Vivien G. Malloy’s winning ‘family’

Raising five children and being a stay-at-home mom, Vivien G. Malloy decided at the age of 49 to begin the next chapter of her life, one that would fulfill her love for horses. 

It began when she and her husband, Henry, bought their first broodmare, Roberta’s Dream. Three years later, Roberta’s Dream gave birth to Dreamy Croissant, Malloy’s first racehorse.

“The rest and best was yet to come,” Malloy says.

Over the next 34 years she would create Edition Farm, which would lead to her being named, twice, the top owner and breeder in New York state by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (2006 and 2010) as well as the 2010 Breeder of the Year by New York Thoroughbred Breeders Inc.

What began modestly with a little tractor shed and pony at Malloy’s first home in Purchase would significantly grow at two properties — 22 acres at her home in Waccabuc and 200 acres in Hyde Park.

Her Waccabuc homestead serves as headquarters for Edition Farm while also housing retired broodmares. In Hyde Park, as many as 45 horses — broodmares, retired broodmares, yearlings and colts — can be seen grazing in what Malloy has called one of the best natural environments, accomplished through hard work in maintaining fields with a high concentration of nutrients in the soil and grasses.

“We are not a factory, and I take very seriously the role as steward of the land where horses can live healthy lives,” she says.

Malloy estimates she has bred several hundred racehorses at Edition Farm. Many have done financially well for their owners and several have been championship winners, including A Chin Forward, which broke a track record in Japan, as well as stakes winner Wake Up Kiss and Awesome Luke, who won twice so far this year at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The care that she has provided to each and every horse is reflected in the tiny books that line four shelves of her Waccabuc office, filled with Malloy’s handwritten entries.

Malloy was smitten by horses at the age of 5 when her grandfather started giving her riding lessons and also took her to what was then Yonkers Raceway where she saw Triple Crown winner Whirlaway run.

Malloy and her husband instilled a love for horses in their children, who were taught the patience and commitment needed to ride and care for horses. The family participated in the hunt, hunter pace and trail riding. The youngsters also participated in horse shows and were active members of the Pony Club.

That exposure led to three of the five children becoming serious about horses. One of them, Debby, became an accomplished equestrian and was married to German Olympian equestrian gold medalist Hans Gunther Winker. She died in 2011 when she fell from her horse near her home in Germany. The tragedy inspired the Malloy family to establish the Debby Malloy Winkler Memorial Trophy, with the inaugural trophy awarded to Debbie McCarthy aboard Scottsdale last year at Old Salem Farm’s Spring Horse Shows. Their names, along with those of future champions, will be inscribed on the trophy, which will remain at the North Salem farm.

It is fitting that the trophy is named after Malloy’s daughter. Not only did the young equestrian participate as a junior at Old Salem Farm, but she had come to appreciate her mother’s practice of caring for retired racehorses on the family’s farms. That speaks to another equally important component of Malloy’s business model.

“Once you breed a horse, it is not over. A retired racehorse can have a long and productive career as a trail-riding, show-jumping or steeplechase horse for as many as 15 or more years. At Edition Farm, we also care for client mares and I am always looking to adopt and care for horses that may have been slightly injured.”

Malloy, 83, says the best is yet ahead for Edition Farm.

“I am always interested in learning more about breeding and caring for horses. I take the cue from my father-in-law, who told me, ‘Never learn anything with your mouth open. Listen and absorb.’”

She counts herself fortunate in having surrounded herself with a network of people she admires and trust. Best of all, the passion for horses continues to flourish in her family across the generations. Her son, Mark, provides technological support for the business and her daughter, Vivi, not only rides well but is a social worker who helps disabled individuals experience the joy of riding horses that have been especially trained for that purpose. Malloy’s granddaughter, Kaitlin, manages a show barn, and Carly, a 16-year-old niece, has the bug for horses as well.

But Malloy’s greatest satisfaction is seeing her horses race and do well on the track.

“Once you are a breeder, you are always a breeder. These horses are like your babies and I am so proud of them, especially when they win. It is simply the greatest thrill to see them cross the finish line in first place and then to join them in the winners’ circle to share the victory with them.”

For more, visit editionfarm.com.

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1 Comment

  1. says: Stephen Malloy

    My Aunt Vivien is one of the best people I’ve ever met in my life and I strive to be as ambitious and loving.

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