Hunt Cup 2012: Fried chicken

I was SO looking forward to the Pennsylvania Hunt Cup this year! The wonderful camaraderie, the excellent food and drink, the racing -- the whole atmosphere is just such a celebration. I deliberately left my phone at home because I just wanted to enjoy the day without distraction.
Each year is memorable, and this year what I'll remember is the fried chicken. Every tailgate party seemed to feature it. Ours was from Hood's, and they also included a whole tray of french fries and little tubs of unbelievably tasty mac and cheese (I ate two).
And, oh yes, I'll also remember the cold. We stood outside on the top of the hill for 6 hours in 40-degree temperatures, and that doesn't include the wind. Sun was predicted but was a total no-show. I wore fleece leggings under my jeans, two pairs of socks, fleece gloves, and multiple jackets, scarves and wooly shawls and ended up looking like a babushka. (And yes, I wore the equestrian-themed bracelets that my kind reader gave me!)
Actually I didn't get really, really cold until near the end of the day, and I was quite surprised to hear my friends complaining: after all, these are hardy people who go out foxhunting in sub-freezing temperatures and come home beaming with happiness. One fellow in my party even went home to retrieve a warmer coat -- and brought back steaming travel mugs of Irish coffee for us!
One very smart group of tailgaters on the finish line brought along a portable propane stove and had it nicely cranked up. Friends of the late Gil Sheck were out in force, as always, with Gil's black truck flying the American flag.
The racing was great fun and very exciting, and I was relieved that no one, horse or human, was seriously injured the entire day.
En route to the race course, the two Corgis in our party were bouncing off the walls in excitement. They got thoroughly spoiled all day long, and when we left, I think they fell asleep before we even pulled out onto Newark Road. I have a fair amount of stamina, but I fell into bed by 8 p.m. I'm not at all sure how anyone made it to the after-parties!
One note about the program (sold by some very energetic Upland students): the memorial pages and photos were beautiful.
Congrats to the whole Committee. It was a great day!