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"C" is for the Carolina Cup

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"C" is for the Carolina Cup. The inaugural Carolina Cup was run in 1930 at Ernest Woodward’s Springdale Race Course in Camden. A sterling trophy crafted in Ireland in 1704 and dedicated to the great horseman Thomas Hitchcock was secured for the occasion. Destined to become one of the most popular stops on the national steeplechase circuit, the Carolina Cup is among the oldest surviving race meets in America and the largest in terms of faithful fans. Thoroughbred racehorses are still touted as the feature of the day, but the tradition goes far beyond the superb steeple chasing over fences. Four generations have now gathered at this sporting and social bash for a little politicking and a lot of socializing amid a sea of fashions and tailgate parties. And, the date of the Carolina Cup is marked on the calendar long in advance.

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Dr. Walter Edgar has two programs on South Carolina Public Radio: Walter Edgar's Journal, and South Carolina from A to Z. Dr. Edgar received his B.A. degree from Davidson College in 1965 and his Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina in 1969. After two years in the army (including a tour of duty in Vietnam), he returned to USC as a post-doctoral fellow of the National Archives, assigned to the Papers of Henry Laurens.