CAROLINE COUNTY, Va. β A sprawling pasture in Caroline County where racing legend Secretariat once grazed as a young colt will be protected from development forever, thanks to a farmer's dedication to preserving Virginia's equine heritage.
Kevin Engel, who owns Engel Family Farms, has placed The Cove in Doswell under a permanent conservation easement with the Capital Region Land Conservancy. The 350-acre property, which includes forestland adjacent to Secretariat's birthplace at the State Fairgrounds, will remain agricultural land in perpetuity.
"This is part of our family. Part of the history of the state. Part of the history of this country," Engel said.
The Cove holds special significance as the place where the future Triple Crown champion Secretariat first stretched his legs before his legendary 1973 racing season. Leeanne Ladin with Secretariat for Virginia, an authority on the famous thoroughbred, confirmed the historical importance of the site.
"You can feel the history. That is where Secretariat grazed and played as a young colt," Ladin said. "There has still never been quite anything like it."
Engel began farming at The Cove in 1982 and developed a friendship with Secretariat's trailblazing owner, the late Penny Chenery. In 2023, his family purchased the property to ensure its preservation.
"That was the time where I just wanted to come out by myself and look and say wow we finally got it done and give thanks for that," Engel said.
The conservation easement means no solar farms, subdivisions or data centers can ever be built where Secretariat once played.
Parker Agelasto with the Capital Region Land Conservancy praised Engel's vision, noting the timing is crucial as Central Virginia faces rapid development pressure.
"Central Virginia in the last few years has been the fastest growing region of the whole state. We have seen some of our individual counties being the fastest growing in the nation," Agelasto said.
The property has been an active farm for hundreds of years, making its preservation even more significant for Virginia's agricultural heritage.
"Where we are is remarkable for its history because it has been an active farm property for hundreds of years," Agelasto said.
For Engel, protecting The Cove represents something more valuable than potential development profits.
"Money is not everything. It helps, but I want to build something that goes way beyond me," Engel said. "I want something that sticks around forever."
The farmer, who describes himself as a Secretariat devotee, was instrumental in bringing a bronze statue of the champion to Ashland in 2024. Now he can ensure future generations will experience the same pastoral landscape that shaped America's greatest racehorse.
"There are only 50 states in this country, but there is only one state that Secretariat came from. This is it! And this is the spot," Engel said. "We need to keep this around forever."
Ladin expressed relief knowing this piece of racing history will be protected.
"It is such a wonderful thing that he and his family did because that really is preserving a special piece of Meadow history and Virginia history absolutely," Ladin said.
The Cove at Meadow Farm in Caroline County now stands as a permanent testament to Virginia's equine legacy, where visitors can walk the same fields where a legend once roamed.
"Every piece of land has a story to tell, but you have to let it tell the story. And in this instance, this land is forever connected to Secretariat," Agelasto said.
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