The Carolina Cup is an annual steeplechase horse race held at the Springdale Race Course in Camden, South Carolina

Camden, South Carolina

Camden is the fourth oldest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina and is also the county seat of Kershaw County, South Carolina, United States. The population was an estimated 7,103 in 2009...

. The race holds the National Steeplechase Association

National Steeplechase Association

The National Steeplechase Association is the official sanctioning body of American steeplechase horse racing.The National Steeplechase Association was founded on February 15, 1895 by August Belmont, Jr., the first president of The Jockey Club and chairman of the New York State Racing Commission,...

 attendance record of 71,000 people. The Carolina Cup has raised thousands of dollars for the local Kershaw County Medical Center. Each year the gates open at 9:00 AM and the six races begin at 1:30 PM. Each race runs thirty-five minutes apart. General admission is thirty dollars in advance and forty-five dollars at the gates.
Suggested attire is typically dresses and sunhats for women and ties and sport coats for men. Races run regardless of bad weather.

History

The land which the course now occupies, now named Springdale Race Course, was originally purchased and developed as a race course by Ernest Woodward, a New York local both Chairman of the Board of the Jell-O Corporation and an avid foxhunter with the Genessee Valley Hunt. In the 1940s Woodward gave the 600 acres of the course to Ernest Kirkover, who was unable to afford the costs of upkeeping the race course. The property was then sold a few years later to Mrs. Ambrose Clark of Aiken, SC; subsequent to her death the race course was bought by Marion du Pont Scott

Marion du Pont Scott

Marion duPont Scott was an American philanthropist, thoroughbred horsebreeder, and the last private owner of Montpelier, the mansion and land estate of former United States President James Madison. At the time of her death, Montpelier was bequeathed to the National Trust for Historic Preservation...

. Mrs. Scott participated in the Carolina Cup at the Springdale Race Course in 1932 and won first place.
When Mrs. Scott died in 1983, the 600 acres (2.4 km²) plus of Springdale Race Course was deeded to the state of South Carolina under agreement that the land remain solely for equine use in perpetuity. She also bequeathed a million dollar endowment for maintenance. Today the course is now ably managed by Jeff Teter, himself a former champion rider. Today both Springdale Race Course and the National Steeplechase Museum share the Board of Directors.

Buildings and Structures

The racing offices and the Steeplechase Museum, both non-profit organizations, are located on the grounds of the race course. The original building was moved from Marion du Pont Scott's Camden house over to the race course. The building reflects Camden’s famous cottage architecture found in many of the residences visited by the horsemen around the turn of the century.

Areas and Sections of the race course

Sections of the course for viewers are the Infield, South and West Rail, North Rail, Restricted section, Front Row Paddock, College Park, and the Grandstand Box. Viewers park pay different prices to park in these sections, depending on which it is. The Grandstand Box is the most expensive and costs $625 per box. This includes one parking credential for one Grandstand Box, Six Box Seat badge credentials and six wristbands, which allow all day access to the Jim Hudson Lexus Post and Paddock Clubhouse Luncheon tent.