By Sean CW Korsgaard
CP Reporter
Caroline County has long been known the birthplace of American horse racing, a claim that dates as far back as colonial times, and has earned international attention as the home of the legendary Triple Crown champion Secretariat, who was born at Christopher Chenery’s Meadow Stable.
Now known as the Meadow Event Park, a recently announced licensing deal between the park and Secretariat.com, which oversees the development and management of Secretariat-related enterprises for the Chenery family, hopes to put that history at center stage and draw more people to the park.
The agreement solidifies a plan for the historical preservation of the Caroline County property, as well as setting a future course for its development as a heritage tourism destination highlighting the original 1930s Meadow Stable barns.
Marlene Pierson-Jolliffe, vice president of operations or CF&E and The Meadow Event Park, said that the deal will allow several plans to enhance tours of the site to move forward, something they hope will attract larger numbers to the site.
“Our collaboration with the Chenery family and Secretariat.com will help us present an even more enriched and engaging experience for Secretariat fans who come from all over the country to see his birthplace,” said Pierson-Jolliffe. “These combined efforts will insure that The Meadow’s special place in both Virginia history and horse racing history can be more fully appreciated and preserved.”
Secretariat’s owner, Penny Chenery, said that she and her family have been pleased to partner with CF&E in this endeavor, which she hopes will further highlight her family’s horse-breeding legacy.
“My children and I have been delighted with CF&E’s vision to preserve the property and its history and to share it with racing fans and the people of Virginia,” said Chenery.
Renamed the “Secretariat Birthplace Tours,” the current program includes the historic barns as well as galleries and exhibits, an annual Secretariat Birthday Celebration during the Virginia Horse Festival and a Salute to Secretariat at the State Fair.
The star of the tour is Groundshaker, a great-great granddaughter of Secretariat. Chenery retired the 6-year-old Thoroughbred, the last she bred and raced, to The Meadow and also provided many rare items of Meadow Stable memorabilia for display on the tours.
Future plans call for careful restoration of the barns to authentically portray the history of Meadow Stable, along with more interactive exhibits and special events. In 2015, the foaling shed where Secretariat was born and the yearling barn where he lived as a young horse were placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Penny Chenery’s daughter, Kate Chenery Tweedy, family historian and co-author of Secretariat’s Meadow – The Land, The Family, The Legend. , has high hopes for the future of the historic grounds.
“Our family is very excited about this project, The Meadow is such a beautiful, special place that has so much to say and share,” said Tweedy. “I am happy to lend my voice to an effort that will take the visitor experience to a new level.”
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