Washington 08 May 2009 |
The event is more than watching the races
The Virginia Gold Cup is one of the oldest steeplechase races in the United States, an annual event since 1922. Some 50,000 spectators turn out each year for a series of six races over a challenging course.
Gloomy skies threatened this year's event, but the well dressed crowd didn't shrink from the occasion, especially women in fancy hats. There was even a competition for the most outlandish hat. Samantha Swan says she made her own. "Plus these are feathers from my friend who is a falconer," she explains. "From her falcon."
-more-