Great Meadow

Great Meadow is a field events center and steeplechase course located in

The Plains, Virginia The Plains is a town in Fauquier County, Virginia, United States. The population was 245 as of the 2020 census, up from 217 at the 2010 census. It is centered on the intersection of VA 55 (John Marshall Highway) and VA 245 (Old Tavern Road). The ...

. It is operated under the stewardship of the Great Meadow Foundation, a 501(c)(3)

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

dedicated to the preservation of open space for community use. Great Meadow and the Great Meadow Foundation were founded and the land donated by news executive and philanthropist Arthur W. Arundel in 1982, when the Virginia Gold Cup lost its lease on Broadview Race Course in Warrenton, VA and needed a new location. Until Arundel's donation, the property had been slated to become a development of more than 500 homes. The site has instead become a model for adaptive use of open space for community events. The grounds contain four ponds, a small open air stadium used for Twilight Polo, The Shelia C. Johnson Grass Polo Field, and space for public and private events and activities. Today, Great Meadow has become a valued member of the Virginia charitable and national equestrian sports communities, and is home to the annual Virginia Gold Cup steeplechase races the first Saturday in May, as well as the International Gold Cup Races, held every third Saturday in October, the Saturday night Twilight Polo series during the summer, and the Twilight Jumper series on select Friday evening during the summer. It is also the home to the annual Fourth of July celebration and fireworks,

model rocket A model rocket are small rockets designed to reach low altitudes (e.g., for model) and be recovered by a variety of means. According to the United States National Association of Rocketry (NAR) Safety Code, model rockets are constructed of ...

launches such as the annual

Team America Rocketry Challenge The American Rocketry Challenge is an annual American model rocketry competition for students in grades six to 12 sponsored by the Aerospace Industries Association and the National Association of Rocketry. Co-sponsors include NASA, United State ...

, the pitch of the Warrenton Rugby Football Club's Molly's Marauders, the VHSL Virginia State Cross Country Meet, the Virginia Scottish Games and Festival, the Virginia Wine Festival, and public astronomy events hosted regularly by the Northern Virginia Astronomy Club. {{coord missing, Virginia Horse racing in the United States Sports venues in Virginia