Virginia Gold Cup
Encyclopedia
The Virginia Gold Cup and International Gold Cup steeplechase
races are a celebration of hunt country tradition and two of the largest, most celebrated outdoor social events held in Virginia
.
The Virginia Gold Cup is held the first Saturday of May at Great Meadow
in The Plains, VA. The races have been held in Fauquier County, Virginia since 1922.
The International Gold Cup is the featured horse racing event of the Fall season and is managed today by the Virginia Gold Cup Association. Now held on the third Saturday of October, the International Gold Cup was originally founded in Tennessee
in 1930.
The Virginia Gold Cup event was generated by eight sportsmen who met at the Fauquier Club in Warrenton and organized a four-mile race alongside the natural walls and fences of the nearby hunting countryside on April 3, 1922 and thirty four days later was the first Virginia Gold Cup race.
According to the Official Gold Cup Website “over 45,000 spectators attend this event and this race is one of the largest and most popular sporting events in the greater Washington metropolitan area”.
Additional activities include terrier and pony races before the main event, hat contests on Members Hill, vendor tents and booths, parachute demonstrations, classic and new car displays, and countless tailgates.
Viewing areas are divided into three basic sections: North Rail, South Rail, and Members Hill. Members Hill overlooks Winners Circle and has the best view of the course. All three sections include private tents, public viewing areas, and tailgate spaces. North Rail is geared more toward young professionals and social groups; South Rail is where most corporate tents and family-oriented outings congregate.
Steeplechase
Steeplechase may refer to:* Steeplechase, an event in horse racing* SteepleChase, a Danish jazz label* Steeplechase , a 1975 arcade game released by Atari...
races are a celebration of hunt country tradition and two of the largest, most celebrated outdoor social events held in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
.
The Virginia Gold Cup is held the first Saturday of May at Great Meadow
Great Meadow
Great Meadow is a field events center and steeplechase course located in The Plains, Virginia. It is operated under the stewardship of the Great Meadow Foundation, a 501 non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of open space for community use.Great Meadow and the Great Meadow...
in The Plains, VA. The races have been held in Fauquier County, Virginia since 1922.
The International Gold Cup is the featured horse racing event of the Fall season and is managed today by the Virginia Gold Cup Association. Now held on the third Saturday of October, the International Gold Cup was originally founded in Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
in 1930.
The Virginia Gold Cup event was generated by eight sportsmen who met at the Fauquier Club in Warrenton and organized a four-mile race alongside the natural walls and fences of the nearby hunting countryside on April 3, 1922 and thirty four days later was the first Virginia Gold Cup race.
According to the Official Gold Cup Website “over 45,000 spectators attend this event and this race is one of the largest and most popular sporting events in the greater Washington metropolitan area”.
Additional activities include terrier and pony races before the main event, hat contests on Members Hill, vendor tents and booths, parachute demonstrations, classic and new car displays, and countless tailgates.
Viewing areas are divided into three basic sections: North Rail, South Rail, and Members Hill. Members Hill overlooks Winners Circle and has the best view of the course. All three sections include private tents, public viewing areas, and tailgate spaces. North Rail is geared more toward young professionals and social groups; South Rail is where most corporate tents and family-oriented outings congregate.