The following appeared in The Free Lance Star and was written by Adele Uphaus-Conner
The Meadow Event Park hopes to enhance the visitor experience at the birthplace of horse racing superstar Secretariat through a new partnership with Secretariat.com announced this week.
The website oversees the development and management of Secretariat-related enterprises for the Chenery family, who bred and owned the famous 1973 Triple Crown winner.
The agreement solidifies a plan for the historical preservation of the Caroline County property—then known as Meadow Stable and now known as The Meadow Event Park—where the horse was born in 1970, and for its development as a heritage tourism destination.
Secretariat’s owner, Penny Chenery, said in a news release that she and her family are pleased about the partnership with Commonwealth Fairs & Events LLC, the property’s owner and a subsidiary of Virginia Farm Bureau Federation.
“My children and I have been delighted with [Commonwealth Fairs & Events]’s vision to preserve the property and its history and to share it with racing fans and the people of Virginia,” she said.
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. Leeanne Meadows Ladin, Secretariat tourism manager, began leading tours of the property at that time.
The new agreement with Secretariat.com calls for careful restoration of the barns to authentically portray the history of Meadow Stable, along with more interactive exhibits and special events.
Penny Chenery’s daughter, Kate Chenery Tweedy, is the Chenery family historian and author of the book “Secretariat’s Meadow—The Land, the Family, the Legend.”
She said of the new partnership: “The Meadow is such a beautiful, special place that has so much to say and share. I am happy to lend my voice to an effort that will take the visitor experience to a new level.”
Adele Uphaus-Conner: 540/735-1973
