IROQUOIS STEEPLECHASE CONTINUES TO MEET DEMAND FOR TICKETS

4:54 pm | Thursday, May 12th
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Tailgating Spaces, Armbands, General Admission Tickets Available for Purchase Day of Event

NASHVILLE, Tenn. ­­In less than three days, the sun will rise on the 75th Anniversary of the Iroquois Steeplechase, a rite of spring in Nashville since 1941 and the richest event on the National Steeplechase Association’s spring circuit. Typically drawing a crowd of more than 25,000, this year’s race day promises to be the most exciting yet, and various tickets and tailgating options are for sale and will continue to be sold on Saturday.

The most popular way to experience Steeplechase is without a doubt by tailgating in the infield. Those interested may choose a tailgating spot from several different areas inside the track, with the option to bring their own tent, refreshments, and even decorations if desired. Each tailgating space is $600 and includes armbands for eight people, two parking passes, and a 13’ by 18’ area in which a vehicle can be parked or a tent set up. Various food trucks will be parked in the infield for tailgaters who wish to buy food or snacks on­site.

This is the second year that those who prefer to enjoy the races from the infield are not required to purchase a tailgating space to attend; individual armbands are also for sale for $100 each and will allow patrons access to all tailgating areas, as well as food trucks, the Family Area and Iroquois Shoppes. Parking at Highway 100 is included in the ticket price and shuttles will run from the lot to the infield.

104­5 The Zone offers yet another option; for $125, a person can join their tailgate in The Meadows and receive complimentary food and beverage (both alcoholic and non­alcoholic) all day, plus the chance to mingle and watch the races with local radio personalities. General Admission tickets are $20 and offer a prime-time view of the horses and the track from the Hillside spectator area. Ticketholders also have access to Iroquois Shoppes and the Family Area, where the children’s games are located. A complimentary shuttle service from the Highway 100 parking lot to the General Admission is provided. Picnics and blankets are encouraged, but food and refreshments will be available for purchase in this area.

All tickets purchased race week and on race day must be claimed at will call, located in the fields off of Highway 100 near the Highway 100 and Old Hickory Blvd. intersection. For a map of the grounds, FAQs, will call hours and ticketing information, visit www.iroquoissteeplechase.org and www.iroquoissteeplechase.org/tickets.

MORE ABOUT THE IROQUOIS STEEPLECHASE
This iconic sporting event has been Nashville’s rite of spring since 1941, attracting more than 25,000 spectators to watch the best horses and riders in the world race over hurdles on a three­ mile turf track. Held the second Saturday of each May at Percy Warner Park, the Iroquois Steeplechase is Music City’s annual celebration of time­ honored traditions, Tennessee hospitality and Southern fashions.

Those who attend enjoy areas for families, well­ appointed tents and individually organized tailgates where the emphasis is on race day pickings, larger­than­life hats, Jack & Gingers, and crowd ­pleasing recipes. More importantly, guests support a cause at the heart of the event: Since being designated as the official charity in 1981, the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt has received more than $10 million from Iroquois Steeplechase proceeds. For more information, go to www.iroquoissteeplechase.org.

Gigi Lazenby to Serve as Honorary Co-Chair

8:09 pm | Thursday, Mar 31st
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The Iroquois Steeplechase and its 501(c)3 organization, the Volunteer State Horsemen’s Foundation (VSHF), have selected Virginia “Gigi” Lazenby of Nashville as its 2016 honorary co-chair of the 75th Iroquois Steeplechase to be held May 14.

An oil and gas executive — as well as a horse owner herself — Lazenby was nominated to represent the premier spring race in American Steeplechasing for her lifelong dedication to the sport. As a current member of the organization’s race committee and board member of the National Steeplechase Association, she is part of a team that is helping ensure that the Iroquois’s​ diamond anniversary is a successful one​.

“Gigi and her family have made a major impact on not only the American equestrian community,  but also on the Iroquois Steeplechase and the significance it has to Nashville today,” said Dwight Hall, chairman of the Volunteer State Horsemen’s Foundation. “I’ve worked with Gigi for years, and I know that her passion for the sport makes her the ideal representative for our organization.”

Lazenby and her family have a storied history with the Iroquois Steeplechase: her father worked for Mason Houghland, one of the initial founders of the “Nashville’s rite of spring since 1941,” and eventually became the secretary of the VSHF. Lazenby grew up around the Iroquois, and was lifelong friends with the likes of Henry Hooker — chairman of the race committee for 17 years — and George Sloan, an amateur jockey whose father, John, was also a co-founder of the Iroquois. Lazenby’s brother, David, was also a trainer and former jockey.

In short, Lazenby’s story is intimately intertwined with the equestrian and fox-hunting community. She believes the same could be said for Nashville and the Iroquois Steeplechase.

