Horse racing is called the Sport of Kings. That is an appropriate name. Supposedly only Kings can afford such a sport. It is a sport that takes time, effort, hard work and a great outlay of money. Horses need to be fed every day. They need special care. Housing for a horse costs a lot. It’s a full time endeavor caring and feeding a horse.
Like all hobbies, sometimes the rewards hardly make sense compared to the work required. One of my friends claims he just bought a $12,000 trailer to haul his $500 horse. His horse won a $2 ribbon at the horse show.
For 22 years folks have been practicing their strange hobby of training racehorses and bringing them to the Kingstree Trials. People have been racing horses since there were two horses. Who has the fastest horse?
The Kingstree Trials is the premier event in all of Williamsburg County. Where else can you have a turnout of three thousand plus friends for a celebration of food, fellowship and of course the thrill of horses running at full gallop?
I can’t say enough about the McCutchen Training Center. Bobby, Debbie, Travis and Jason McCutchen have beautiful facility. The track and grounds are a testament to the hard work they put into the Sport of Kings.
The Williamsburg Hometown Chamber also puts in many hours of work arranging the parking, ticketing, lining up vendors, coordinating with law enforcement, arranging for EMS, selling shirts and programs, all the while keeping a smile on their faces. I always give credit to the chamber for the beautiful weather that we seem to have. The first week in November is a time of long shadows and colors of maturing crops and trees shedding leaves. The fall air has a little nip in it even if the daytime temperature is eighty.
This year was no exception. The weather was perfect and folks gathered from several states to watch the spectacle of horse racing.
Sponsors provided their usual support. The sponsors of the trials have been loyal to the venue throughout its history. This is an epic partnership.
The scene is always exciting with well-dressed people enjoying culinary delights. Fashion ranges from cowboy chic to haute style. All of it is fun.
This year there were eight races that took the regular four and a half hours to run. The races begin at noon. Before the horses run there is an invocation and the National Anthem. People stand and remove their hats. Love of country is still a virtue here.
Most of the races are 350 yard sprints. The final race is a half mile affair. This years winners were:
The Santee Cup: Frozen
The American Cup: Mr. Piloto Shine
The DSM Cup: Big Time Johnny
The Anderson Cup: Working Willie
The Palmetto Cup: Last Chance
The Clocktown Cup: Shack
The Williamsburg Cup: Dashin Illusively
The Kingstree Cup: Lindsey’s Hope.
The drive home is always special with a look at the setting sun and wonderful colors. Memories of friends and fun fill the mind and make this the best of gatherings.
