Maryland's "Mane" Events

The dog is man's best friend. The lion is king of the jungle. But in Maryland, the horse is the most noble of beasts.

Horses have played an important role in Maryland since the first settlers arrived at St. Mary's City in the mid-17th century. In those early days, the horse was essential for farming and as a mode of transportation. Although tractors and cars have taken much of the burden off horses, Maryland's fascination with these beautiful animals has not diminished. These days, Maryland offers activities involving horses all year round -- from riding in a horse-drawn sleigh during a winter snowfall to watching the glamorous spectacle of a fox hunt on a late summer afternoon. When it comes to "horsing around," Maryland offers a little bit of everything.

Maryland has some impressive equestrian statistics. The state is home to several Olympic medal-winners, including Lana Dupont Wright, the first woman to compete in combined training at the Olympics, and seven-time Olympian J. Michael Plumb, who has participated in more games than any other athlete in any sport. The Baltimore-Washington corridor hosts more horse shows than any other region in the United States. And Maryland boasts more Thoroughbred horses per square mile than any other state -- including Kentucky.

Of course, Kentucky has its famed Derby . . . and Maryland has the Preakness Stakes. The second jewel in the Triple Crown, the Preakness is run the third Saturday in May at Baltimore's Pimlico Race Course. Since 1988, Maryland has taken advantage of this internationally known sporting event by staging the Preakness Celebration, a spectacular festival that showcases the state and builds excitement for the race. The Preakness Celebration annually attracts an audience of about half a million people. It is now marked by nightly block parties that draw crowds of up to 20,000 people, music festivals that attract big-name performers, the third largest hot air balloon race held annually on the East Coast, and a black-tie gala. In short, the Preakness Celebration transforms a split-second horse race into an extravaganza that lasts more than a week.

Fall brings another one-of-a-kind racing event, the Maryland Million at Laurel Race Course. Founded by Marylander and ABC sportscaster Jim McKay, the 12 races showcase Maryland-bred horses competing for million-dollar state stallion stakes.

Going to a race track isn't the only way to see horses at their fastest. Equally impressive is the Maryland Hunt Cup Race, which has been taking place since 1894. Held in late April, the Hunt Cup is the oldest and most difficult steeplechase race in the country, and it annually draws competitors -- and spectators -- from around the world. For more than 20 years, the annual Marlborough Hunt Races at Roedown Farm in Anne Arundel County have drawn record crowds -- not just to see the races, but also to participate in one of the classiest tailgate parties around. Bentleys, Rolls Royces and Mercedes pull up on the lawn, and passengers dressed in tweed and velvet emerge to partake of feasts including smoked salmon, lobster and champagne.

But the steeplechase isn't necessarily a stuffy affair. An equal number of spectators turn out in jeans and sneakers and feast on fried chicken and cold beer. The same people who flock to football and hockey games are equally impressed by the steeplechase because it's considered one of the most dangerous sports in the world, with horses moving at incredible speeds as they jump over ditches, hedges, walls and fences. But as grueling as it is for the participants, the steeplechase is remarkably easy on spectators. Not only do they get to have a picnic, but they also witness a sport based on a concept that's quite easy to understand: The first person (and horse) to cross the finish line wins. There are no difficult rules to memorize, no scores to remember. The sport is fast, colorful and absolutely beautiful.

Another exciting display is the Fair Hill International Three-Day Event and Carriage-Driving Championships. Held each October in Cecil County, this event attracts the top international athletes in the Olympic sports of dressage, endurance and stadium jumping. Like the steeplechases, some spectators turn out in casual attire while others don ascots and top hats, just as if they were attending the Ascot in England 100 years ago.

For those who like to put a historic twist on a recreational activity, Maryland offers its official state sport, jousting. The modern version is much less dangerous than the medieval variety, which involved knights trying to knock opponents from their horses with lances. Twentieth-century jousters face much smaller targets: tiny rings that must be speared with a lance while the rider passes at top speed. Each August, jousters take part in the longest-running tournament in state history at the Calvert County Jousting Tournament in Port Republic. While contestants aim for the rings, spectators set their sights on a country-style supper.

Playing the part of spectator at any of the races, shows and events is certainly a thrill, but so is climbing on a horse and blazing one's own trail. Throughout the state, riding stables rent horses to riders of all ages and skill levels and give them a new vantage point from which to explore the state's mountains, farmlands and shorelines.

Along one of those shorelines, at Assateague State Park, travelers can find roaming bands of wild ponies -- not to ride, but to admire. Some legends say that these ponies, which were immortalized in the Margaret Henry classic, Misty of Chincoteague, are the descendants of horses that escaped from a shipwrecked Spanish galleon. Others contend that early settlers used Assateague and other barrier islands as grazing sites for their horses in order to avoid the taxes and fencing requirements imposed on the mainland.

Although the ponies of Assateague and most of the other horses in Maryland now live a more leisurely existence than their ancestors did, some equine residents of the state continue to earn their keep by providing transportation and farm labor. In St. Mary's County, for example, it's not uncommon to see a horse-drawn Amish buggy on its way to a bustling farmer's market -- just miles away from where colonists first used horses as they settled in Maryland.

Article courtesy of

Maryland Office of Tourism Development

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