The Legacy Chase: Every Marylander Should Go at Least Once

It was a rainy afternoon. The sky was dark. The air was nippy. And the ground was damp. Not exactly the kind of weather you'd wish for on the day of Maryland's sixth annual Legacy Chase. But in spite of the weather, horse lovers from across the state parked their cars on the rolling hills of Shawan Downs.

Bundled up in jackets and rain ponchos steeplechase lovers hiked across open fields with picnic baskets and folding chairs. Well-heeled patrons gathered in the white covered pavilions and dined on crab cakes and champagne. And in spite of the weather, a good time was had by all.

The Legacy Chase steeplechase is a charity event that raises money for worthy beneficiaries like the Greater Baltimore Medical Center. In addition to ticket sales, money was raised by raffling off tickets for two Mercedes'.

But really, the Legacy Chase is all about the horses.

It's a beautiful thing to watch horses pound down the track, galloping past one another and trying to break free of the pack. It's even more beautiful to watch them leap through the air over gates and barriers with breathtaking athletic grace. This is nothing like a normal race-track. Here, you're close enough to the horses to touch them. Nothing quite matches the excitement of a close race, when the horses are coming around the final stretch.

You stand up and the ground begins to shake beneath your feet. You see the bulging muscles as they ride straight for you, hoofs like thunder on the track, the froth of sweat on their fur glistening right before your eyes. And you cling to the rail, sure that the force alone will knock you down.

That's the raw, irreplaceable experience of the Legacy Chase and why it has become so popular in Maryland. But the Legacy Chase offers other pleasures as well.

Even with the threat of rain, and cold winds blowing, there's a certain glee about delving into your picnic basket for delicacies and warming wine. And there's something ancient about gathering round the arena to be entertained by feats of strength, speed and bravery. Something deeply satisfying about honoring nature as the leaves start to turn, with children's laughter all around. Because the Legacy Chase is as much fun for kids as it is for grown ups. Maybe more so.

At any given moment, you can see children clamoring at the rail to pet one of the horses. They roll down the slopes giggling. They chase puppies up and down the hills. And of course, they compete in the chaotic but charming Pony Stick Race. It seems the announcer has a devil of a time getting the children lined up on their stick ponies. Last year there were a number of false starts. This year, some child's horse head fell off of his pony stick. Another runner ran wild. And over the speaker system, you could hear the little giggles, cries, and shouts of triumph.

At the Legacy Chase there was also a children's fair where they served ice cream, gave pony rides, made balloon animals, and performed magic tricks. And that doesn't even count the playground equipment.

Of course there was a Legacy Chase fair for adults as well. Open air stands sold wine by the glass and other concessions. If you had a hankering for horse prints, the Legacy Chase Fair was the place to shop. Artwork was available from a number of sellers. And unique gifts were easy to find. Hats, clothing, jewelry and gift baskets were aplenty and it did not appear as if the gloomy weather slowed down sales.

If there are drawbacks to the Legacy Chase, its the inaccessibility. Unless you can afford the expensive tickets, be prepared to do a lot of walking. Though the Legacy Chase has handicapped shuttles available, they were difficult to flag down, and the hills are rather unmanageable for senior citizens or the disabled. Also, better placement of restrooms would help save guests a difficult walk across ground that just invite sprained ankles. The longer races that went out into the back field were largely lost on the audience, who did not have binoculars and couldn't see over the crowd even if they did.

And one last complaint might be the incessant jabbering of the Legacy Chase announcer. It makes it harder to enjoy the great outdoors and chat with your loved ones when the speaker is blaring constant and meaningless chatter between races. At $100, the tickets start off pretty pricey, but since they charge by the car, the price per-person is not prohibitive.

Those complaints aside, the Legacy Chase was an exciting afternoon for horse lovers and average citizens alike. Every Marylander should experience the Legacy Chase at least once, so be sure to mark your calendar for next year.