Two New Members Elected to MHBA Board of Directors

The Maryland Horse Breeders Association membership has selected three incumbents and two new members to the 2026 Board of Directors, it was announced at the MHBA's Annual General Membership meeting on the afternoon of June 24 at the Maryland Horse Library & Education Center in Reisterstown. Dictated by MHBA bylaws, the annually held election fills five open seats on the board. Those elected will serve for the next three years. Incumbents returning to the board are Charles C. Fenwick Jr., Michael J. Harrison DVM and Lisa Golden Hofstetter. Joining for the first time are Jane Allen and Alice Edwards. Jane Allen - Growing up in the industry as the daughter of longtime Maryland trainer A. Ferris Allen III, 42-year-old Allen has operated Warwick Equine Services LLC in Howard County since 2008. "Warwick Equine Services LLC has organically grown over the years to support the local breeder of commercial and racing stock," she notes. "I have helped manage some newcomers to the game of racing by utilizing our strong regional program as a selling point. I am excited to grow my personal broodmare band year over year while focusing on commercial upside and bloodstock with regional racing potential." With a B.S. in agricultural economics from Virginia Tech and an MBA in accounting from Loyola University of Maryland, Allen has worked many aspects of equine industry, including veterinary clinics, backstretch roles, sales showman, foaling attendant, managing layups and sales prep. "I am eager to assist the MHBA in any way possible for the positive forward motion of our Thoroughbred community, she lists among her goals. "I hope to add value wherever necessary to support our local breeder. I am an active shareholder in the racing, breeding, and bloodstock aspects of our industry." Alice Edwards - A Harford County resident, Edwards is the owner of Rolling Meadows Farm, which has been in the family since 1915. Now 62, she worked for Murmur Farm through high school, offers horse boarding on her home farm, and currently owns a dozen broodmares as well as horses of racing age. Professionally she owns JDT Transportation Inc. and has been a Harford County School Bus contractor since 1991. Edwards would like to see "Maryland racing and breeding return to profitability and enjoyment. We need to figure out how to use Maryland Million Day as a model for other race days, turning trips to the track into fun family outings. I envision small breeding operations as the heart and soul of Maryland racing. My aim is to restore profitability for anyone who wants to breed and race in Maryland, making it feel truly possible." Charles C. Fenwick Jr. - A famed steeplechase rider and trainer, Fenwick has been a member of the MHBA since 1975 and has served on the MHBA board of directors since August 2022. He is president of the Fair Hill Foundation board of directors and a member of the Shawan Downs Committee with the Land Preservation Trust. In 2022 he received the Robert N. Clay Conservation Award from the Equine Land Conservation Resource. Fenwick trained Hall of Fame steeplechaser *Ben Nevis II and rode him to victories in the Maryland Hunt Cup in 1977 and 1978 and the Aintree Grand National in 1980. He won the Maryland Hunt Cup as a rider five times, the others with *Dosdi (1979), Cancottage (GB) (1983) and Sugar Bee (1987), and trained Eclipse Award-winning steeplechaser Inlander (GB) and 1995 and 1997 Maryland Hunt Cup winner Buck Jakes. As a partner in Bruton Street-US, he's part-owner of Eclipse Award-winning steeplechasers Snap Decision, Scorpiancer (Ire) and Moscato (GB). His goal is to "see steeplechasing become a more meaningful part of Maryland racing." Michael J. Harrison DVM - Former MHBA president (from 2018-2020), he owns and operates Willowdale Farm in Butler (Baltimore County), which has been in his family since 1962. A practicing equine veterinarian for more than 40 years, he first appeared on the MHBA board as a presidential appointee in 2009 and 2010, and has served three prior terms (through 2023) as well as completing a vacant slot in 2025. A chairman of the MHBA Legislative committee, Harrison states: "I will continue to work on the development of first-class racing and training facilities that best suit Maryland's unique circumstances, as well as the improving incentives to breed in the State of Maryland. This is a great opportunity to create a better future and provide an example to the rest of our racing industry partners that we value and wish to protect the welfare of our horses and those who work with them. My professional experience gives me a special perspective, while also giving my voice an exceptional value to this Board." Lisa Golden Hofstetter - Co-owner of Sycamore Hall Farm and Northview Stallion Station, both in Chesapeake City, since 2021, she owns part of seven stallions standing at Northview, plus Maryland's perennial leading sire, the recently retired Great Notion. Her father, Richard Golden, was one of the founders of Northview as well as Maryland Breeder of the Year in 2018. Hofstetter, the owner of 20 broodmares and numerous horses of racing age and younger, was first elected to the MHBA board of directors in 2023. "During my first term on the MHBA board, I have learned so much and was able to work with other members to create new programs to help promote Maryland breeding," she notes. "Our industry is facing a pivotal and challenging time -- I think it's important to keep coming up with new programs to support Maryland breeders, owners, and stallion farms. This year, the MHBA implemented the Broodmare incentive program, which I spearheaded, to help increase the mare population in our state. Moving forward I believe we should expand working with regional partners, as we are doing in Virginia, to increase the value of being Maryland-breds and the opportunity for owners and breeders to receive awards." The five join the board's current directors Richard F. Blue Jr., Brooke Bowman, Christine Holden, Michael Horning, Grace Merryman, Garrett Murray, Kent Allen Murray, Josh P. Pons, Phil Schoenthal and David Wade.