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Page 19 · column 3 of 6 · from the scan, no model involved
By BETSY BRANSCOME and HILARY SCHEER GERHARDT
The sport of steeplechasing, steeped in tradition, has the distinct quality to satisfy a variety of tastes.
Since the first ’chase transpired in 1752 Ireland, racing over fences has spread world-wide, making an auspicious stop here in 20th-century Virginia.
Emanating from the sport of foxhunting, the ’chasing and the hunting have traditonally complemented each other. Foxhunters jump fences, thus it was from natural human disagreement as to who possessed thd fleetest hunter from point-to-point 'across hunt country.
This was the precise argument that, fortuitously, gave rise to the sporting event.
The popularity of ’chasing continues to accelerate. In a time when several other horse disciplines are struggling, steeplechasing is thriving.
Those involved in “the Sport of Kings” should be proud. Entries, meets, owners, purses, and spectators have increased year after year. And why not?
For the many racegoers, a Virginia point-to-point is a day in the rolling hills of the beloved Commonwealth. And many racing venues offer fans entree to elegant private estates and on lush,
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