2025 Maryland Grand National

#4 Teddy Davies on Brave Deacon, #5 Dan Nevins on Track and Trace in Grand National Maiden Timber

The Maryland Grand National is a more neighborhood affair than the Manor Races and a little less well known than the Maryland Hunt Cup held a few miles south a week later every spring. Yet it is the one I spent the most time at as a youth, from elementary school tagging along with my parents to the rambunctious and great times had in General Parking as a teenager. I always associate the smell of the first seasonally warm grass fields every year with that April weekend in Butler. From the right vantage point one can see most of the race, and the finish is always a long sprint more visible that all the others, which makes for a great end to each race.

The races themselves can also be fast. The fence above, the second & eighth, is in each of the races. It’s somewhat lower fence than others, and the horses come around a soft corner at speed. Absolutely exhilarating.

As it’s been a few months (nine if we’re being honest) since I’ve had the time to finalize these pages, one aspect of the day I remember was a theme from last year’s spring - lack of sun. The days were warm-ish, but generally overcast-ish and made for tough lighting for images.

Sam Robinson samrobinsonfineart.com prepping the canvas for his latest work al the finish line. With his hat, white jacket, paints, and easel, Sam is a presence at each race and captures the timeless elegance with style.

Above
One of the fun parts about these races for me, as a photographer, is capturing the behind the scenes interactions. Everyone seems to know each other, and the spring races bring a joy to the air you can see in the smiles. It’s also warm, and as Winter 2026 winds down, I expect the 2026 races to be a bit muddier than normal, but assuming the sun is out - more boisterous as spring fever grabs hold.

2025 Maryland Grand National

Fences seven & fifteen of the Maryland Grand National, followed by the before race meetings / discussions for the next race.

The Grand National Maiden Timber

The second race was a large field, with eleven listed in the program. I managed to cover a few fences of the race by running around the second, eighth, and fifteenth fences.