Maryland Horse Library and Education Center has something for everyone! (Maryland Horse Foundation Photo)
Nature, Books, Bender Seminar and more!
MHLEC Info Release
REISTERSTOWN, Md.—Located in the heart of historic Reisterstown in the Maryland Horse Breeders Association’s building at 321 Main Street, the Maryland Horse Library and Education Center honors the history of horses in Maryland and serves as a hub for learning and collaboration. The breadth and depth of the Maryland horse industry is represented by a robust collection of over 10,000 reference books in a warm and welcoming venue available for public use. In addition to the reference library, the Maryland Horse Library and Education Center includes a memorabilia area, versatile meeting space, interactive kiosks and rotating exhibits.
Monday, April 22, 6:00 p.m.
Fourth Monday Event: Designing With Nature: The Plan for the Valleys documentary
To recognize the importance of land conservation and to commemorate Earth Day, the Maryland Horse Library & Education Center will show the documentary Designing with Nature: The Plan for the Valleys on Monday, April 22.
To celebrate its 50th anniversary, the Valleys Planning Council commissioned independent filmmaker Allen Moore to film a documentary that celebrates the successes of the Valleys Planning Council in land-use planning in Baltimore County over five decades.
Attendance is free. RSVP here.
Tuesday, April 23, 7:30 p.m.
Next Meeting of the Maryland Horse Library & Education Center Book Club
The Maryland Horse Library Book Club, held in conjunction with Wasabi Ventures Stables, is a way to enjoy great books and connect with fellow horse lovers!
There will be two meetings on each book, held every third Tuesday via Zoom.
The current book in the club is The Perfect Horse by Elizabeth Letts. This book tells the tale of the daring U.S. missions to capture priceless stallions kidnapped by the Nazis towards the end of World War II. The next meeting will cover the second half of the book (chapter 14 and beyond).
From Amazon.com:
In the chaotic last days of the war, a small troop of battle-weary American soldiers captures a German spy and makes an astonishing find—his briefcase is empty but for photos of beautiful white horses that have been stolen and kept on a secret farm behind enemy lines. Hitler has stockpiled the world’s finest purebreds in order to breed the perfect military machine—an equine master race. But with the starving Russian army closing in, the animals are in imminent danger of being slaughtered for food.
With only hours to spare, one of the U.S. Army’s last great cavalrymen, Colonel Hank Reed, makes a bold decision—with General George Patton’s blessing—to mount a covert rescue operation. Racing against time, Reed’s small but determined force of soldiers, aided by several turncoat Germans, steals across enemy lines in a last-ditch effort to save the horses.
Pulling together this multistranded story, Elizabeth Letts introduces us to an unforgettable cast of characters: Alois Podhajsky, director of the famed Spanish Riding School of Vienna, a former Olympic medalist who is forced to flee the bomb-ravaged Austrian capital with his entire stable in tow; Gustav Rau, Hitler’s imperious chief of horse breeding, a proponent of eugenics who dreams of genetically engineering the perfect warhorse for Germany; and Tom Stewart, a senator’s son who makes a daring moonlight ride on a white stallion to secure the farm’s surrender.
A compelling account for animal lovers and World War II buffs alike, The Perfect Horse tells for the first time the full story of these events. Elizabeth Letts’s exhilarating tale of behind-enemy-lines adventure, courage, and sacrifice brings to life one of the most inspiring chapters in the annals of human valor.
Praise forThe Perfect Horse
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the author of The Eighty-Dollar Champion, the remarkable story of the heroic rescue of priceless horses in the closing days of World War II
“Winningly readable . . . Letts captures both the personalities and the stakes of this daring mission with such a sharp ear for drama that the whole second half of the book reads like a WWII thriller dreamed up by Alan Furst or Len Deighton. . . . The right director could make a Hollywood classic out of this fairy tale.”—The Christian Science Monitor
“Letts, a lifelong equestrienne, eloquently brings together the many facets of this unlikely, poignant story underscoring the love and respect of man for horses.”—Kirkus Reviews
Winner Of The Pen Award For Research Nonfiction
Sign up for Zoom and Book Club links.
Monday, April 29, 4:00 p.m.
“Woodlands and Wildflowers” talk with Dr. Clare Walker
Join Dr. Clare Walker from Irvine Nature Center for a talk in the Maryland Horse Library & Education Center’s Weinberg woodland garden, as we explore the myriad ways that wildflowers and wildlife interact, whether for food, pollination, or seed dispersal.
Dr. Walker manages the Irvine Nature Center’s native woodland gardens and is the manager of public programs, leading walks and talks on plants and insects and the relationships between them. She is a Maryland Master Gardener and Instructor for the Master Naturalist Program.
Attendance is free. This event is weather permitting. RSVP here.
Wednesday, May 8, 5:30 p.m.
Howard & Sondra Bender Educational Series: Agritourism Seminar
Presented by the Maryland Horse Foundation and University of Maryland Extension, the next feature in the Howard & Sondra Bender Educational Series will be a seminar on agritourism. Learn from The Farmyard’s Renee Wilson and Fairwinds Stable’s Joann Dawson as they dive into the subject and share their experiences from their own farms.
Attendance is free and refreshments will be served. To learn more about the Howard & Sondra Bender Educational Series, visit marylandhorse.com/bender.
RSVP here.
Wednesday, May 15 – Thursday, May 16, 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
MHLEC Book Sale
Shop to your heart’s content! The second annual duplicate book sale to benefit the Maryland Horse Library & Education Center will be held May 15 and 16 from 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. daily. It’s a perfect opportunity for anyone in town for the Preakness to explore the library!
Books of all subjects and genres will be available to purchase for you or horse lover in your life.
We appreciate your support!
It’s never too late to be a part of this exciting project! Learn more about the various ways you can support the Maryland Horse Library and Education Center HERE.
Learn why the Maryland Horse Library & Education Center is important to Maryland’s horse industry. Featuring testimonials from Ross Peddicord, Chip & George Doetsch, Maggie Wolfendale, Joe Clancy, Scott Wykoff, and Boyd Browning.
