The first jewel of the Triple Crown, the Kentucky Derby, was held the first Saturday in May for three year old thoroughbreds. That race held at Church Hill Downs racetrack has been my focus for as long as I've owned thoroughbreds. This year, I set the VCR to tape the race. The reason you may ask? Sometime around 9 a.m., Saturday morning, my ride arrived and transported me south to the state of Virgina. We arrived in Great Meadow, The Plains around 11:30 a.m., the location of another horse event. That other event was the Virgina Gold Cup races a series of steeple chase races with ticket prices benefiting the Great Meadow Foundation. In the Metro-Washington area this continues to be an annual social event with nearly 45,000 peoples in attendance. It reminded me of an upscale tailgate party which spanned different socio-economical levels. I tried to capture a general flavor of the event. The race card had about six races for the day. I didn't get everything I intended because my ride decided to leave after the fouth race. However, I'm greatful for the opportunity to have witnessed my first steeple chase races and hopefully to have captured the flavor of this social event.
Even though it was an upscale tailgate party, not everyone put out china, candleabras,and crystal vases with fresh cut flowers! Some of us went to one of the vendors that supplied food for those that were not prepared for the event. I thought this next image was quite ironic, the number of times your told to stay off the grass and the signs were all over the grounds.
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