Virginia Gold Cup Celebrates 90th Anniversary at Great Meadow

By on May 4, 2015 3:05 pm -

Great Meadow hosted the 90th running of the Virginia Gold Cup on Saturday in The Plains, Virginia, and Valerie Durbon was on the grounds to take EN behind the scenes at one of the spring's most anticipated events. Be sure to check out her photography portfolio at this link.

Mark Beecher and Grinding Speed lead the field. Photo by Valerie Durbon Photography. Mark Beecher and Grinding Speed lead the field. Photo by Valerie Durbon Photography.

The Virginia Gold Cup celebrated its 90th anniversary on May 2 at Great Meadow, the home of the new Land Rover Great Meadow International and the longtime host of the famed steeplechase races in The Plains, Virginia.

It is a grand spring tradition as well as a fixture on the social calendar, and it has been running in Fauquier County since 1922. The legendary Virginia Gold Cup is one of the largest steeplechases in the nation, with horses competing over hurdles, timbers and on the flat.

Saturday’s race ran before a sellout crowd of more than 60,000 spectators. Race day featured hurdle, flat races and timber events, as well as Jack Russell Terrier races. The best hat competition saw ladies outdo themselves with their design, and the men were stylish, too.

This year the purse structure was $400,000, which was doubled from the previous year. The nine races on the card included the $90,000 prestigious Virginia Gold Cup, a timber stakes race for 5 year olds and up.

Grinding Speed won the race, capturing the Gold Cup  for owner Michael Wharton, trainer Alicia Murphy (and Billy Santoro) and jockey Mark Beecher.

Click here for full race results and check out the full photo gallery below for sights and sounds from the 90th running of the Virginia Gold Cup.