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April 2007 |
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Virginia Gold Cup Celebrates 82nd Year............................ Saturday, May 5th
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What are Steeplechase races?
Courtesy of the Virginia Gold Cup website...
Steeplechasing includes all the thrills and speed of horse racing at flat tracks. It mixes in the
precision of jumping to create a hybrid not unlike hurdle events in track and field where the
premium is on speed, but the concern is focused squarely on the jumps.
The races are between
2 - 4 miles in length. The fences are man-made 52-inch hurdles called National Fences or timber jumps constructed of posts and rails at varying heights. Thoroughbred horses, almost all of them converted flat racers, compete in 12 states at 35 National Steeplechase Association stops and at some of the nation's finest racetracks.
Most steeplechase days include five to seven races. Attendance varies from tailgaters to horsemen, college students to senior citizens. Most spectators arrive a few hours before the first race (usually 1 p.m.) to start their outing with lunch or conversations with friends. The racing brings excitement, in approximately half-hour increments. As a whole, steeplechasing allows fans to get closer to the sport than flat racing. You can stand right next to a fence, or watch the start of a race, or catch the thrills at the finish line. |
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Steeplechase Quick Facts
Steeplechase Horse:
All steeplechasers are thoroughbreds and most raced on the flat before being converted to steeplechasing. The best steeplechasers combine speed and jumping ability.
Steeplechase Jockey:
"Jump" jockeys are bigger (roughly 140 pounds compared to 110 pounds) than their flat counterparts, but do the same job. Two name flat jockeys, Jacinto Vasquez and Jean Cruguet, have tried steeplechasing with single rides at Saratoga.
Steeplechase Start:
Steeplechase races don't start from a gate. Instead, horses are lined up in post-position order and start from a standstill or a walk.
For more Steeplechase quick facts, visit the VA Gold Cup website, Steeplechase 101. |
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exciting hoof-pounding competition, steeplechase racing is said to combine the best of fast-action sports with a refined social setting.This is also an event where effective business networking takes place among many of the area’s top corporations and companies.
VA Gold Cup features seven hurdle and timber horse races, Jack Russell Terrier races, tent, tailgate and hat contests, a parachute demonstration, and over 30 vendor booths for shopping.
For information about the event, tickets, packages, bus passes, sponsorship & hospitality packages, and more:
call (540) 347-2612
or visit www.vagoldcup.com/tickets
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One of steeplechase’s most popular races and Washington’s most prestigious outdoor event, the Virginia Gold Cup celebrates its 82nd anniversary year on Saturday, May 5, 2007.
Last year, approximately 50,000 people gathered at Great Meadow in The Plains, Virginia to socialize and watch some of the finest horses in the world compete over the lush green course. The setting is truly spectacular in the heart of Virginia horse country with the Blue Ridge Mountains serving as the backdrop.
This event has become a long-standing tradition and is attended by national celebrities, local VIPs, Washington, DC politicians as well as visitors from around the world. Characterized by lavish tailgate spreads, sleek thoroughbreds and
