Foxhall Alexander Daingerfield in Virginia

This is the second article in our occasional series on the horse in Rockingham County (the first one was The Sport of Kings, The Beast of Burden). We again return to this subject as a token notice of the spring horseracing ritual known as the Triple Crown for three-year old thoroughbred horses. The following provides a brief biographic sketch of a world renowned judge and breeder of horses - Foxhall Alexander Daingerfield. He was born in Rockingham County and was, for a time, a prominent personage in Harrisonburg. As we delved into the sources, the materials clearly revealed to us not only one person, but a family who was very capable and active in the horse world.

The Daingerfield Family

The Daingerfields were among the first families of Virginia. During the colonial period, kinships were established with other first Virginia families. As was common then, the relationships often included the marrying of cousins and the naming of children after relatives. The first American Daingerfield family arrived in Virginia in the mid-1600s. One noted ancestor, Col. William Daingerfield (d. 1769), lived at Greenfield, Essex County and served in the House of Burgess from 1747-1751.[1] A son, also William Daingerfield, was one of the first eight colonels commissioned in Washington’s army.[2] The first distinguished colonial ancestors included writers, civil servants, and warriors – interests and talents that Foxhall and his siblings also exhibited.

April is National Poetry Month

The Academy of American Poets selected April as National Poetry Month in 1996 to broaden our understanding of and gain our attention to poetry, which for many seems to be fading from our literary culture. To celebrate poetry month, the Academy suggests carrying poems in your pockets, attending poetry readings, and promoting public support for poetry across the country, which is exactly what the Poet Laureate is supposed to do.