Jeffrey AronsonA decade ago, Laura Shacklette and Sarah Caldwell of Texas Rovers sought to encourage women attending the annual SCARR (South Central Texas Area Rover Rally) to “run what they brung” and off-road in their Land Rovers – not as passengers but as drivers.
Their muse was the British-Australian adventurer Barbara Toy, who drove her Series I, “Pollyanna,” on five journeys between 1950–1960 through Europe, Asia and North America. Barbara traveled alone, without formal sponsorship, making her own visa, carnet and funding arrangements on the fly, at a time when this was simply not done – especially by women. In 1961, the Rover Car Company wanted her exploits to occur in a “modern” Series II, so she reluctantly left “Pollyanna” behind for her sixth adventure to fabled cities from Mali to Libya. After a hiatus, she drove “Pollyanna” on her second circumnavigation of the world in 1991, at age 81. Between 1959–1970, she wrote eight travel and culture books, with a ninth published posthumously.
If Barbara Toy could accomplish all this, Laura and Sarah mused, the women of Texas Rovers could certainly conquer the trails of Barnwell Mountain, on SCARR’s home turf.
The Barbara Toy Tribute Run attracted the attention of Tom Pickford, Chipping Norton, UK, the present-day owner and steward of “Pollyanna.” Land Rover Classic UK had arranged for “Pollyanna” and Tom to appear on the storied links of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in 2025 as part of JLR’s “75 Years of Expeditions” display [See Fall 2025 issue -ed.] Tom had heard of the Barbara Toy Tribute Run at SCARR and, as he told me, “I wanted Pollyanna to remain in the USA so she could arrive at the Barbara Toy event at SCARR in 2026.”
Back in October 2025, Mike Bishop of Land Rover Classic UK had arranged for “Pollyanna” to take her star turn at ROAV’s Mid-Atlantic Rally. There, Mike asked for ANARC’s assistance in meeting Tom’s request. ANARC, JLR NA and Land Rover Classic UK collaborated in securing the carnets, registrations and insurance necessary for Tom to drive “Pollyanna” from Mahwah, NJ, to Gilmer, TX.
Two weeks before SCARR in April 2026, Tom Pickford flew from London to New York, where he met up with enthusiasts Bill and Patty Cooper for the cross-country trek. To quote C W McCall, “they had themselves a convoy.” Along the way, they enjoyed the cheers and good spirits of Land Rover clubs such as ROAV, Carolina Trail Riders and the Gulf Area Land Rover Club. With few issues, they arrived at Land Rover Park Place, Grapevine, TX, to a grand reception, then progressed to Barnwell Mountain Park, home of SCARR.
On a warm Friday afternoon, enthusiasts gathered under a pavilion to meet Tom Pickford, “Pollyanna” and friends. Ashley Giordano (Overland Journal/Expedition Portal) moderated a discussion panel comprised of Sarah Caldwell, Laura Shacklette, Roxie Byars, Tom Pickford and Greg Fitzgerald.
Both Sarah and Laura cited Barbara Toy as their role model “to have the confidence and courage to be yourself. Barbara Toy’s example was the driving force to create and foster the development of the Barbara Toy Run.” Sarah had entered the Land Rover world through a Series III 109” that she named “Beatrice.” When she and her husband Mark moved to Texas, the punishing heat forced the purchase of a Discovery.
“Attending Texas Rovers events like SCARR,” said Sarah, “men wondered how to get their female wives and daughters to drive on the trails. I thought about the barriers. Women might not know what to do on the trails, or fear damaging the family Land Rovers. The answer for me was creating a testosterone-free zone so women could learn off-roading and recovery techniques. I love promoting Barbara Toy’s story, following her attitude of, ’Let’s make this happen.’”
Roxie Byars, Land Rover Park Place, coordinated the dealer’s sponsorship of SCARR and the Barbara Toy Run. She exclaimed, “Land Rovers changed my life as they enabled women do more than we were expected to do. I hope to help keep the Barbara Toy Run for generations to come.”
Jennifer Dousay and Brandy Vasquez both participated in the first Barbara Toy Run in 2016. Jennifer noted that she now has her own Land Rover and three daughters ready to take the wheel. Brandy pointed to her daughter, Alina, a pre-schooler at the first event who now takes turns driving. Nancy MacDonald, Mineola, TX, who arrived with her husband, Scott, noted that last year’s run was her first; “I didn’t wreck our Defender 90. I certainly felt empowered when I finished that course!”
Tom Pickford told the group, “I was born into a Land Rover family, as both my grandfather and father, Guy, had Land Rovers. I got to drive them on my grandfather’s farm. The family knew Barbara Toy, as my father became [Pollyanna’s] mechanic, and later, its owner. I was very aware of the Barbara Toy Tribute Run, and after her Pebble Beach appearance last year, wanted Pollyanna to remain in the US for this event. I’d been in contact with Laura and Sarah and worked with Bill Cooper to create an itinerary and garner the support for the trip from New Jersey to Texas.”
Peering inside, you notice that for safety, Barbara had hung a wooden truncheon from the windshield and a pair of “lucky boots” from the rear-view mirror. She also mounted a first aid kit on the bulkhead rail. A padlocked wooden center console, reproduced by Guy Pickford, provided some security. A set of door tops and a canvas top offered some weather protection. “‘Pollyanna’ will do about 220 miles on its 12-gallon tank,” noted Tom, “and I’ve not had to do much to the engine during our ownership. I’ve no idea of the total mileage, but based on its history, others suggest it has about 280,000 miles on it.”
Greg Fitzgerald spoke of his great interest in Land Rover expeditions of the mid-20th century and his work creating and augmenting the online digital history of Barbara Toy and her travels (www.BarbaraToy.com).
Perhaps Sarah Caldwell summed the discussion up amply when she said, “I want to believe that Barbara Toy is looking down at us from heaven and that she would be happy to be back in Texas.”
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