Home of racing champions
Photo by Tim Hanson
To those who breathe the rarified air of steeplechase horse racing, the 2002 death of Lonesome Glory—the beloved, chestnut-colored thoroughbred who held the attention of the racing world for most of the 1990s—was akin to the passing of Yankee slugger Lou Gehrig or the loss of boxing’s Muhammad Ali.
He was that great.
In his stellar career, Lonesome Glory secured for his owners just about every award that was worth winning, and along the way brought home more than $1 million in prize money.
When he died in retirement at the age of 14 in Pennsylvania (the champion was euthanized after a leg injury), his remains were transported to Camden and buried at the sprawling 600-acre Springdale Race Course in front of the National Steeplechase Museum.
“He was a great steeplechaser,” says Catherine French, the museum’s executive director. “And he was the biggest money-earner ever.”
Today, when visitors arrive at the museum, the first thing they see is a life-size, bronze statue of Lonesome Glory, just a few steps away from a grave marker that lists his major awards and lifetime earnings.
Inside, a Lonesome Glory exhibit contains one of his horseshoes, a mouth bit and his saddle towel. It is a fitting tribute that is part of the museum’s remarkable array of historical items and steeplechase memorabilia. Walls are covered with colorful jockeys’ riding silks, oil paintings, and dozens of photographs commemorating celebrated racehorses, owners, jockeys and philanthropists.
In a separate room, behind lock and key, are the coveted Carolina Cup, crafted in Ireland in 1704, and the Colonial Cup, which came from England in 1892.
Built in 1998 and financially sustained by 465 active members, the museum is wholly dedicated to the sport and is a mandatory stop for the tens of thousands of people who attend the annual Carolina Cup and Colonial Cup races.
Steeplechasing originated in Ireland sometime in the 1700s and is unique in the world of racing in that horse and rider jump over a number of hurdles as part of the contest. Probably the most famous of these races is England’s Grand National, a grueling, four-mile-long competition that requires horses to clear 30 fences.
In 1929, some 66 horses turned out for the Grand National, the largest showing since its inception in 1839. News crews armed with nearly four dozen movie cameras recorded the event that saw several horses and riders fall and tumble in spectacular fashion. In the end, only nine horses finished the race. One was so severely injured that it had to be euthanized.
That now-legendary race was also later captured by the renowned equestrian artist Paul Brown in a series of 19 watercolors. Those illustrations were owned by a collector in New York until he gave them to the museum, where they are now on permanent display.
Visitors also will find an exhibit on Marion DuPont Scott, the last owner of Springdale Race Course. Scott, who for a few years was married to the movie actor Randolph Scott, bequeathed the property to the state of South Carolina upon her death in 1983. The Scott exhibit also tells the story of one of her favorite horses, a relatively diminutive animal named Battleship, known for his unlikely ability on the racecourse. He even raced the Grand National.
“Here is a picture of him,” French says, pointing to one of the photos in the Scott exhibit. “He was a tiny little thing. For him to jump those fences at the Grand National and throw his rear end up over that fence, extensions had to be added to the reins so the rider could lean way back and not be pulled over Battleship’s head. He was really a good little racehorse. He had to have a huge heart.”
French concedes that steeplechase racing is confined to a relatively small group of people. As older generations of race fans and benefactors pass from the scene, French says she hopes younger Americans will discover the thrill of the sport and become involved. Her museum, she notes, is the perfect place to kindle that interest.
“The more you learn about steeplechasing, the more it gets into your blood,” she says. “It’s such a wonderful sport.”
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Get There
The National Steeplechase Museum is located at 200 Knights Hill Road in Camden, on the grounds of historic Springdale Race Course.
Hours: Open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday from September through May. Group tours are available by appointment.
Admission: Guests are asked to make a donation at the door.
Details: For more information, visit steeplechasemuseum.org or call (803) 432-6153.
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Spring equestrian events in South Carolina
Aiken Trials, March 17: This first leg of Aiken’s Triple Crown kicks off three weekends of horse events, this one focused on young thoroughbreds in action at Aiken Training Track.
(803) 648-4631; aikentrials.com
Aiken Spring Steeplechase, March 24: Race day features six steeplechase races, a carriage parade and, of course, tailgating at Aiken Horse Park.
(803) 648-9641; aikensteeplechase.com
Elloree Trials, March 24: Elloree Training Center hosts a day of thoroughbred and quarter horse racing, with 10 to 12 races on the schedule.
(803) 897-2616 or (803) 897-2821; clerk@elloreesc.com
Pacers and Polo, March 31: For polo fans, the final leg of the Aiken Triple Crown is a day of competition with six seven-minute chukkers at Powderhouse Polo Field in Aiken.
(803) 641-3334; usca.edu/pacersandpolo/
Aiken Horse Show, March 30–April 1: This three-day event showcases competitions for all ages in a variety of categories in Hitchcock Woods.
(803) 642-0528; aikenhorseshow.org
Carolina Cup and Colonial Cup, March 31: For the first time, these two longstanding and well-loved racing events will be held on the same day at Springdale Racecourse in Camden.
(803) 432-6513; carolina-cup.org/race-day-2018