Josephine Avalona Abercrombie (January 15, 1926 – January 5, 2022) was an American horsewoman, businesswoman, boxing promoter, philanthropist, and founder of The Lexington School in
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city coterminous with and the county seat of Fayette County, Kentucky, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census the city's population was 322,570, making it the List of ...
.
Early life and education
Abercrombie was the daughter of Lillie Frank of
Lake Charles, Louisiana
Lake Charles is the List of municipalities in Louisiana, fifth-most populous city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, and the county seat, parish seat of Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, Calcasieu Parish, located on Lake Charles (Louisiana), Lake Char ...
and Houston oilman
James Smither Abercrombie. She rode Quarter Horses on her father's ranch in west Texas then began taking lessons to ride a saddle horse before she was ten. That led to her competing in horse shows, including the Madison Square Garden where she won twelve blue ribbons at the 1953 National Horse Show. She traveled back and forth to board school between shows in a private jet. She graduated from
Pine Manor Junior College then
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University, is a Private university, private research university in Houston, Houston, Texas, United States. Established in 1912, the university spans 300 acres.
Rice University comp ...
in 1946.
Pin Oak Stud
Abercrombie first came to the
Keeneland Yearling Sale with her father in 1949, and in 1952 they built Pin Oak Farm in
Woodford County, Kentucky
Woodford County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 26,871. Its county seat is Versailles, Kentucky, Versailles. The area was home to Pi ...
. Their early success included graded stakes winners such as Make A Play, Roman Patrol and Elocutionist. By 1987, Ms. Abercrombie had purchased a new Pin Oak Farm not far from the original one, and she established a thoroughbred breeding operation with sires such as Sky Classic, Peaks and Valleys, Maria's Mon and Broken Vow.
In 1995, the
Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association
The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA) is an American trade organization for Thoroughbred racehorse owners and breeders, which is based in Lexington, Kentucky. Founded in 1961, TOBA's stated mission is to "improve the economics, i ...
recognized Pin Oak Stud as the state and national Thoroughbred Breeder of the Year. In that same year Canada's
Sovereign Award {{refimprove, date=October 2021
The Sovereign Award is given annually since 1975 by the Jockey Club of Canada to the outstanding horses and people in Canadian Thoroughbred racing.
The most prestigious award for horses is Sovereign Horse of the Y ...
went to
Peaks and Valleys for
Canadian Horse of the Year
The Canadian Horse of the Year is a thoroughbred horse racing honour given annually since 1951 by the Jockey Club of Canada. It is the most prestigious honour in Canadian thoroughbred horse racing.
Part of the Sovereign Awards program since 1975, ...
and
Canadian Champion 3-year-old colt. The Pin Oak Stable currently houses nearly 40 broodmares and the stallions
Bob and John, Cowboy Cal, Broken Vow and
Sky Classic.
Upon Josephine Abercrombie's death the stud was sold and bought by James Bernhard in November 2022.
Houston Boxing Association
In 1982, Abercrombie started the Houston Boxing Association and within four years was hosting nearly 50 fights in a single year. With a nutritionist, her signed boxers lived rent free in an apartment complex and trained in custom exercise facilities in Houston or traveled to her Abercrombie Cannonade Ranch near Gonzales Texas. Abercrombie provided her boxers with health-care insurance as well as profit-sharing benefits. Among the boxers she promoted were
International Boxing Hall of Fame
The International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF), located in Canastota, New York, right next to exit 34 of the New York State Thruway, honors boxers, trainers and other contributors to the sport worldwide. Inductees are selected on ballots cre ...
members
Mike Tyson
Michael Gerard Tyson (born June 30, 1966) is an American former professional boxer who competed between 1985 and 2024. Nicknamed "Iron Mike" and "Kid Dynamite" in his early career, and later known as "the Baddest Man on the Planet", Tyson i ...
and
Orlando Canizales
Orlando Canizales (born November 25, 1965) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1984 to 1999. He held the IBF bantamweight title between July 1988 and December 1994.
Early life
Canizales who is of Mexican descent was bo ...
as well as fellow world champions
Frank Tate and
Calvin Grove, and a young prospect,
Lou Savarese.
Philanthropy
Rice University
Rice University received gifts of at least $4.6 million from Abercrombie and acknowledged their gratitude when they created the Legacy Society and included her in it. Her work as a member of the Rice University Board of Trustees left a lasting impression on the campus. Her work on the building and grounds committee began in 1979, directing patronage in supporting high quality architectural projects in new buildings, continued even after her retirement from the board in 1994.
Kentucky Equine Humane Center
Abercrombie cofounded the nonprofit Kentucky Equine Humane Center which works closely with the state's major thoroughbred racetracks (Turfway, Keeneland, Churchill Downs and Ellis Park), where owners can surrender unwanted horses directly from a training or racing stable. The Center opened in 2007 in
Nicholasville, Kentucky
Nicholasville is a home rule city in and the county seat of Jessamine County, Kentucky, Jessamine County, Kentucky. The population was 31,490 during the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, making Nicholasville the 10th-largest settlemen ...
, and no horse is turned away nor are fees required for surrendering a horse to them.
The Lexington School
One of Abercrombie's more beloved results of her philanthropy is a private K-8 school, The Lexington School, located in
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city coterminous with and the county seat of Fayette County, Kentucky, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census the city's population was 322,570, making it the List of ...
. It opened in the fall of 1959. In honor of her 90th birthday, The Lexington School created a video that included a variety of images of her early life and the beginning of the school: "A Birthday Salute to Ms. A" (January 25, 2016).
Political affiliations
Abercrombie was a strong supporter of the Republican Party but also contributed to the political campaigns of certain Kentucky Democrats.
Personal life and death
Abercrombie was married and divorced five times and had two sons.
In 1950, she married Argentinian architect Fernando H. Segura (1916–2013). Her two sons, Jamie Abercrombie Robinson (1957–) and George Anderson Robinson (1959–) were born in Houston where they continue to live.
In 1964, she married Tony Bryan, a Harvard graduate and
Royal Canadian Air Force
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; ) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environmental commands within the unified Can ...
pilot. He became president and CEO of J.S. Abercrombie's
Cameron Iron Works in 1973 and fourteen years later they divorced.
She died in
Versailles, Woodford County, Kentucky, on January 5, 2022, aged 95.
References
Other Resources
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Abercrombie, Josephine
1926 births
2022 deaths
20th-century American sportswomen
American women philanthropists
American female equestrians
American socialites
American boxing promoters
American racehorse owners and breeders
Pine Manor College alumni
Rice University alumni
People from Kingston, Jamaica