Stacey thanks Virginia’s hunt country for throwing a great party

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On Saturday, Karin and Craig picked up Grey and I and the four of us headed out to Great Meadow in The Plains, Virginia to spend a day at the races. Gold Cup is a steeplechase that’s been around for 85 years; the event is steeped in tradition and just oozes hunt country charm. Thousands of people flock to the race and set up tailgates that are more elaborate than most weddings: think Gorham instead of plastic silverware and Veuve Clicquot in place of Beast Ice.

Even though I’ve only been on a horseback enough times to be bucked off, bitten, and kicked in the gut, there’s something about horse racing I absolutely love. It’s a sport that has maintained its sense of charm and gentility unlike most others in America. Just look around a race track: instead of seeing most spectators wearing poly-blend t-shirts with giant corporate logos, you’ll find a sea of seersucker, madras, pink, green, and linen. And as much as I love Penn State football games, there’s something to be said about a sporting event to which you wear pearls.

So the four of us had a fantastic Saturday sipping bubbly (well, water for me), and watching the track (to be honest, the people watching was as fun as looking at the horses). Plus, it was the first time Grey and Craig met and of course our two significant others bonded immediately over their shared obsession with college sports, the annoyance of always being called Greg, passion for beer, and plight of loving women that don’t leave the house without a full face of overpriced makeup. Good times.