You could hear the music and cheering crowds for miles around at the 88th Annual Virginia Gold Cup on Saturday, May 4th, 2013, as thousands upon thousands of Beltway-area residents converged upon Great Meadow in The Plains, Virginia.  While the rest of the United States focuses on probably the most well known horse race of the year — The Kentucky Derby — Virginians, and their neighbors, have a race of their own.  The Virginia Gold Cup this year featured six professional steeplechase races (five hurdles and one timber), along with a Junior Riders race, a Jack Russell Terrier race, and the famed Hat Contest.

Results: 1st Race (The Infinitive Steeplethon) — Winner: THE EDITOR [Horse]/Jeff Murphy [Jockey] | 2nd Race (The BMW Chase) — Winner: BONDED (IRE)/Danielle Hodsdon [Jockey] | 3rd Race (The M.C. Dean Chase) — Winner: SACRED SOUL [Horse]/Paddy Young [Jockey] | Fourth Race (The Hogan Lovells Cup) — Winner: BRAVE PROSPECT [Horse]/Sean Flanagan [Jockey] | 5th Race (The Virginia Gold Cup) — Winner: GRINDING SPEED [Horse]/Mark Beecher [Jockey] | 6th Race (The United Airlines Hurdle) — Winner: GAWAARIB [Horse]/Robert Walsh [Jockey]. See the full results from the National Steeplechase Association here.