Thoroughbreds at Hampton

Thoroughbreds at Hampton. Hampton National Historic Site. Some of the finest Thoroughbred horses in the country lived in the stable to your left. Horses with names such as "Grey Medeley," "Post Boy" and "Tuckahoe" enhanced the reputation and purses of their owners. As founding members of the Baltimore Jockey Club and longstanding horse breeders, the Ridgelys and other prominent families helped establish the equestrian tradition that still exists in Maryland today. Prized racehorses were treasured, and their impressive stable to your left was originally stuccoed to resemble the mansion, highlighting the affinity between the master and his horse., In the mid-19th century, John Ridgely, who was particularly interested in swift carriage horses, added the second stable adjacent and a carriage house, now gone. The Ridgelys traveled frequently, whether into town or on lengthy journeys. Some of the carriages used on these trips are on view., [Captions:] , Stable (left), constructed 1805 , Stable (right), constructed 1857, John Ridgely Jr., the sixth master of Hampton, and his first wife, Louise Humrichouse, are seen with their horses and two grooms in the autumn of 1912.