Events
Places to Go, Horses to See
Maryland hosts a multitude of horse-related events throughout the year. Feature events – think Jim McKay Maryland Million Day, Maryland 5-Star at Fair Hill and Preakness – can be found at the top of the page, but the opportunities to experience all the Maryland horse industry has to offer don’t stop there.
Pick a category to highlight an area of interest or scroll through events chronologically if you are only in town for a short time; the Maryland horse world is your oyster!
Have an upcoming event you’d like to see posted? Get in touch!
Events
Fourth Monday Talk – The Maryland Horse Park System
Fourth Monday Talk – The Washington D.C. International
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Celebration of the Horse
October 7, 2023 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
619 Crouse Mill Rd | Queen Anne, MD 21657 VISIT SITE
Join Tuckahoe Equestrian Center for a day of celebrating everything equine! Come watch demonstrations in everything from jumping, driving, western dressage, trick riding, mounted archery, equine dentistry, and much more! Keep up to date with the TEC's website for a list of exhibitors, vendors and sponsors. -
Sip & Win Live Auction
October 13, 2023 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
321 Main St | Reisterstown, MD 21136
The Sip & Win cocktail reception and live auction returns for 2023 at the Maryland Horse Library & Education Center. Proceeds benefit the Maryland Horse Foundation. Premium tickets are also available! Includes admission to the Sip & Win reception AND one VIP ticket for Jim McKay Maryland Million Day at Laurel Park on October 14. Enjoy an exclusive VIP experience, with a buffet, open bar, valet parking, and trackside view of the races. Please RSVP before October 9th. Questions? Email bremsberg@marylandthoroughbred.com or call 410-252-2100 ext. 110. -
National Jousting Championship
October 14, 2023 11:00 am
3816 Petersville Road | Brunswick, MD 21758 VISIT SITE
A real connection to the traditions of a colorful past remain as each Knight or Fair Maid thunder down the track. These events feature a parade of riders to start the day, four or more classes of competition based on skill level, and ends with a coronation ceremony where the winners are honored for their achievement. -
38th Jim McKay Maryland Million Day
October 14, 2023
RT 198 & Racetrack Road | Laurel, MD 20725 VISIT SITE
Save the date! The 38th edition of Jim McKay Maryland Million Day will take place Saturday, October 14, 2023. Visit Laurel Park for "Maryland's Day at the Races" to experience live racing with Maryland bred and sired horses competing for over $1 million in purses and awards. With a variety of on-track entertainment between races and 'Ponies in the Paddock' children's area, there's something for the whole family to enjoy! LEARN MORE→ -
Cattail Chase Races
October 15, 2023 10:00 am
4389 Jennings Chapel Rd | Brookeville, MD VISIT SITE
Catch the action at this year's Cattail Chase Races! The 2023 event will include pony races, leadline races and timber races on top of plenty of tailgating opportunities. Gates open at 10am, first post 1pm. LEARN MORE → Tickets available Summer 2023! -
Talk and Tweed! An Evening with Rita Mae...
October 19, 2023-October 19, 2023 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
30 Greenspring Valley Rd. | Owings Mills, MD, 21117 240-215-5486
Join the Maryland Association for Wildlife Conservation on Thursday, Oct. 19 at the Green Spring Valley Hunt Club for an evening with New York Times best-selling author Rita Mae Brown, MFH! Enjoy shopping from On the Hunt Outfitters, Grey Horse Saddlery, and Sam Robinson Fine Art, plus dinner and a keynote speech from our guest of honor! Be sure to bring your Rita Mae Brown book for signing! The event will begin at 6:00 p.m. Tickets are $125 per person ($95 for those 18 and under) and includes hors d' oeurves, a buffet dinner, and dessert, plus two (2) drink tickets for beer and wine for guests 21 and over. Full cash bar available. All proceeds benefit the Maryland Association for Wildlife Conservation. Call (240) 215-5486 for email mawc.manager@gmail.com for more information! -
Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill
October 19, 2023-October 22, 2023
4600 Telegraph Rd | Elkton, MD 21921 VISIT SITE
The storied tradition of Eventing at iconic Fair Hill continues with the Maryland 5 Star to be held annually in October at the Fair Hill Special Event Zone in Elkton, Maryland. One of only two 5 Star events in the United States, and seventh worldwide, the prestigious 5 Star (CCI5*) designation is the pinnacle of the sport of Eventing, best described as an equestrian triathlon. The Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill marks a new chapter for the State of Maryland’s rich horse and equestrian tradition. The event showcases four days of competition in Dressage, Cross-Country and Show Jumping. -
Fall Session Therapeutic Riding Volunteering
September 5, 2023-October 21, 2023
11515 Angleberger Road | Thurmont, MD 21788 301-898-3587
Tuesdays and Thursdays 5pm - 7pm, Saturdays 9am - 1pm Come bond with the Silverado Stables horses and riders, developing special relationships and having fun. Riders range in age from 4 to 65, working on achieving their riding goals and therapy goals. Email fc4htrp@aol.com or call the office at 301-898-3587. -
Washington International Horse Show
October 23, 2023-October 29, 2023
14900 Pennsylvania Ave | Upper Marlboro, MD 20772 VISIT SITE
Don't miss the 65th Annual Washington International Horse Show October 23-29th! Seven days and three nights of thrilling five-star jumping, elegant hunters, Shetland Pony Steeplechase, dressage exhibition, Jack Russell Terrier racing, Kids' Day presented by Delta, plus Barn Night, Military Night, and World Cup Night. For more information, visit wihs.org. -
Fourth Monday Talk – The Washington D.C. International
October 23, 2023 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
321 Main Street | Reisterstown, MD 21136 VISIT SITE
International racing at its best didn't begin with the Breeders' Cup. The first major event in the U.S. was the brainchild of Marylander John D. Schapiro, who took over the reins as Laurel's president in 1950 and decided to create a race designed to bring together the world’s best horses at a mile and a half on the grass. He named it the Washington, D.C., International. The race had its first running in 1952 and was an immediate hit, as *Wilwyn carried the banner for England. Parties in D.C. were a mainstay on the social calendar and everyone from dignitaries to royalty to movie stars were in attendance. Horses came from around the world, including Russia, for the next half-century until the Breeders' Cup drew competitors away. Learn more about the history of the Washington, D.C., International and racing visionary John Schapiro when his step-son, nationally recognized steeplechase trainer Joseph Davies, comes for a talk at the Maryland Horse Library & Education Center on Monday, October 23 at 4 p.m.
