Virginia Gold Cup
The Virginia Gold Cup and International Gold Cup steeplechase races are a celebration of hunt country tradition and two of the largest, most celebrated outdoor social events held in Virginia.
The Virginia Gold Cup is held the first Saturday of May at Great Meadow in The Plains, Virginia. The races have been held in Fauquier County, Virginia since 1922.
The International Gold Cup is the featured horse racing event of the Fall season and is managed today by the Virginia Gold Cup Association. Now held on the third Saturday of October, the International Gold Cup was originally founded in Tennessee in 1930.
The Virginia Gold Cup event was generated by eight sportsmen who met at the Fauquier Club in Warrenton and organized a four-mile race alongside the natural walls and fences of the nearby hunting countryside on April 3, 1922 and thirty four days later was the first Virginia Gold Cup race.[1]
According to the Official Gold Cup Website “over 45,000 spectators attend this event and this race is one of the largest and most popular sporting events in the greater Washington metropolitan area”.[2]
Additional activities include terrier and pony races before the main event, hat contests on Members Hill, vendor tents and booths, parachute demonstrations, classic and new car displays, and countless tailgates.
Viewing areas are divided into three basic sections: North Rail, South Rail, and Members Hill. Members Hill overlooks Winners Circle and has the best view of the course. All three sections include private tents, public viewing areas, and tailgate spaces. North Rail is geared more toward young professionals and social groups; South Rail is where most corporate tents and family-oriented outings congregate.