The Meadow Event Park (also called "The Meadow") is an event center in

Doswell, Virginia Doswell is an unincorporated community in Hanover County in the Central Region of the U.S. state of Virginia. Originally called Hanover Junction, it was located on the Virginia Central Railroad (later, part of the C&O) at a crossing of the ...

. Previously called the Meadow Stables, the park hosts the annual State Fair of Virginia. On March 14, 2013, the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation bought the State Fair of Virginia and the Meadow Event Park from Universal Fairs LLC of Cordova, Tennessee. The Meadow Event Park also hosts other events. The historic structures of the Thoroughbred farm remain on the site. The park was the birthplace of famous

Thoroughbred racing Thoroughbred racing is a sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter known as National Hunt racing in ...

horse Secretariat, 1973 Triple Crown champion. The original barns that housed Secretariat, Riva Ridge, and earlier Meadow Stable champions have been preserved including the foaling shed where Secretariat was born on March 30, 1970. Meadow Hall showcases the Meadow Champions Galleries, the Triple Crown Room and the Museum of the Virginia Horse. Each spring, fans from all over the country flock to The Meadow for the annual Secretariat Birthday Celebration. In the fall, the State Fair features a Salute to Secretariat. The history of The Meadow dates back to 1805, when Dr. Charles D. Morris purchased of land which served as his family's home for the next 100 years. The farm was sold out of the family in the early 1900s until Christopher Chenery, a Morris descendant, bought it back in 1936. His daughter,

Penny Chenery Helen Bates "Penny" Chenery (January 27, 1922 – September 16, 2017) (married names: Penny Tweedy until 1974 and later Penny Ringquist until 1980) was an American sportswoman who bred and owned Secretariat (horse), Secretariat, the 1973 winner o ...

, continued his work, achieving success with Riva Ridge and Secretariat. In 1972, Riva Ridge won the

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby () is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes Thoroughbred racing, race run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The race is run by three-year-old Thoroughbreds at a distance of . Colt (horse), Colts and geldin ...

and the

Belmont Stakes The Belmont Stakes is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes Thoroughbred racing, race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is run over the worldwide classic distance of . Colt (horseracing), Colt ...

and placed fourth in the Preakness. In 1973, Secretariat became the first horse in twenty-five years to win the Triple Crown and the only champion to break all three track records, which still stand fifty years later. The

Meadow A meadow ( ) is an open habitat or field, vegetated by grasses, herbs, and other non- woody plants. Trees or shrubs may sparsely populate meadows, as long as they maintain an open character. Meadows can occur naturally under favourable con ...

was sold by the Chenery family in 1979, and most of the property was divided into smaller parcels. The rest of the farm changed owners several times. The venue has been owned by the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation since March 14, 2013. It was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

as The Meadow Historic District in 2015. The Meadow's history includes the African American grooms that are mentioned in the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, within the US Department of the Interior. The service manages all List ...

application. Meadow Farms and Secretariat are also recognized by an official roadside historic marker from the State of Virginia.

References

External links

The Meadow Event Park homepageState Fair of Virginia
{{Music venues of Virginia Music venues in Virginia Virginia municipal and county parks Parks in Hanover County, Virginia 2009 establishments in Virginia Protected areas established in 2009 Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Virginia Parks on the National Register of Historic Places in Virginia National Register of Historic Places in Hanover County, Virginia Event venues on the National Register of Historic Places in Virginia Fairgrounds in the United States

See also

References

External links