“I believe that the Iroquois is part of Nashville’s roots. Every city — no matter how big and diversified it becomes — have certain traditions that become the fabric of that city. The Iroquois is one of those events,” Gigi Lazenby said. “For me steeplechasing is a family tradition, that my husband [Ted] and I enjoy together. But even if you don’t know anything about horses, it’s fun: you throw your pick in a hat, you have a little friendly competition, and you enjoy the day in the company of others. That’s what life is all about.”

For nearly eight decades, the Iroquois Steeplechase has captivated thousands of spectators from near and far with its traditions, pageantry and the energy of the sport. For 35 of those years, patrons of the race and its Horsemen’s Foundation have also supported the event’s official beneficiary: the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.

“When many of our race-day attendees think of the Iroquois, it’s all about the social scene. And that’s great. But at the core of the day, it’s about something bigger, and that’s the young ones who are being served by the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt,” Lazenby said. “We are proud that the Nashville community has helped the Iroquois give more than $10 million to their cause to date.”

A native of Nashville and a graduate of Vanderbilt University, Lazenby is the CEO of Bretagne LLC, an oil and gas production company she founded in 1988. She currently serves on the National Petroleum Council (NPC), an appointment made by the Secretary of Energy. She served as the chairman of The Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) — a Washington, D.C.-based national association that has represented America’s 6,000 independent oil and gas producers — from 2011 to 2013, and recently rolled off the board of directors at the American Petroleum Institute (API).

For more information about the Iroquois Steeplechase, its 75th anniversary and its relationship with the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, go to www.iroquoissteeplechase.com.

MORE ABOUT THE IROQUOIS STEEPLECHASE​

This iconic sporting event has been Nashville’s rite of spring since 1941, attracting more than 25,000 spectators to watch the best horses and riders in the world race over hurdles on a three-mile turf track. Held the second Saturday of each May at Percy Warner Park, the Iroquois Steeplechase is Music City’s annual celebration of time-honored traditions, Tennessee hospitality and Southern fashions.

 

Those who attend enjoy areas for families, well-appointed tents and individually organized tailgates where the emphasis is on race day pickings, larger-than-life hats, Honey Jack Juleps and crowd-pleasing recipes. More importantly, guests support a cause at the heart of the event: Since being designated as the official charity in 1981, the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt has received more than $10 million from Iroquois Steeplechase proceeds. For more information, go to www.iroquoissteeplechase.org.

Iroquois Steeplechase celebrates 75 years

2:41 am | Tuesday, Feb 23rd
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Nashville’s Rite of Spring Since 1941 Reaches Milestone, Celebrates Traditions

The Iroquois Steeplechase has been Nashville’s rite of spring since 1941, attracting more than 25,000 spectators to watch the best horses and riders in the world race over hurdles on a three-mile turf track. Held the second Saturday of May each year at Percy Warner Park, May 14, 2016, will mark 75 years for the Iroquois Steeplechase and more than seven decades of Music City’s annual celebration of time-honored traditions, Tennessee hospitality and Southern fashions.


Those who attend the event enjoy areas for families, well-appointed tents and individually organized tailgates where the emphasis is on race day pickings, larger-than-life hats, Honey Jack Juleps and crowd-pleasing recipes. More importantly, guests support a cause at the heart of the event: Since being designated as the official charity in 1981, Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt has received more than $10 million from Iroquois Steeplechase proceeds.


In addition, the Iroquois Steeplechase has partnered with the world-famous Cheltenham Racecourse in England to offer a $500,000 bonus challenge to any horse that can win both the Group 1 World Hurdle at Cheltenham in March and the 75th Anniversary Grade 1 Calvin Houghland Iroquois Hurdle Stakes in May–or vice versa–within a 12‐month period. The Brown Advisory Iroquois Cheltenham Challenge was coordinate with the 75th anniversary in mind, and looks to reignite the cross‐Atlantic rivalry that has been a part of steeplechase racing through history.

Tickets to the 75th Iroquois Steeplechasea are now on sale, and range from $20 general admission tickets and $100 tailgating singles to luxurious VIP packages that scale in price. For more information on the 75th anniversary or to reserve a space, go to www.iroquoissteeplechase.org.

 
WHO: Iroquois Steeplechase and the Volunteer State Horsemen’s Foundation
WHAT: 75th Iroquois Steeplechase
WHEN: May 14, 2016 | Gates open at 8 a.m.; First race begins at 1 p.m.; Last race ends at approx. 4:45 p.m. with the featured race, The Calvin Houghland Iroquois.
WHERE: Percy Warner Park in Nashville, Tennessee | 2500 Old Hickory Blvd.
COST: Tickets range from $20 general admission tickets and $100 tailgating armbands to
luxurious VIP packages that scale in price. For more information or to reserve a space, go to www.iroquoissteeplechase.org/tickets. For more information, call 615-591-2991.