Owners of Strawberry Hill Races Explain Why Meet Will Take Place in Fall of 2013
Submitted by: Jackie Foreman
Phone: 804-249-1707
Email Address: jackie.foreman(at)jforemanpr.com
Date Added: 3/21/2013
Race Moves Back to Spring Beginning April 12, 2014
Richmond, Va., March 20, 2013 – Owners of Strawberry Hill Races announced today that the meet has moved to the Fall of 2013 due to the volume of community events in Richmond this Spring and the availability of equestrian resources such as jockeys, trainers and horses. Known as “A Toast to Tradition: A Taste of the Chase,” this year’s Fall meet will honor the first Strawberry Hill Race sponsored by the Deep Run Hunt Club in November 1895.
More than 250 sanctioned steeplechase races are held in the U.S. each year with 93% held at rural venues throughout Virginia’s countryside from March through November. Most steeplechase trainers are based on private farms or training centers throughout Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania. Approximately 100 jockeys take out U.S. steeplechase licenses each year.
“There are many organizations in Virginia hosting steeplechase and point-to-point meets, most of which are held for charitable purposes. Due to the limited pool of licensed jockeys and accredited officials serving the industry at large, the success of these charitable events relies on these organizations working in coordination and cooperation with one another,” said Strawberry Hill Races co-owner Christie Harrell. “Based on the volume of events planned for this Spring and these limited resources, we decided to conduct Strawberry Hill Races in the Fall of 2013.”
A venue and date for Strawberry Hill Races this Fall will be announced in the coming months. Known affectionately as Richmond’s annual “Rite of Spring,” Strawberry Hill Races will move back to its traditional season beginning April 12, 2014.
Nearly $5 million is given away in U.S. steeplechase purses each year with the same amount raised for charities by sanctioned meets. Strawberry Hill Races will be presented by aGRAshare, a non-profit organization established by Harrell and Mildred Dotson to preserve Virginia’s agricultural legacy through the promotion of agritourism and conservation of agricultural property for educational and charitable purposes.
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More AboutStrawberry Hill Races:
Dating back to November 1895, Strawberry Hill Races was established by the Deep Run Hunt Club. This year’s meet named “A Toast to Tradition: A Taste of the Chase” will take place in the Fall of 2013. Known as Richmond’s annual “Rite of Spring” the race will move back to its traditional season beginning April 12, 2014. Strawberry Hill Races will be presented by non-profit organization, aGRAshare.
Strawberry Hill Races Timeline
1895 Deep Run Hunt Club sponsors the first meet in November at an estate known as “Chantilly” located on Broad Street.
1910 Deep Run Hunt Club merges with the Country Club of Virginia and races occur at the Country Club near River Road.
1928 Race moves to Curles Neck Farm in Henrico County along the James River.
1947 Strawberry Hill Course is developed on Atlantic Rural Exposition property near Ginter Park and a farm called Strawberry Hill.
1973 Atlantic Rural Exposition (later State Fair of Virginia) assumes role as organizer of the race meet from Deep Run Hunt Club and renames the event, Strawberry Hill Races.
1984 Historic Richmond Foundation sponsors Strawberry Hill Race Weekend and hosts gala in the newly renovated Old City Hall.
1993 Richmond Symphony becomes the event beneficiary and fans support horse-drawn carriage parade through downtown for Race Weekend.
1999 Attendance exceeds 23,000 people for last race at State Fair of Virginia’s Fairgrounds on Strawberry Hill.
2000 State Fair of Virginia leases racing venue at Colonial Downs while waiting for completion of their new facilities at Meadow Event Park.
2012 Partners purchase rights to the Strawberry Hill Races trademark with plans to relocate the event to a local farm.
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