A Weekend at The Kentucky Derby

Oh, Kentucky...home of the Colonel, bourbon, moonshine, Louisville Slugger baseball bats, bluegrass music, and of course the Derby, the most exciting two minutes in sports since 1875.

Luckily this past weekend I got a chance to go this year to the 147th Kentucky Derby with my friends Madison and Kara. Madison has been in love with all things Kentucky Derby since she was little and has always wanted to go. I on the other hand just knew of the event and my grandpa had horses when I was growing up so I decided ,why not?

We had plans to go last year but of course, with the pandemic, we had to put our plans on hold and hope it would still happen this year.

As one thinks of the Derby one dreads the idea of finding the fanciest dress and the grandest hat. I think it might have taken me about a month and the night before we left to figure out that I actually have a decent enough dress. The hat on the other had to be ordered off of Amazon.

I, unlike Madison and Kara, decided to sit/stand in the infield to see the Derby since it was my first Derby and I really wasn’t sure what to expect (plus it was a lot, a lot cheaper). After hearing stories and seeing pictures of where I would be sitting, I admit I was really nervous and thinking what did I get myself into.

On the day of the Derby, my adrenaline was ready to go, and let’s just say the infield did live up to its expectations. Once we got to Churchill Downs I had to follow the mismatched crowd that had to go far away from the front entrance to an unknown place for at least a 20-minute walk. I imagined it was similar to Woodstock, but with fancier outfits and big hats. I found out that the Kentucky Derby attendance is significantly larger than comparable sports events such as the Super Bowl, the World Series, or the NCAA Final Four. However, because of the coronavirus, the capacity was cut significantly which I was very grateful for.

The lines alone to get a drink or make a bet had to already be a mile long as soon as I stepped into the infield. I just enjoyed looking at all the crazy outfits or lack thereof. Once I found my “spot,” I decided not to move because who knows what could happen. The sleeping guy a few feet away might decide to roll in my spot! I actually got very lucky with my spot because it was right along the fence line and I could see the actual races instead of just looking at the big screen in the infield. Just being along the fence line, I finally understood why so many people go to the Derby. Yes it’s for the attire and the endless supply of alcohol, but for me, it was for the camaraderie of a crowd of strangers cheering for just two minutes to see a beautiful animal win at something that has been its state’s tradition for so many years.

Oh, and on my trip, I did learn a few things: I actually like mint juleps which I didn’t think I would like at all since I really don’t even like peppermint patties. But it might have had something to with having more than one?

Even if you are just four hours in the sun with a big hat you can still get a pretty bad sunburn. The true wildcard of the Derby is the weather!

I also think there might be a Cracker Barrel within every fivemile radius.

So hold your horses because one day I hope you get the chance to go off to the races because words cannot do it justice. As author, journalist, and humorist Irvin Cobb once said, “Until you go to Kentucky and with your own eyes behold the Derby, you ain’t never been nowhere and you ain’t seen nothin’!”