CHESAPEAKE CITY, Md.--Helena “Lana” duPont Wright of Chesapeake City, Md., team silver medalist at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and co-founder and long-time advocate for Fair Hill International, passed away peacefully at home on April 23, 2025 at the age of 85.
Lana duPont Wright competing in EventingShe leaves behind many grieving friends in the Fair Hill community.
“Lana duPont Wright’s passion for equine competition and fox hunting helped preserve the legacy of William du Pont, Jr., former owner of the land now known as the Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area,” said Fair Hill International President Coates Bateman. “Soon after the formation of Fair Hill International, Inc. in 1989, Lana became co-President with Trish Gilbert. Lana and Trish were the unstoppable force leading FHI to become a nationally and internationally recognized organization, attracting the world’s best competitors in Eventing, Combined Driving, and Endurance and Combined competitions.”
“Lana was an inspiring mentor and teacher to many young riders/drivers,” Bateman said.
LANA WAS a “First Lady” in the equestrian world, the obituary posted by R.T. Foard Funeral Home in Rising Sun, Md., said.
Lana duPont Wrigth, center, Eventing Hall of FameShe was an avid and extremely accomplished horsewoman who grew up in a foxhunting family in Delaware.
After graduating from Oldfields School, her life revolved around horses.
In 1964 in Tokyo, Japan she set a record as the first female to ride in Olympic Three-Day Eventing, bringing home a team silver medal, and in 1991 in Zwettl, Austria was a member of the first United States Pair Driving Team to win a gold medal at a World Driving Championship.
Among her many equestrian accolades, in 2012 she was inducted into the United States Eventing Association Hall of Fame, and in 2015 was awarded the United States Equestrian Federation Lifetime Achievement Award.
The endurance challenge was one Lana was passionate about in both Eventing and Driving so it was a natural progression that her equestrian career continued to competing in Endurance, taking her to the Pan American Endurance Championship in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Lana continued to enjoy Foxhunting long after her competitive years.
She touched countless lives, sharing her love of horses, her knowledge, her horses and property and inspiring and encouraging young equestrians through Pony Club.
She was never happier than when taking her daughter and grandchildren on a picnic trail ride on horseback at Fair Hill where she devoted hours designing and building combined driving and endurance riding courses for Fair Hill International.
A devoted mother and grandmother, Lana is survived by her daughter Lucy Dunne (Michael) of Reading, Vt., and grandchildren Wright Morris, Beale Dunne and Ridgely Dunne.
She was predeceased by her parents Richard C. and Allaire duPont, brother Richard duPont, Jr,, husband Dr. William Wright and daughter Beale Morris.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made payable to “Fair Hill International, Inc.,” and sent in care of R.T. Foard Funeral Home, Pa,. P.O. Box 248 Rising Sun, MD 2191.
This was picked up from the Fair Hill Foundation Bugle
