Secretariat’s Meadow – The Land, The Family, The Legend

Tag: Kate Chenery Tweedy

  • Secretariat Birthday Celebration at The Meadow

    SECRETARIAT BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION AT THE MEADOW MARCH 29-30 KICKS OFF 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF SECRETARIAT’S 1973 TRIPLE CROWN  Come Join Us Where the Legend Began!     Forty years ago in 1973,  the big red horse pounded the turf in the Belmont Stakes like a “tremendous machine” and clinched the first Triple Crown in a quarter-century.  Forty years…

  • Secretariat Descendants Dominating the 2012 Derby!

    Secretariat is running in the Derby this Saturday!  Of the 20 contenders in the field, 16 of them can boast Big Red in their bloodlines.  (verified through www.pedigreequery.com)   The daughters of  America’s Super Horse  whose sons (Secretariat’s grandsons) established these dominant bloodlines are: Weekend Surprise – A.P. Indy; Terlingua – Storm Cat; and Secrettame – Gone West Of course…

  • Viva Riva! Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Riva Ridge’s Derby Victory

                                                                                     In 1969, a muddy-bay colt with floppy ears would be saved from the floodwaters of Hurricane Camille at his Virginia farm. Later, he would rescue the same farm as it was sinking into debt and preserve it as the launching pad of its greatest champion.  Though he would be swept aside in the…

  • The Secretariat Birthday Party Goes On!

    Some of you may have heard the sad news that The Meadow, which was owned by the State Fair of Virginia, has been closed to the public.  The Fair (a private, not for profit organization) was forced into Chapter 7 bankruptcy on March 8 when the bank did not accept its plan to reorganize.  This was heart-breaking…

  • Secretariat’s Descendants – From the Homestretch to the Home Front: Little Red’s “Golden” Opportunity in the Rockies

    This new series will look at some of Secretariat’s most famous progeny and how the mighty stallion of Meadow Stable continues to fire the blood of some of the best racehorses on the track today. We will also look at the descendants whose most important contributions have been made, not on the homestretch, but on the…

  • October 4, 1989…Remembering Big Red

      It’s hard to believe that 22 years have passed since Secretariat died on October 4, 1989.    It’s hard to believe because, in many respects, his presence seems stronger than ever.    Kate Chenery Tweedy and I see the unquenchable passion for this horse firsthand as we travel around the country doing book talks and signings for “Secretariat’s…

  • Covert Action, Secretariat’s Grandson, Finds “Greener Pastures”

      Secretariat’s descendants are helping to keep his legacy alive! As we get closer to Big Red’s birthday on March 30, we’re writing about some of his progeny here in Virginia.  Our last post was about Rainaway, his great grandson who lives at The Meadow in Doswell.   This is Covert Action, a Secretariat grandson, who quite generously,…

  • A Good Hand on a Horse…the Grooms of Meadow Stable

                                            In honor of February as Black History Month, we’d like to share some stories about the African-American grooms of The Meadow in Doswell, Virginia, birthplace of Secretariat.  Though they were never well known like Secretariat’s racetrack groom Eddie Sweat and exercise rider Charlie Davis,  the grooms in Doswell were the first to take care of Big Red and the other…

  • Guided Tour Program Starting at The Meadow, Birthplace of Secretariat

    Millions of moviegoers saw the screen version of The Meadow, Secretariat’s Virginia birthplace, in the Disney movie “Secretariat.” Soon fans of “Big Red”will be able to visit the very grounds where the immortal 1973 Triple Crown winner was born. This spring, The Meadow Event Park, owned by SFVA, will begin offering guided tours of “Big Red’s” famed…

  • Secretariat’s Meadow and Santa…Dashing through the Stores

    The holiday rush began with a flurry of November book signings.  Lots of Secretariat fans are telling Kate and me that they are buying our book as presents for horse lovers and racing followers. We are happy and honored to hear that! We kicked off the season by signing at the Holiday Shoppers Fair at the Virginia Historical Society.  This…