A glorious Steeplechase helps a low week end on a high note

A most necessary celebration

By: Ellen Nelson

Published On: May 25, 2010

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Seven long days. That’s the amount of time that had lapsed since Nashville’s most horrific flood in memory had torn apart families and communities, taken lives and destroyed dreams. But this glorious Saturday proved that a good time and a show of forces uniting is just what the doctor ordered in times of need.

They say there are no peaks without valleys, and perhaps that’s why the 69th running of the Iroquois Steeplechase went off so flawlessly. It was a true high after a week of lows with temps in the 70s, clear blue skies, fast horses and minimal injuries. “Whew,” Libby Cheek sighed, “the traffic is moving.” After working on one of Nashville’s favorite rites of spring, Libby looked poised and chill as she entered the final stretch of the momentous day.

A brisk flow in the Steeplechase traffic is something of a paradox if one examines the history. Believe us. But somehow, it was just one more item that fell into place on this glorious day. That, coupled with the fact that Steeplechase raised funds for both the Monroe Carrell, Jr Children’s Hospital as well as victims of the flood, made this one memorable day. Now onto the fashion and other juicy tidbits.

“I’m scared someone’s going to shoot me,” Colleen Conway-Welch muttered, turning her head to showcase the mighty long feathers protruding from her hat. Ilex put together a stunning arrangement atop Colleen’s chapeau with plumage that most definitely would have turned a hunter’s head. It was quite striking.

We also admired Eleanor Whitworth Finney’s self-made hat featuring plastic horsey pictures she had scored at Phillips Toy Mart (we think she just went to Phillips to see the bunnies and happened across the toy turned hat decor—a child at heart that Eleanor!).

Color was the new black at this year’s races with vivid greens, blues and reds ruling the roost. From the ladies’ shifts to the Paddock and Iroquois décor, vibrant was the word. Seated at a table in the Paddock Club, Nancy Russell looked like she may have known that Tiffany Blue would be the color of the day, with her ensemble matching the hue of the decor. Onto the Iroquois Club, Lynn and Ernest Hardison “stepped out of the box,” Lynn explained, adding “if people don’t like it, I don’t want to hear it!” No worries, Lynn. People liked.

Linda Dale looked absolutely groovy in an earth-toned slacks and blouse get-up with a hat draped in a scarf, as she viewed the races from the Iroquois Club with husband Bobby, daughter Noni Haddock and grandchildren Colyer and Naomi. Martha Ingram was impressed with a certain gentleman’s ability to guess her perfume brand as he strolled by her. (It was Hermes Faubourg for the curious.)

Our hands-down favorite sighting of the day? The Life Flight crew, in a different kind of uniform—yes, two of the crew donned fabulous black chapeaux. Priceless!

While everything flowed flawlessly on the outside, there were some bumps along the way. For example, after Levy’s, one of the big caterers for the day, had to pull out due to flood damage at the last minute, TomKats swooped in to take over feeding this massive crowd. While the guests probably didn’t even notice, we know that TomKats, already booked for multiple events that day, had to pull off a miracle, which they did.

In other “issues,” there was some talk about the “facilities” by the Paddock Club. They were coed, and some were confused as to whether the sink was a sink or a urinal. Yikes. And, as always, two interlopers were spotted chowing down on the last cheese dreams and mini tenderloin sandwiches in the Iroquois Society without the appropriate wristbands or credentials. Might not seem like a big deal, but it’s honestly not fair to those who paid a hefty fee for entry and ended up without food.

Now we could go on and on about style and gossip, but let’s not forget there actually were horses racing out there. Our favorite? Mask and Wig. After tossing his jockey on a jump, the passionate thoroughbred wisely cut across the center of the track, saving an inordinate amount of time and energy, and jumped across the fence before Heartbreak Hill where he proceeded to win (well, not technically, of course) sans rider. Now that’s the spirit!

And of course, we must give props to the winner of the Calvin Houghland Iroquois Steeplechase—Tax Ruling. He tore past Slip Away, who was kicking it the entire run, until Tax Ruling made a break—a tax break, we’ll call it that earned him (and his owner) $150,000.

Overall, it was a richly rewarding day for everyone.

—photographs by
eric england,
sinclair kelly and
tracy mitchell