The second Saturday of
May every year, with the exception of once during World War II, The Iroquis
Steeplechase has been the “premiere spring race in American steeplechasing and
Music City’s traditional rite of Spring.”
“Rich in tradition, elegance and the sportsmanship of
steeplechasing, the Iroquis Steeplechase celebrates seventy-one years as one of
the Middle Tennessee area’s top sporting and social events,” is the opening
paragraph found on the Steeplechase web site.
“I’ve gone now five or six years to Steeplechase,”
Mackenzie Gustafson said. “Luke, my husband, boyfriend at the time, introduced
the event to me and we’ve been going ever since.”
With all the excitement of the horse races, that is not
all that Steeplechase has to offer. Drawing more than 2,500 people on race day,
Steeplechase is the first big social event of the summer.
First time race attendee, Cody Larriviere said it was a
purely social event to him. “It wasn’t really about the race. It was all about
socializing, meeting friends and making new ones, and meeting people from other
colleges.”
The Steeplechase tradition dates back to 1941. Prior to
that, the grounds, Nashville’s Percy Warner Park, were constructed in 1936 as part
of the parks improvement project of Works Progress Administration (WPA).
When asked why he decided to go, Larriviere said, “I had
never been to a horse race and my friend Drew Miller asked me to go and said
everyone dresses up and it’s this big social event. So I decided to see what
it’s about.”
Larriviere went to the 2011 Steeplechase, which had
unseasonably cold and unpredictable weather. “It was a lot of fun except when
it was raining.”
Both Larriviere and Gustafson were in the tailgating or
infield area for the races. This is where most attendees are located throughout
the day’s events, but there are also general admissions, box seats, hospitality
tents, and hunt club tents. These are ultimately split into two groups, box
holders and infield attendees.
Although there are large screens set up around the track
so no matter where you are you can see the race, most do not notice them.
“ I maybe watched two races but I couldn’t tell you which
horses ran,” Larriviere said.
Yet others still do watch the races. “I’ve always watched
the races throughout the day,” Gustafson said. “But it is more of a social
aspect that really draws the crowd.”
Another tradition about Steeplechase, is that the event
benefits the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, raising more
than nine million dollars since 1981 when the hospital was named the official
charity.
“I really think it’s cool that Steeplechase benefits the
Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt,” Gustafson said.
Having been to Steeplechase myself, I think Larriviere
summed it up best.
“It looks classy from the outside, but once you’re in
it’s nothing more than a dressed up shit show,” Larriviere stated.
It doesn’t seem to matter who you are, Steeplechase is
the place to be in Middle Tennessee on the second Saturday of May. The crowds
are made up of those who have and have not been to college, who make less than
$40,000 a year and those who make more than $500,000 a year, with ages ranging
from 18 to 50 or older.
“I’d recommend everyone to go to Steeplechase once to
just see what it’s like. It’s just something you need to do,” Larriviere said.
No matter if you understand horse racing or not
Steeplechase has so much more to offer. Steeplechase is the introduction to the
social scene in the Middle Tennessee area just as everyone is starting their
summer.
“Steeplechase is the perfect combination of Southern
gentility and sport with history and traditions,” a Steeplechase representative
said.
So this year, on May 12, go to the seventy-first annual
Steeplechase and I promise you won’t be backing the wrong horse.
For more information: mysteeplechase.com
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