Raymond Richard Guest, 84, a horse breeder who won some of the most coveted prizes in the world of racing and who served in the Virginia Senate and as U.S. ambassador to Ireland, died of pneumonia Dec. 31 at Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg, Va.
In 1962, Mr. Guest won the Epsom Derby in England with Larkspur. In 1968, he won it again with Sir Ivor, who also took the Washington, D.C., International that year. In 1965, Tom Rolfe carried his colors to victory in the Preakness.
In 1975, with L'Escargot, he won the Grand National, the great steeplechase at Aintree, England, and perhaps the most difficult horse race in the world. L'Escargot also was a two-time winner of the Cheltenham Cup, another top prize in British steeplechasing.
Mr. Guest was born in New York City. His father was the Right Honorable Frederick E. Guest, an Englishman, and his mother was the former Amy Phipps, an American steel heiress. He was educated at St. George's School in Rhode Island, Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass., and Yale University, from which he graduated in 1931.
After college, Mr. Guest settled on a farm in Front Royal, Va., and Virginia was his home for the rest of his life. Since 1955, he had lived at Powhatan Plantation in King George, Va., the site of his horse-breeding operations in recent years.
In the 1930s, he and his brother, Winston, were among the country's top polo players. Raymond Guest also was a noted big-game hunter, having made several safaris in East Africa. His father had a residence in Kenya.
In World War II, Mr. Guest served in the Navy in the Atlantic and on minesweepers and in Europe. He spent a brief period as an aide to John Gilbert Winant, the U.S. ambassador to the Court of St. James. His wartime decorations included the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star, both with combat "V," and decorations from Britain, France, Denmark and Norway.
When he left the Navy, he became a director of the Bessemer Securities company of New York.
He also entered politics and in 1947 he was elected to the Virginia Senate as a Democrat, serving until 1953. From 1959 to 1965, he was a member of the Virginia Fish and Game Commission. In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson named Mr. Guest ambassador to Ireland. He remained there until 1969.
He was a trustee of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond. His philanthropic interests included Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg, to which he donated the Amy Guest wing in honor of his mother.
His marriages to the former Elizabeth Sturgis Polk and Ellen Tuck Astor ended in divorce.
In 1962, Mr. Guest won the Epsom Derby in England with Larkspur. In 1968, he won it again with Sir Ivor, who also took the Washington, D.C., International that year. In 1965, Tom Rolfe carried his colors to victory in the Preakness.
In 1975, with L'Escargot, he won the Grand National, the great steeplechase at Aintree, England, and perhaps the most difficult horse race in the world. L'Escargot also was a two-time winner of the Cheltenham Cup, another top prize in British steeplechasing.
Mr. Guest was born in New York City. His father was the Right Honorable Frederick E. Guest, an Englishman, and his mother was the former Amy Phipps, an American steel heiress. He was educated at St. George's School in Rhode Island, Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass., and Yale University, from which he graduated in 1931.
After college, Mr. Guest settled on a farm in Front Royal, Va., and Virginia was his home for the rest of his life. Since 1955, he had lived at Powhatan Plantation in King George, Va., the site of his horse-breeding operations in recent years.
In the 1930s, he and his brother, Winston, were among the country's top polo players. Raymond Guest also was a noted big-game hunter, having made several safaris in East Africa. His father had a residence in Kenya.
In World War II, Mr. Guest served in the Navy in the Atlantic and on minesweepers and in Europe. He spent a brief period as an aide to John Gilbert Winant, the U.S. ambassador to the Court of St. James. His wartime decorations included the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star, both with combat "V," and decorations from Britain, France, Denmark and Norway.
When he left the Navy, he became a director of the Bessemer Securities company of New York.
He also entered politics and in 1947 he was elected to the Virginia Senate as a Democrat, serving until 1953. From 1959 to 1965, he was a member of the Virginia Fish and Game Commission. In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson named Mr. Guest ambassador to Ireland. He remained there until 1969.
He was a trustee of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond. His philanthropic interests included Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg, to which he donated the Amy Guest wing in honor of his mother.
His marriages to the former Elizabeth Sturgis Polk and Ellen Tuck Astor ended in divorce.
