shine, always careful not to use too much. It was almost an art in itself to get the amount just right.

Next, he worked for Jordan Bentley at Kentfields for six and a half years. “Richard is a good man,” said Jordie Bentley, Jr. “He cannot be replaced. Farm managers are not what they used to be.”

Mr. Mayberry worked for the Arundels for 36 years. He did “everything” there--baled hay, put the hay in the barn, did work on the grounds like mowing and removing rocks. He also rode, trained, and brought the horses there.

Still fond of the Arundel family, he shows a great affinity for Great Meadow in The Plains, established by the Arundel family and now called Great Meadow Foundation. He can be seen there frequenting the Gold Cup races in the fall and the spring.