I received an invitation to attend the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs racecourse, so of course I said yes!  I’ve only ever been to one other horse race, and although I’m not really into the racing, I thought the experience would be interesting.  In order to blend in with the crowd, I picked up a dress and shoes and a fancy hat..

Unfortunately, the day dawned rather cold and rainy, but we forged ahead anyway.  In the picture below, you’ll see the person behind me sensibly wearing a warm coat and knit hat!  It wasn’t long before I put a fleece jacket on over my dress too… but I think I get points for trying!

Our tickets got us into the infield and the paddock area, and although it was apparently less crowded than in previous years, it was still pretty squeezy.  The grass in the infield was mostly mud, so most people were gathered on the paved areas, and those who had thought ahead were wearing rubber boots.  From the infield we could see the huge screen to watch the races, and could just barely see the jockeys’ helmets as they circled around us.

Basically the infield was the party zone, with food and drink all around, and a younger, slightly drunk crowd.

I lasted a while in heels, but between the hard bricks and the mud, I soon opted to switch to moccasins.  So in fleece and moccasins, I was much more comfortable for the rest of the day!  Clearly my friend wore much more versatile footwear.

The paddock area was a bit more civilized and less muddy, but no less crowded.  The sun came out for a while and we got a nice view of the iconic twin spires on the grandstands that are one of the most recognizable characteristics of Churchill Downs.  The track was first opened in 1875, and the first Kentucky Derby held that same year.

With the assistance of my companion, who was decidedly better than I was at forging through the crowds, I was able to get a look into the central paddock area, where the owners and trainers congregated.  The stalls on the right are where the horses are saddled and prepared for the races.

With continued assistance, I was even able to get a glimpse of a horse.  And some jockeys.

But honestly, being at Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby was turning out to be rather different than I expected.  I really thought that we would be able to watch the races, but in fact everyone was mostly there for the party atmosphere.  The best place to actually watch the derby is at home on TV!

Probably what I enjoyed most about the event was watching the other people, and seeing the outfits they wore.  Some went all out, like this lady with her spiny umbrella-like hat, who kept getting caught in the hanging flower baskets.  You can also see the variety of outfits worn by the men in this picture.

Her friend was also quite unique, wearing a Salvador Dali-esque hat… fascinator… thing…

Others took a more light-hearted approach to dressing up, like this gentleman in his hard hat with horses spinning around it, and his companion in flowery hat and very practical Army boots.

It was actually really nice to go someplace where everyone dressed up, including wearing hats.  Even those who weren’t trying to win any prizes were just pleasant or funny to look at.

These ladies had obviously come in from the infield, wearing their rubber boots, but still looked lovely.

Of course, there are always those who chose to go to extremes, like the woman in the background in the picture below with her ecstatic hat and trailing rose vines!  I preferred the much more dignified look of the ladies sitting down, but the variety was part of the fun.

I placed my little bet for the Derby race, on Always Dreaming, mainly for the name — and would you believe that I picked the winner!!  Yay!!  How exciting!

There was no shortage of things to eat and drink while we wandered around, and I was very happy to discover this “sweet kebab,” made of strawberries, brownies, and chocolate.  Yum.  I might have to try this at home… when I have a home…

And of course, I had to try the signature drink of the Kentucky Derby, the Mint Julep.  Wow!  It was very strong, like drinking straight bourbon, and I was rather glad that I wasn’t driving!

The next morning we reconvened to celebrate my win with brunch at Wild Eggs.  It was the perfect ending to a lovely and unique, if somewhat cold and crowded, event.

I’m not really much of a big party person, so although I enjoyed going for the experience this time, I doubt if this is something that I’ll be doing again.  But I’m already thinking about next year, and maybe hosting a Kentucky Derby party at home (if I have a home), where we can watch the race on TV.  Hats will not be optional! 🙂