Whether spectator, Olympic-level competitor or rider aspiring to reach the upper echelons in the sport of three-day eventing, Fair Hill International has long loomed large as the venue of champions.
But the dream of so many that the northeast Maryland facility rise to the level of one of the premier eventing sites in the world recently took a major step toward becoming a reality.
In May the Maryland Board of Public Works authorized $1 million for design improvements at Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Center’s equestrian sites, signaling a major development in the process toward achieving the coveted four-star status as designated by the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI).
The FEI last fall endorsed the United States Equestrian Federation’s recommendation to designate historic Fair Hill as a four-star event site, over a bid submitted by Great Meadow in Virginia. By 2020 Fair Hill will stand as one of two four-star eventing sites in North America and among only seven such top locales in the world.
“The state is committed to bringing this world-renowned equestrian eventing competition to Cecil County and Fair Hill,” said Maryland Natural Resources Secretary Mark Belton in a press release. “Working together with our friends and partners in the private and public sectors, we will make Maryland the premier destination for equestrian and equine events, and add yet another chapter to our storied horse racing history and legacy.”
A unique public/private partnership was key to the successful bid to win the four-star designation, organizers say. Among the entities involved were Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Maryland Stadium Authority and Maryland Horse Industry Board, along with Cecil County and the Cecil County Fair Board. They joined the two nonprofits, Fair Hill International, which runs the eventing and endurance competitions, and the Fair Hill Foundation in spearheading the project.
“It was a synergy of very interesting partners, it was huge to bring this many disparate groups together.” said Ann Haller, competition manager at Fair Hill International.
The proposed improvements at Fair Hill will update and upgrade the park’s equestrian facilities and infrastructure by 2020.
Design improvements include an irrigated turf race course, a new timber racing course, a cross country component, a graded grass field on the infield, a new training area and an equine campground. The grandstand overlooking the turf track will undergo a renovation and tunnels built to provide safe pedestrian travel under Rt. 273.
The design phase of the project is projected to cost about $2 million, divided equally between the state and the Fair Hill Foundation, Inc. The completed cost is estimated at $18 million.
Ann Haller said the aging tracks were in need of improvements including better grading and footing, and wider turns. Infrastructure for spectators and media also will be improved, such as parking lots closer to the courses and arenas, permanent bathrooms, and improved WiFi to allow for livestreaming.
“We exceeded the minimum requirements [by FEI],” said Haller. “We want to check all the boxes; we will be at a five star globally.”
The property features a 3 ½ mile steeplechase track and 7/8 mile turf track, which host just a handful of races each year, but the idea is that racing will be expanded with the improvements, Haller said.
Under the proposed design, the dressage and stadium jumping arenas will be located in the infield of the turf track.
Currently there is only one four-star event in North America –the Land Rover (formerly Rolex) Three- Day Event held at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington each spring.
The four-star ranking was contingent on the FEI’s approval, which was delayed last fall as it introduced a new ranking system that will add a five-star designation.
Whether called a four-star or five, the top designation will elevate Fair Hill to the level of Badminton and Burghley in the United Kingdom, draw top international riders, quadruple the number of spectators and expand the economic impact of equine sports to the area.
DuPont Estate
Fair Hill, the former William duPont Jr. estate, occupies 5,600 acres of prime real estate near the borders of Delaware and Pennsylvania and a short ride to New Jersey, New York and the I-95 corridor.
In the 1920s and 30s, DuPont acquired a number of neighboring farms to assemble one of the largest private landholdings in the East, which at one time topped 7,600 acres and that sprawled into Pennsylvania. He used the property for fox hunting, cattle raising and training and racing thoroughbreds.
Nine years after his death in 1965, the state of Maryland purchased the 5,600 acres located in Maryland from duPont’s estate.
DuPont’s equestrian legacy continues at Fair Hill, which is known for its diversity of equestrian events: from timber and flat racing to its thoroughbred training center, endurance and driving competitions and of course eventing. The preeminent event, the three-star Dutta Corp Fair Hill International, is held every October.
For 30 years, under different lead sponsors, Fair Hill International has drawn top national riders and 15,000 spectators to its week-long event each October.
The project will transform the bucolic park into a world class equestrian facility while respecting duPont’s legacy, Haller said.
“It fits in with duPont’s original equestrian uses,” said Haller. FHI and the Fair Hill Foundation will continue to hold lower-level events to help train the next generation of event riders for higher competition.
The goal is to start the field improvements, by June 2019 and finish the whole project by December 2019 in time for spring races in 2020.
The global architectural design firm, Populous, which designed the new Yankee Stadium, the 2012 London Summer Olympic park, and other world class sports venues, is developing the master plan.
Haller said she expects the star-studded venue solidify Maryland’s place as a center of the nation’s horse industry and premier destination for equestrians.
“[The event] will be like Wimbledon or the World Cup, really the pinnacle of the sport,” said Haller. “The project is a wonderful way to preserve and honor the history and rehab and upgrade what’s newer.”