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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