More Hunt Country Memories; Virginia Gold Cup, 1941

By popular demand, I'm posting some more vintage Gold Cup photos from Warrenton, Virginia. This time, the photos are from 1941.

One of the official Gold Cup race judges. His estute gaze belies quite a knowledge of horse flesh!

How is it that EVERY guy back in the day looked great in hats whereas almost no one today looks right in them? There are exceptions (Dr. Henry Jones, Jr. for example) but I think that it's because those guys had tiny little heads back then. -They looked cooler smoking too (get a load of the dude in the background holding the Gold Cup with the 'butt' and the fedora).

Photo credit: Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information

Virginia Gold Cup Memories: Warrenton Point to Point Races, 1939

With the 87th running of the Virginia Gold Cup coming up this weekend (this being the 'First Saturday in May' and all), I thought that I'd share some Library of Congress photos of long-ago Warrenton, Virginia steeple chase action.

Looks like a long afternoon for 'The Colonel.'

"That's what you get for treatin' me like a rented government mule!"

- Drinking from a flask at the Virginia Gold Cup? Wwwhhaaatttt?!?! A word of advice. Don't hang onto any speeding golf carts. -Just sayin'.

I love this picture of the young ladies trying to make heads or tails of the racing program. The young lady with the killer spectacles is dipping into the purse thinking "That's it. I'm betting the mortgage on the rider with the lovely pink silks!"

A good bow tie/top coat combo always attracts the ladies!

Photo credit: Library of Congress, Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Collection.