by Katherine O. Rizzo w/the Maryland Horse Industry Board (first published in the May 2025 Equiery)

The following farms are included in this year’s Maryland Horse Farm Tour on May 11. Be sure to visit preaknessfestival.com for updates.

Baltimore County

  • Merryland Farm (Hydes) – Located on 180 acres, Merryland Farm is the training division of the Pons family’s Thoroughbred business. The farm features a 5/8-mile training track. US Pony Racing, owned and operated by MHC member Regina Welsh, will be on location with a few US Shetland Pony Racing demonstrations.
  • Willowdale Farm (Butler) – Family-owned and operated, Willowdale Farm is a Thoroughbred nursery and home to the recently founded Farmacy Brewery. The Harrison family also offers boarding, foaling and sales-prep services for outside clients.
  • Oldfields School (Glencoe) – Established in 1867, Oldfields School is a non-sectarian college preparatory day and boarding school on a 130-acre campus. The school calls its riding program, “where learning moves outside of the classroom and into the barn” and prides itself in developing not just riders, but whole horse people.

Cecil County

  • Northview Stallion Station (Chesapeake City) – Located in the original Windfields Stallion Division, Northview Stallion Station has stood some of the top Thoroughbred stallions in the state and services nearly 300 mares annually. It was the home of legendary Not For Love, a 15-time Maryland leading sire and currently stands Great Notion, who has been named Maryland Stallion of the Year every year since 2016 by MHBA.
  • Winbak Farm (Chesapeake City) – Founded in 1991 by Joe and JoAnn Thomson, Winbak Farm is 2,000+ acres of lush Maryland farmland on the Eastern Shore. Winbak is not only the industry’s largest single family owned and operated breeding farm, but it is also the largest Standardbred breeding farm in the country. Several major harness racing stakes winners stand at Winbak.
  • Equine Veterinary Care (Elkton) – Established in 1993 at the Fair Hill Training Center, Equine Veterinary Care is a progressive equine practice specializing in racehorses and performance horses. Visitors get a chance to see their advanced diagnostic and treatment equipment.
  • Fair Hill Training Center (Elkton) – Situated on 350-acres of the historic Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area, the training center features a Tapeta track for year-round training. It also has a 1-mile all weather dirt track, 1-mile turf course and miles of parkland for cross-country training. The training center is also a MHC Industry Professional member.
  • Fair Hill Special Events Zone (Elkton) – Right across the street is the Fair Hill Special Events Zone, a world-class competition facility which hosts the Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill (MHC Industry Professional member) each October. The Maryland 5 Star is one of only two CCI5* competitions in the US and one of seven in the world.
  • Sycamore Hall (Chesapeake City) – This private farm offers boarding, foaling and sales prep to select clients and was the 2018 Maryland Breeder of the Year.
  • Select Breeder Services (Chesapeake City) – SBS is the largest provider of frozen semen services in the world with 25 years of expertise in sport horse breeding. SBS has an affiliate network of 25 equine reproductive laboratories with 15 in North America, seven in Europe, two in Australia, and one in Central America.

Frederick County

  • Summer Wind Farm (Union Bridge) – Summer Wind Farm is a Thoroughbred nursery that is also home to The Foxie G Foundation. Foxie G is a MHIB Horse Discovery Center that also offers equine-assisted services.

Harford County

  • Murmur Farm (Darlington) – Murmur Farm is a family-run Thoroughbred nursery and stallion station. It was the longtime home to 1996 Preakness winner Louis Quatorze. Murmur currently stands stakes winners Blofeld, who has already produced several top stakes winners, and Warrant, who is in his second season as a stallion.
  • Bonita Farm (Darlington) – Bonita Farm (MHC Industry Professional member) offers breeding (currently standing the stallion Kobe’s Back), mare care, sales prep and on-farm training. Spread over 400 acres, the facility includes a 5/8-mile dirt track and ½-mile turf course as well as steeplechase jumps and an indoor track. There is also a turf course that encircles the entire farm. Bonita Farm was home to the 1983 Preakness winner (and last Maryland-bred Preakness winner) Deputed Testamony, who is buried on the farm.
  • Atlanta Hall Farm (Monkton) – Atlanta Hall Farm has a rich history in racing dating back to the early 20th century when the Voss family moved to Central Maryland to pursue training, fox hunting and art. The farm is a breeding and training facility that produces top flat track and steeplechase horses. It also hosts the annual Elkridge-Harford Point-to-Point races and now stands Grade 1 winning millionaire Cupid.
  • Foxhall Equine (Fallston) – Foxhall Equine is a center for veterinary medicine and rehabilitation. The facility offers a wide range of equine therapies including an AquaTread, solarium and Salt Room therapy. It also recently added a hospital ward that has the latest diagnostic technologies such as thermal imaging.

Howard County

  • Chanceland (West Friendship) – Located in the heart of Maryland horse country, Chanceland covers 191 acres of prime farmland. The farm offers foaling through training services as well as layups and consignment. Chanceland has produced several top winners including Maryland-bred Cathryn Sophia (2015 Maryland Champion 2yo filly, 2016 Maryland Horse of the Year, Champion 3yo filly and Champion Sprinter) and Aloha West (2021 Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner).