HORSE CENTS Stoneybrook Steeplechase celebrates it’s 60th year | by Rebekah Sanderlin
Y
ear after year, bearing picnic baskets and donning hats, they come. They are committed horse fans and experienced tailgaters. They are children, families, singles and the elderly. They are drinkers and gamblers and also tee- totalers who wouldn’t part with so much as a
penny. They are from every race, background and economic class and many of them mark the date on their calendars and plan for it months in advance. They come for the horses, for the atmosphere and simply to spend a day outdoors with friends. Stoneybrook Steeplechase was founded six decades ago
and has been held at the 250-acre Carolina Horse Park in Hoke County since 2001. Last year more than 7,500 people attended the event and organizers expect even more this year. The race has seen phenomenal growth in both crowd size and in popularity among competitors, who vie for top honors and the more than $50,000 purse. The prime tailgating spots go fast, selling out as early as
60 | April • 2011
