The Maryland Hunt Cup is today in Glyndon, Maryland and there are those pundits who claim that it is the Super Bowl of timber racing. Really?
Look, it’s a great race and is very similar to the Virginia Gold Cup. The glaring big differences is that some of the jumps in the Maryland Hunt Cup are REALLY big, but the crowd (and the party) at the Virginia Gold Cup is REALLY bigger and better.
The Maryland Hunt Cup draws a crowd of 7,000 spectators who wash down their crab cakes with chilled white wine as they survey the action from a hill – sound familiar? Yes, it sounds like one tent or tailgate at the Virginia Gold Cup. Seven thousand? What are the roads closed?
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| (Jake Slagle via Flickr) |
The point is they couldn’t watch the other races on the card if they wanted to because there are no other races on the card!
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| Like we said, the jumps are BIG. |
Both races are run for purses of $75,000 over four miles (a very long way if you’re counting), and, all kidding aside, both races are severe tests and very difficult to win. No joke, some of the jumps on the Glyndon course are GIGANTIC. The good news, is that slows the pace down, the bad news is you have to jump a couple of those monsters more than once!
Here’s the field for the 119th Maryland Hunt Cup:
1 FORT HENRY (IRE); 2 INCOMPLETE; 3a BATTLE OP, 4 PROSPECTORS STRIKE; 5 A FINE STORY (GB); 6 GORGEOUS CHARGER; 7 PROFESSOR MAXWELL; 8a VOLLE NOLLE, 9 BON CADDO; 10 WON WILD BIRD; 11 HADDIX; 12 PRIVATE ATTACK; 13 WESTERN FLING and 14 AND THE EAGLE FLYS.
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There is also a full card of steeplechase action today in Charlottesville at the Foxfield races. To see the entries, click here.
2 comments:
I think you should do a little research on the History of the Maryland Hunt Cup (and on the Virginia Gold Cup) before writing this article, since you clearly are not a horseman.
Both races are greatly rooted in tradition, and are great examples of sport. But they are are very different. The Maryland Hunt Cup is a race started for/by gentlemen amateurs. It is run over 4 miles with 22 fences up to 5 feet in height. It is the only race run like it in the world and requires a freak of a horse.
The Virginia Gold cup is also a very challenging race but in a completely different respect. The fences are a good foot shorter and it is run over 3 miles. It is a speed race.
The Maryland Hunt Cup is stayed true to its 115 year tradition by having no commercial activity on the day (i.e., no tents, sponsors, etc) and with only one race on the card. It has been this way since 1894.
Saying one race is better than the other is an incredibly juvenile argument. For the record, 30,000 people used to attend the Maryland Hunt Cup. And after 115 years it still has a very devoted following, as does the Virginia Gold Cup.
The greatness of a race is not judged by the number of drunk college kids in the parking area. It's the thrill of the sport it leaves in generation after generation of both spectator and horseman.
Dear Anonymous: I wrote the post, I get it. It's called tongue-in-cheek or parody or satire or whatever. I thought it was abundantly clear that we were kidding.
If you look at the of the VA Blog Cup you will note a certain tone as we are trying not to take ourselves or the sport too seriously.
The MD Hunt Cup is a great race, we all know that. Please note the extensive coverage given the race here with more photos by Douglas Lees going up shortly.
Tomorrow there will be a post called "GAGA GOLDCUP," it's about the Gold Cup trough the eyes of Lady Gaga and it is, in fact, written by a horseman -- one who knows that college kids, corporate sponsors, etc. are part of the equation that makes American steeplechasing what it is.
We hope you come to the Gold Cup and enjoy all the many facets that make up the day and the race.
Cheers. -- GP
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