On a balmy day in 1997, Pedie Killibrew was driving along Shawan Road in Cockeysville, when she noticed a large “For Sale” sign in front of Shawan Farms. A woman with a smile as big as her passion for the subject, she thought, “Oh no ? not another development! This just can?t happen. It needs to be in preservation,” she said.
So she called the listed broker ? who told her that the asking price was $3 million for the 300 acres of farmland ? and that two other parties had inquired about the property.
Then she called Charles C. Fenwick Jr.
Fenwick is a legendary figure in the world of steeplechase racing, and he also happens to live nearby.
“I first became interested in the property in 1986, but the timing just wasn?t right,” he said.
“When Pedie came to me in 1997, I became re-engaged due to her efforts. The three beneficiaries of the estate did not want to see it developed. An equestrian park and land preservation appealed to them.”
So Killibrew and Fenwick approached other members of the community with their plan to preserve the land and create a top-notch equestrian center.
The result: 19 people either donated or loaned (or a combination thereof) $2.5 million to purchase the property.
An additional 175 community members contributed from $10,000 to $50,000 apiece to pay off all the debt on the mortgage. “It showswhat a community can do when it pulls together,” said Fenwick.
Shawan Downs serves as a premier steeplechase course ? for timber and hurdles. A nonprofit group, the Land Preservation Trust, owns the land and intends to maintain its agricultural legacy, not allowing new residential development.
Their main annual event, The Legacy Chase, will be held Sept. 30. Although started only a few years ago, the event has boomed in popularity.
Attendance this year is expected to top 15,000, with more than 50 corporate sponsors. Killibrew notes, “The thrust is to give as much as possible to GBMC, our community hospital.”
Killibrew serves as the chairwoman of the Legacy Fair, which is held on race day.
“Our intent has always been to appeal to young families,” she said.
The fair has become a highly popular aspect of the race for those taking a break from watching the horses.
It offers a range of activities for children, including paint-your-own jockey silks and the chance to watch a falconer. (How often do you get to see a trained falcon in action?)
Last year, 32 vendors came, virtually all local businesses, offering everything from fine sporting art to stuffed animals.
A remarkable aspect of this event, along with all others that are held there, is that once the event is over, the property reverts to its bucolic state.
Danielle Brewster Oster, a spokeswoman for Shawan Downs and a highly accomplished jockey, notes how Shawan Downs and the open space of Oregon Ridge across the way beautifully complement each other.
Indeed, the view from the top of the hill at Shawan Downs is truly spectacular.
So the next time you are driving up Falls Road or across Shawan, give three cheers for a community that came together to protect and preserve the natural beauty that was, and in some spots still is,found in the valleys of Baltimore County.
For more information about Shawan Downs, call 410-666-4132, or visit the Web site at shawandowns.org.
Brooke Gunning is the author of several regional bestsellers, including “Maryland Thoroughbred Racing,” “Baltimore?s Halcyon Days” and “Towson and the Villages of Ruxton and Lutherville.”She currently is at work on her next book.
