Secretariat's Meadow: The Land, The Family, The Legend

Secretariat is one of the greatest racehorses of all time. However, we may never have had a "Big Red" if not for many events that happened dating back to before the Civil War, that led to Christopher Chenery establishing the Meadow Stable. Tweedy's book is a tribute to her grandfather, her mother Penny, and the many people behind The Meadow especially the grooms. Secretariat fans who could tell his story on their own will truly enjoy Tweedy’s first-hand account, as someone fortunate to have personally witnessed greatness in her family, their farm, and their horses. This is such an important story of the American turf.

Many books have already been written about Secretariat, one of which is the basis for a Disney movie soon to be released, but none of them take the unique perspective of this latest book. Kate Chenery Tweedy, daughter of Penny Chenery, in her third non-fiction work, tells the story about The Meadow, the fertile tract of land in Virginia that her grandfather Christopher Chenery built into a racehorse breeding powerhouse. Tweedy and co-author Leeanne Ladin interviewed many family members and past employees of the Meadow, as part of their 3-year research into this book, and were able to incorporate her personal experiences at the farm and track.

The Meadow, which got its name from the fact that it is mostly wide open plain, in contrast to the surrounding hilly terrain, was originally used by British colonists for tobacco farming, passing from the Carters to the Morrises (also prominent ancestors) and then to the Harts. Meanwhile, Christopher Chenery made his fortune in the Federal Water Service Corporation and then Southern National Gas Corporation and the Offshore Company. As a young boy he exercised horses at the famed Bullfield Stable, 7 miles from his home. Bullfield produced champion Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds, and many of their top runners were chestnut. A successful businessman, Chenery returned to The Meadow to buy it back and return it to his family, then using his engineering expertise, he prepared the land for use as a horse farm, improving the water and soil quality, building dikes to prevent flooding, and then built barns and training tracks.

Chenery wanted to breed and race a Kentucky Derby winner, and he almost accomplished it with favorite Hill Prince, who finished second as the favorite in 1950. As his health failed, the farm began losing money, and of his three children, only Penny showed an interest in continuing the family tradition, vowing to continue racing while her father was alive. In 1972, Riva Ridge won the Kentucky Derby which saved the farm from extinction, and went on to win the Belmont Stakes as well. That same year, Secretariat became the first 2-year-old Horse of the Year.

Kate Tweedy tells the Secretariat story from the perspective of her family, sharing with the reader how she and her famous mother Penny experienced those magical moments in 1972 and 1973. Sadly, Christopher Chenery was never able to witness either of his Derby victories in person. He died in January 1973, leading to an enormous estate tax bill that needed to be paid, forcing Penny's hand in deciding to syndicate the horse and take a chance at the Triple Crown, a risky gamble that paid off.

In the epilogue, Kate explains what happened after Secretariat's retirement. By 2003, just 360 acres of The Meadow remained, including the barns and training tracks. It was purchased by the State Fair of Virginia, renaming it the Meadow Event Park, a new home of the annual fair and a way to preserve the farm's place in equine history.