Maryland Steeplechasing

Each spring, thousands of spectators clamber onto hillsides with picnics and binoculars to watch steeplechase racing, a fast-paced equine sport born out of the fundamentals of fox hunting. Since 1894, when the first Maryland Hunt Cup was run, the month of April has been synonymous with steeplechase racing. Starting with the Elkridge-Harford Hunt races and continuing with the National Steeplechase Association- sanctioned Big Three races--the My Lady's Manor, Grand National, and Maryland Hunt Cup--the countryside buzzes with horses and fans every Saturday throughout the month. Images of America: Maryland Steeplechasing traces the history of Maryland's other triple crown of racing, bringing together images of Maryland's three most-coveted races for the first time in one volume.

Christianna McCausland is a freelance writer living in the center of steeplechase country in Maryland. She attended her first steeplechase race as an infant strapped in a backpack carried by her father and continues to follow the sport to this day.