Horseman Peter Winants Dies May 18

Virginia lost a giant of the horse industry May 18, with the death of Peter Winants of Rectortown following a long illness.

A native of Maryland, Winants was born into the foxhunting-steeplechasing tradition: stepfather Bryce Wing was chairman of the Maryland Hunt Cup from 1938-'66.

Winants attended Princeton and served in the Army during World War II. He and brother Garrett ran a photography business in Baltimore.

In the beginning, photographing horses and equine sports was only a small part of their work, but soon Peter Winants added freelance jobs, including writing, fulfilling his passion for racing, especially steeplechasing.

After watching Tommy Smith and Jay Trump win the 1965 English Grand National, a book brewed in Winants’ head: "Jay Trump, A Steeplechasing Saga," a perceptively written story accented by Winants' photographs of the event.

In 1972 Winants became writer, then editor, and later publisher, of the Chronicle of the Horse magazine in Middleburg, the heart of Virginia horse country.

Not only did Winants take photographs and write articles for the Chronicle, but he also foxhunted around Virginia, as he had done on My Lady’s Manor in Maryland since age 12, rode timber races, and even competed at dressage and three-day events.

In 1991 Winants retired from the Chronicle at age 65 after 19 years, and immediately undertook the evolution of the new National Sporting Library, moving from a damp space in the basement of the Chronicle building to a stunning new, self-contained facility of its own.

He was director of the library from 1991-'98. He served as director emeritus, then honorary director until his death.

Winants also acted as field master to the private Bath County Hounds for 10 years.

“Peter Winants embodied in his life much of what the National Sporting Library represents,” said Nancy Parsons, current NSL president. “A scholar and author on...foxhunting, steeplechasing and sporting art, Peter was passionate about country life and field sports. As the former director of the library, Peter played an integral role in the development and growth of the organization and his leadership continued through his service on the board. He was a fine gentleman, a respected colleague and a dear friend.”

Winants wrote four other books, and was working on a fifth at the time of his death.

Long-time friend and fellow journalist Arthur Arundel called Winants "one of the quiet giants of our times in local and national horse sports. His imprint both personally and through the internationally renowned Chronicle of the Horse and National Sporting Library is certain to have a lasting impact on the sports of foxhunting and steeplechasing which he most loved."

Throughout his life, Winants was fully immersed in the horse business, both as vocation and avocation.

"There's nothing like making a living with what you have a passion for," Winants said in a 2007 interview. “[I'd] always been a horseman, and I had learned about photography, so I thought that this would be a good combination and a fun thing to do."

Longtime NSL librarian Lisa Campbell said that Winants was her inspiration. “It was an honor to work for Peter,” she said. “He was always so positive, very encouraging, whether it was riding or writing. He was a remarkable leader for the library."

Winants is survived by wife of five years Mary Weeden Winants. First wife Rosemary died in 2002. Winants had four children — Jennifer Rose, Bryce, Peter Jr. and Garrett “Woods.” Winants had six grandchildren.

Funeral and burial will be private. A memorial service and reception will be held from 1-4 p.m. Tuesday, May 26, at the National Sporting Library in Middleburg, open to family and friends. Call (540) 687-6542 or log onto www.NSL.org for exact information.

Memorial contributions can be made to the Piedmont Environmental Council or a charity of choice.