Page 46 - The Hunt - Summer 2020

44 THE HUNT MAGAZINE
summer 2020
(Above and opposite page) Plantation Field’s equestrian events attract tailgaters, classic car enthusiasts and the world’s elite riders.
venue in the sport,” says Cuyler Walker, who owns the Plantation Field property and is also on the board. “We attract the top riders, who use it to prepare for the Olympics and other major events.”
Denis Glaccum might’ve spent the majority of his professional career working for IBM, had he not received a call from a member of the Maryland equestrian community back in late 1980s. In 1976, he and Bambi started what would eventually become the Pennsylvania-based Chesterland
Three-Day Event, which lasted 12 years. By 1989, he was balancing riding with his business career when he headed to Elkton, Md., to help build an equestrian hub on a nature preserve at Fair Hill. The 7,600-acre tract of land was owned by William du Pont Jr., who used it for fox hunting and steeplechase riding.
At the end of 1997, the Glaccums’ relationship with management at Fair Hill was “less than ideal,” so Denis and Bambi moved back north. They spent a few years looking for the right opportunity before connecting with Cuyler Walker, who owned land that had been in his family for more than century. Walker’s family had used it for a variety of purposes, even renting it to the Texas-based King Ranch for cattle grazing. In 2001, they started work on the site of what would become Plantation Field, taking the name from the hedges planted around the property. “Denis figured out how to turn it into an equestrian venue,” says Walker.
Often in concert with renowned designer Michael Etherington-Smith, the Glaccums have created a top-flight course with excellent terrain and a challenging layout. They and their staff run competitions in April, May and June, along with a series of summer events for less accomplished participants. Each September, Plantation Field hosts an international event that brings in riders from all over. “Most of it is due to Denis’ incredible vision,” Walker says. “He saw how a hayfield, with its peaks and valleys, could have a course run through it. And he laid it out so that it would be easily watchable for spectators from one place. They can see just about everything without moving around.”
And there’s plenty to see, even beyond
the first-rate riders. Admission is often free, although the last day of three-day eventing competition usually costs about $20 a carload. Though the horses are certainly worth that reasonable rate, the tailgating scene is almost as entertaining. There are usually themes to the various weekends, and judges preside over revelers’ attempts to be awarded best in show. Even better is that most of the action can be viewed from the tailgating perch, meaning spectators don’t have to abandon their parties to see what’s happening.