Christine Reter, Evie Hickman and Michael Reuter, the co-chairs/coordinators of the hugely popular Maryland State Fair attraction Horseland, have been selected as the winners of the Maryland Million 2025 Joe Kelly Unsung Hero Award. Presented by the Board of Directors of Maryland Million Ltd., this award honors the memory of Joe Kelly and celebrates important characteristics that are valuable, but sometimes go overlooked. Kelly was the first and only publicist for the Maryland Million and served in that role from the event’s inception in 1985 until his death in 2012.

“I didn’t even know we were nominated for it,” said Reuter. “All three of us are honored.”

Horseland, with a mission to introduce the general public never exposed to horses to the equine community, has become one of the major public outreach efforts of the state’s equine industry and has sparked other Horseland exhibits at several county fairs, including the Great Frederick Fair, Anne Arundel and Howard County fairs. The hands-on exhibit, which was launched a decade ago, welcomes approximately 50,000 people annually. 

Reter, Hickman and Reuter have been involved in the Maryland horse industry their entire lives, and oversee all aspects of Horseland, including coordinating more than 50 volunteers, approximately 30 horses and ponies, and a dozen participating farms and exhibitors, while always thinking of new experiences to add. Horseland’s success is a direct reflection of their creativity, generosity and leadership.

“We are the coordinators, but what we do is really bring together a lot of volunteers,” Reuter added. “When we talk about Horseland, as far as the horse industry and getting the messages out there about horses, it’s a lot of people working behind the scenes. The faces that you see are just a small portion of the total number of volunteers that actually do the things that we make happen.

“We are certainly honored. But we’re just a small part of what makes it all work.”

Anne Litz, executive director of the Maryland Horse Industry Board, commends the team’s efforts: “The words ‘above and beyond,’ perfectly describe Christine, Evie and Mike. Despite full-time careers in healthcare, automotive and agriculture, they devote months of preparation and three of the busiest weekends of the year to this mission. They greet every visitor [whether seasoned horsemen or timid first-timers] with patience, enthusiasm and a smile. Their efforts have touched hundreds of thousands, expanded the state’s equine footprint, and created a legacy of outreach.”

Team Horseland will be presented with the Joe Kelly Unsung Hero Award on Jim McKay Maryland Million Day this Saturday, Oct. 11, at Laurel Park.