Carolina Cup Week: The Horses

So its no surprise when you ask someone, "Did you even see a horse?" referring to Carolina Cup. Folks everywhere are partaking in the day's festivities...it is after all known as the largest tailgate in the Southeast!  Britton's of Columbia made a shirt this year poking fun at all of the horse jokes:

Isn't that a fun shirt?!

The race is a traditional steeplechase race held at the Springdale Race Course in Camden, SC. Camden is a well-known horse training district for the Eastern seaboard and more specifically the Southeast. The National Steeplechase Museum is even there. The description says that it includes:

Exhibits on the history of American steeplechase racing, a trophy room, trophies and memorabilia, jockey silks and a library with old books and references. Films and tours of race track. A gift shop is on site. Springdale is home to the nationally renowned steeplechase races, the Carolina Cup each spring and the Colonial Cup each fall. Race track owner, the late Marion duPont Scott, endowed and donated the course to the state of South Carolina.

In the official 2011 media guide, it specifically classifies a steeplechase horse as: All steeplechase horses are Thoroughbreds – a specific breed whose bloodlines trace back hundreds of years to the same three stallions — the DarleyArabian, the Godolphin and the ByerleyTurk.  The pedigree of each horse mustbe proven with official JockeyClub registration papers.  Horses maybegin their careers when they are three years old, butmoststartlater than that, as horses are notfullymature and developed until theyreach the age of five.

Now I don't know very much about horses, but all of this makes me think of Seabiscuit AND the Preakness Stakes in Maryland! Last year's winner was Spy in the Sky:

Check out Spy during this action shot:

I'm quite a fan of his competitor's ensemble!!

Who knows though, maybe we won't even see a horse! Did you see them when you were at Carolina Cup? Be sure to keep submitting your Cup photos to letsbepreppy@gmail.com OR the facebook fan page HERE!

xxKatie

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