Fall 2025
Dear Fair Hill enthusiast,
As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, all of us at the Fair Hill Foundation are extremely grateful for what has been accomplished this year. On August 30, we, along with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Cecil County Government, and event producer,
Sport & Entertainment Corporation of Maryland in partnership with the Cecil County Breeders Fair, collectively celebrated the successful return of racing with the inaugural running of The Races at Fair Hill Presented by Brown Advisory. In October, the MARS Maryland 5
Star at Fair Hill presented by Brown Advisory celebrated its fifth edition with many calling it the best-produced Event yet. We could not have reached this moment without the support of nearly 170 donors and their continued interest in seeing this historic racing and Eventing venue transformed into one of the leading equestrian sports settings in the world.
We had a wonderful day of racing on August 30 – 45 horses competed successfully in six flat turf races, and we are looking forward to the addition of hurdle racing on the turf course and timber racing over the Louis Neilson III Timber Course in the future. Then, from October 15-19 at the Maryland 5 Star Presented by Brown Advisory at Fair Hill, international competitor Felix Vogg of Switzerland, pictured above, finished first aboard Cartania after a clear show jumping round to edge out Monica Spencer of New Zealand when her Thoroughbred Artist dropped two rails. Hometown favorite Boyd Martin finished third on Commando. The Sport & Entertainment Corporation of Maryland (The Sport Corp), owner and operator of the event – one of only seven in the world – reported that nearly 35,000 attendees visited Fair Hill over the course of the five days. The future of equestrian events on this historic site looks bright indeed.
But our work is far from finished. We are committed to fulfilling our mission of partnering with the State of Maryland to support capital projects at Fair Hill by continuing to help improve the facilities and are working with the Department of Natural Resources to identify infrastructure needs for the future. The track crossings must be addressed, whether it be with a portable bridge to handle heavy equipment, a system of mats or trays of grass that can easily be removed and replaced, or, the most expensive option – a tunnel under the track. A long-term solution must be developed so that racing and other events in the infield can happily coexist on the site.
The detention barn, built next to the saddling paddock decades ago, is badly in need of repair in order to serve the needs of racing. As a result, this year it was necessary for The Sport Corp to bring in a temporary stabling structure for tacking up horses, as has been its practice for the past five years for the Maryland 5 Star. And of course, long-term, the grandstand should feature more comfortable seating and shade in addition to more permanent infrastructure and utilities throughout the venue for event producers and public use.
Fair Hill plays a pivotal role in Maryland’s horse industry that contributes nearly $3 billion annually to the State’s economy, supports more than 28,000 jobs each year, preserves more than 700,000 acres of open space and agricultural land for equine use, and adds to Cecil County and Maryland’s reputation as “horse country,” a key part of the region’s identity and cultural fabric.
Please make a gift this year to sustain our work. We look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Charles C. Fenwick, Jr.,
President
Timothy Gardner, M.D.,
Vice President