Raymond Richard Guest, 84, a horse breeder who won some of the most coveted prizes in the world of racing and who served in the Virginia Senate and as U.S. ambassador to Ireland, died of pneumonia Dec. 31 at Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg, Va.
In 1962, Mr. Guest won the Epsom Derby in England with Larkspur. In 1968, he won it again with Sir Ivor, who also took the Washington, D.C., International that year. In 1965, Tom Rolfe carried his colors to victory in the Preakness.
In 1975, with L'Escargot, he won the Grand National, the great steeplechase at Aintree, England, and perhaps the most difficult horse race in the world. L'Escargot also was a two-time winner of the Cheltenham Cup, another top prize in British steeplechasing.
Mr. Guest was born in New York City. His father was the Right Honorable Frederick E. Guest, an Englishman, and his mother was the former Amy Phipps, an American steel heiress. He was educated at St. George's School in Rhode Island, Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass., and Yale University, from which he graduated in 1931.
After college, Mr. Guest settled on a farm in Front Royal, Va., and Virginia was his home for the rest of his life. Since 1955, he had lived at Powhatan Plantation in King George, Va., the site of his horse-breeding operations in recent years.
In the 1930s, he and his brother, Winston, were among the country's top polo players. Raymond Guest also was a noted big-game hunter, having made several safaris in East Africa. His father had a residence in Kenya.
In World War II, Mr. Guest served in the Navy in the Atlantic and on minesweepers and in Europe. He spent a brief period as an aide to John Gilbert Winant, the U.S. ambassador to the Court of St. James. His wartime decorations included the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star, both with combat "V," and decorations from Britain, France, Denmark and Norway.
When he left the Navy, he became a director of the Bessemer Securities company of New York.
He also entered politics and in 1947 he was elected to the Virginia Senate as a Democrat, serving until 1953. From 1959 to 1965, he was a member of the Virginia Fish and Game Commission. In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson named Mr. Guest ambassador to Ireland. He remained there until 1969.
He was a trustee of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond. His philanthropic interests included Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg, to which he donated the Amy Guest wing in honor of his mother.
His marriages to the former Elizabeth Sturgis Polk and Ellen Tuck Astor ended in divorce.
In 1962, Mr. Guest won the Epsom Derby in England with Larkspur. In 1968, he won it again with Sir Ivor, who also took the Washington, D.C., International that year. In 1965, Tom Rolfe carried his colors to victory in the Preakness.
In 1975, with L'Escargot, he won the Grand National, the great steeplechase at Aintree, England, and perhaps the most difficult horse race in the world. L'Escargot also was a two-time winner of the Cheltenham Cup, another top prize in British steeplechasing.
Mr. Guest was born in New York City. His father was the Right Honorable Frederick E. Guest, an Englishman, and his mother was the former Amy Phipps, an American steel heiress. He was educated at St. George's School in Rhode Island, Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass., and Yale University, from which he graduated in 1931.
After college, Mr. Guest settled on a farm in Front Royal, Va., and Virginia was his home for the rest of his life. Since 1955, he had lived at Powhatan Plantation in King George, Va., the site of his horse-breeding operations in recent years.
In the 1930s, he and his brother, Winston, were among the country's top polo players. Raymond Guest also was a noted big-game hunter, having made several safaris in East Africa. His father had a residence in Kenya.
In World War II, Mr. Guest served in the Navy in the Atlantic and on minesweepers and in Europe. He spent a brief period as an aide to John Gilbert Winant, the U.S. ambassador to the Court of St. James. His wartime decorations included the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star, both with combat "V," and decorations from Britain, France, Denmark and Norway.
When he left the Navy, he became a director of the Bessemer Securities company of New York.
He also entered politics and in 1947 he was elected to the Virginia Senate as a Democrat, serving until 1953. From 1959 to 1965, he was a member of the Virginia Fish and Game Commission. In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson named Mr. Guest ambassador to Ireland. He remained there until 1969.
He was a trustee of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond. His philanthropic interests included Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg, to which he donated the Amy Guest wing in honor of his mother.
His marriages to the former Elizabeth Sturgis Polk and Ellen Tuck Astor ended in divorce.
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