Megan Foster found her home by working in a barn

by Chris Lomon

Megan Foster’s prescription for contentment was not going to come sitting in a classroom or an office chair.

The path to a career in horse racing was most unexpected for the affable woman from East New Market, a town of roughly 400 people that lies about 86 miles south of Baltimore.

That, however, all changed with a phone call, or in this instance, multiple phone calls.

“When I was in college, a friend of a friend got in touch with [standardbred trainer] Arty Foster, Sr. and she had told me that he needed help on the farm,” Megan said. “I told my mom, ‘I need that number.’ I always wanted to be around horses, so it seemed like a great fit. My mom reminded me that I had never been around horses, but I didn’t care.”

Foster, who rode show horses for a time growing up in East New Market, then got to dialing the number, a lot.

“I called Eric — I am embarrassed to say this — every couple of hours for an entire day,” Megan said. “I was assuming that he was out working, and he finally called me back. He told me to stop by any time, so I did right away.”

At the farm, she met Foster’s grandson, Russell, an accomplished horseman in his own right.

The two became friends and began to spend more and more time together.

In 2011, they became a couple.

“The more time I spent with Russell and the horses, the more I felt right at home,” Megan said. “Russell has always loved horses and that kind of rubbed off on me.”

So much, in fact, that it prompted Megan to make a big life decision, by no means an easy one.

“I decided to quit college,” she said. “It just hit me one day when I was in one of my classes. I told my mom that I wasn’t happy and that I didn’t want to be there.”

Where she wanted to be was with the horses and the man who would become her husband.

Fittingly, it was a bay gelding who gave their shared love of horse racing a major boost.

Hi Sir, a son of Sir Luck—Hikari, came to Russell, via a claim, in 2013.

The veteran pacer would be in their barn until January of 2021.

“He is my all-time favorite horse,” said Megan. “When we lost him in a claimer, I was sad. He kind of put Russell’s driving career on the map, which was amazing. When they were paired together — Hi Sir is a war horse — it just clicked. He was so good for us.

“I see that horse as playing a big part in our relationship; he grew with us. I was sad to see him go, but he’s retired now and living the life he deserves.”

As is Megan, who is thriving as a trainer, a role she has held since 2019.

She won 16 races and posted 55 top-three finishes from 87 starts in her rookie campaign.

Her milestone first triumph came at Rosecroft with none other than Hi Sir. Russell, who has over 2,200 career driving wins, was in the race bike.

Five years later, Megan is still winning races and finds herself closing in on 100 career victories.

Her most successful campaign to date came in 2023 when she recorded 23 wins and purse earnings just shy of $284,000.

Working alongside her husband throughout the years has made for, literally and figuratively, a racing match made in heaven.

“Our friends who are outside of racing — if we are out with them — will tell me that they don’t know how I work with my husband,” said Megan with a laugh. “Don’t get me wrong, we do have our little spats, especially at the busy times of the year, but it works. We are on the same page with how we want to get things done the right way.”

It has been a winning formula, both individually and combined.

“We make it work very well,” Megan said. “I’m proud of the fact that I have been able to maintain consistency in our barn and hold down the fort when Russell is driving elsewhere.”

Horse racing has expanded to become a bona fide family affair for Megan and Russell, who call Cordova, MD, home.

“It’s been nice to have the kids [son Blake and daughter Mia] along with us too, taking them to the barn and having them tag along,” Megan said. “Having horses on the farm with us, I couldn’t wait for the kids to get out of school so that they could be with us and be around the horses.

“My son can be a little shy around the horses. My daughter loves them. We had a filly born on the farm a little while ago so that one is the favorite for both. I would say that Smooth Rocket, one of our horses, is her favorite.”

When she isn’t tending to work on the homestead or a busy life in the barn, Megan does find time to enjoy some personal pursuits.

One of those interests is literally taking time to smell the roses.

“I do enjoy crafts very much,” she said. “Every once in a while, people will ask me to paint something for them. I love to paint. I also enjoy working in my flower beds in the summer, just being outside.”

Spending too much time indoors has never been a good fit, nor has been working in an office environment.

She was reminded of that not long after she and Russell tied the knot in October 2014.

Back then, Megan had decided to pull back from the horse world for a full-time role.

“I tried working in a totally different environment not long after Russell and I got married,” she said. “I took a step back from the horses and I went to work at a doctor’s office.

“I lasted six months there and I was miserable. I said, ‘No, this isn’t for me.’”

Racing, however, is for her.

And she expects it will be for a long time.

“I feel very lucky and very blessed to be in racing and to do this with Russell and our kids,” Megan said.