The Story Of Lollybrook

Rooted in passion. Inspired by tradition. Dedicated to excellence.

Nestled in the picturesque foothills of Western North Carolina, Lollybrook Farm is the realization of a lifelong love of horses, a shared appreciation for the countryside, and a dream of creating something truly special.

For Jenny and Dr. Evans Kemp, the journey to Lollybrook began long before the first fence was built or the first foal was born.

Jenny’s love of horses began at just six years old. Growing up through 4-H and Pony Club, she developed a strong foundation in horsemanship that would shape much of her life. She spent many years competing in three-day eventing before eventually shifting her focus primarily to dressage, where her appreciation for the athleticism, partnership, and artistry of the sport continued to grow.

In 2019, Jenny began her journey into warmblood breeding with a simple idea. Neither she nor the close friends she had grown up riding alongside could afford the extraordinary expense of purchasing the high-quality imported European dressage horses they admired. Rather than spending that money on a single horse, Jenny decided to invest in the finest breeding stock she could find and begin producing those horses herself.

Her original vision was to create the ultimate amateur dream horse—a beautiful, talented, competitive partner with the temperament, trainability, and rideability to make dressage both successful and enjoyable.

What makes that beginning especially meaningful is that many of Lollybrook’s earliest foals went to Jenny’s closest friends, the very riders who helped inspire the dream in the first place. Today, those horses are thriving and earning wins in both dressage and three-day eventing, demonstrating not only their athleticism and versatility but also the temperament, trainability, and willingness that were central to Jenny’s original vision.

As the breeding program has evolved, so has Jenny’s ambition. Today, Lollybrook strives to produce horses with the quality, athleticism, and potential to excel at the highest levels of dressage, while preserving the exceptional temperament and rideability that inspired the program from the beginning.

At the heart of Lollybrook’s philosophy is a simple belief: the finest dressage horses should possess the talent to inspire a professional and the temperament to give an amateur confidence.

After many wonderful years in Brentwood, Tennessee, Jenny and Evans began envisioning a different pace of life. With their youngest child having graduated from high school, the timing felt right to leave the bustle of Nashville behind and pursue their dream of a larger breeding farm.

Their search led them to Columbus, North Carolina, a community renowned for its equestrian heritage, beautiful countryside, and proximity to Tryon International Equestrian Center. The area’s vibrant horse community, exceptional equine professionals, and access to world-class competition made it an ideal location to develop their growing breeding program.

Most importantly, they discovered a property that perfectly suited their vision—a place with the space and natural beauty to create a farm thoughtfully designed around the horses and their development.

Construction of Lollybrook Farm began in 2020, and in 2022, the Kemps sold their Brentwood farm and officially made the move to North Carolina.

What began as a dream of more land and a quieter life quickly became a new home for their family, their animals, and the future of their breeding program.

For Evans, the move to North Carolina represented a homecoming of sorts.

Having worked on farms throughout his teenage and college years, he had always maintained a deep appreciation for animals, agriculture, and life in the countryside. Although his professional career took him in a very different direction, he never lost the desire to return to those roots.

After spending 30 years practicing cardiology in Nashville with Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Ascension Saint Thomas, specializing in structural heart disease and general cardiology, Evans was ready for a change of pace.

He established a cardiology practice at St. Luke’s Hospital in Polk County, bringing decades of expertise and much-needed cardiac care to the rural communities of Western North Carolina.

Jenny, a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, has also dedicated more than 30 years to healthcare. While continuing her career in anesthesia, she remains deeply involved in every aspect of Lollybrook’s breeding program, from researching pedigrees and selecting stallions to caring for the mares, raising foals, and developing young horses.

Together, Jenny and Evans have raised three children—Jonas, Cole, and Lily—and share a lifelong love of animals, family, and the outdoors.

Even the name Lollybrook has a special meaning.

Inspired by Jenny and Evans’s love of the television series Outlander, the farm takes its name from Lallybroch, the beloved ancestral Scottish estate of the Fraser family.

The story’s connection between the Scottish Highlands and the mountains of North Carolina resonated with the Kemps as they began their own new chapter in the foothills.

Surrounded by rolling green pastures, mountain views, and the quiet beauty of the countryside, the name seemed a perfect fit.

And so, Lollybrook Farm was born—a little inspiration from the Scottish Highlands, a love of the North Carolina mountains, and a new story entirely their own.

Today, Lollybrook Farm continues to grow with a carefully considered approach to breeding and raising exceptional dressage horses.

The program emphasizes outstanding bloodlines, correct conformation, natural athleticism, soundness, and, above all, temperament and rideability. Each breeding decision is made with the goal of producing horses that combine the qualities necessary for upper-level sport with the character to become willing, confident, and cherished partners.

Whether a Lollybrook foal ultimately develops into an international-level competitor or becomes the horse of a lifetime for a dedicated amateur, the measure of success remains the same: producing a horse that is as wonderful to work with as it is talented.

For Jenny and Evans, Lollybrook is more than a breeding farm. It represents years of hard work, a shared love of animals, and the opportunity to build something meaningful for the future.

Because at Lollybrook, the dream has never been simply to breed beautiful horses. It has been to breed exceptional partners.