We had a wonderful time at the Willowdale Steeplechase on Mother's Day Sunday. Our superb parking spots (thank you, Kennett Paper!) were right next to the paddock, so we got to check out the horses getting ready just before the race. Then it was just a short walk down to the finish line.
In a couple of the races one horse led by a considerable margin before fading near the end, opening up the race to the other contenders. Very exciting for us spectators!
A couple of the horses had foreign names, which the announcer seemed to love pronouncing. "Chamirey," he'd say with attitude, rolling the "r" like a native Frenchman.
Between races we walked all over the place and saw lots of friends and neighbors, which was great fun. Thanks to all the kind people who (a) fed me and/or (b) said nice things about my column!
Spectators tend to dress up for this steeplechase, and I saw some stunning outfits and hats. If your hat had a broad brim, you could congratulate yourself for being not only chic, but practical as well: the sun was very strong and we will all be sore tomorrow.
Lots of people bring their dogs to the races, so we got to see everything from a very handsome mastiff to an adorable little Boston terrier.
I always enjoy watching the photographers at work out on the course, carrying thousands of dollars of equipment around their necks. This year somebody had a very fancy drone that was able to follow the horses around the race course.
My favorite line of the day was at the Otto's BMW tent. Two elementary-school-aged boys were sitting in the front seat of a gleaming, brand-new Beemer that was on display, pretending to drive. The man standing by the car (I'm assuming their father) offered this sage advice: "You want a BMW, you need a J-O-B first."
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