September 2024 Issue

EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN September 2024 Page 43 By Fran Loftus, Fair Hill International In the headline of an acco- lade, Trish Gilbert was called "a pillar of Eventing," by journalist Nancy Jaffer. Another recent source described Trish Gilbert as a fervent supporter of Three-Day Eventing. And that is the tip of the iceberg. A Tribute to Patricia (Trish) Donovan Gilbert (1941-2024) For more than 36 years, Trish Gilbert was the leader of Fair Hill International, Inc (FHI) and the friend, mentor, and example to hundreds and hundreds of volunteers, compet- itors and many others within the equine-competition community. Working with a small staff, she grew the Fair Hill organization to be recognized both nationally and internationally as a top-tier venue for Three-Day Eventing, Endurance and (Combined) Driving competitions. Trish Gilbert may have acquired her unusual abilities to recruit outstanding volunteers to the cause of Fair Hill Interna- tional and the acumen to orga- nize them from her grandfather, William (Wild Bill) Donovan, the famous spymaster who created the OSS and modern American espionage, now known as the CIA. Like him, she kept a know- ing eye on all the parts of the organization, the volunteers and staff of FHI from its beginning until it became the springboard for the development of the new Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill. And in that development, too, she was a key player. Trish Gilbert was one of the group of original founders who decided the Fair Hill, Maryland location was the right spot for a three-day event to replace the Chesterland Three-Day (Union- ville, PA) when it closed. That group of founders took an over- grown field site in Maryland and, in what seemed like the waving of a magic wand, turned it into a full blown challenging champion- ship competition course. Some key factors in that transformation were the volun- teers. Some were from the old (Continued on page 49) Trish Gilbert was one of the visionaries who saw that the undeveloped open fields of the Fair Hill Natural Resourc- es Area would be the perfect place to stage a three day event. Over the years she shepherded the Fair Hill Interna- tional organization and the grounds now home to the Maryland 5 Star.