The 62nd annual Iroquois Steeplechase, benefiting Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, will be held Saturday, May 10 at Nashville’s Percy Warner Park.
Gates open at 10 a.m., and the races begin at 1 p.m. with starts approximately every 30 minutes.
General admission is $12 in advance or $15 at the gate, with a $30 “family pack” for a group of four. Children under 6 are admitted free. Tickets are available at all Bank of America locations before race day, on the Web site www.iroquoissteeplechase.org, and at the gate on the day of the race. Percy Warner Park is located on Old Hickory Boulevard between Hillsboro Road and Hwy 100.
The event is sponsored by the Volunteer State Horsemen’s Foundation in association with Friends of Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital. More than 80 volunteer committees have been working to plan the event, and more than 600 volunteers will be helping out on race day.
The Iroquois Steeplechase is one of the most charitable steeplechasing events in the United States. Since its affiliation with Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital in 1981, the Iroquois has raised more than $5 million to help provide specialized pediatric care to area patients, regardless of their ability to pay.
The program is the richest of the National Steeplechase Association’s spring schedule, with purses of $280,000. It features seven races over a specially designed three-mile course, as well as many of the best-known trainers, jockeys and horses in the sport. More than 50 riders will compete for the prize money.
Steeplechase caps, T-shirts, posters, blankets, gift bags, and other items are on sale at the Children’s Hospital development office and will also be available at the park on race day.
Call 343-4231 for information or visit the Web site at www.iroquoissteeplechase.org.
Tailgating spaces and armbands are also currently on sale on the Web site.