Water, water, everywhere

And plenty of bourbon to drink at Derby fête

Published On: May 26, 2010

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We felt their rainy pain. But growling skies and torrential rains dampened neither the spirits at Churchill Downs nor Belle Meade Plantation’s Derby party as fashionable race fans put their best rain boot-clad feet forward at both events.

While news reports of the previous 24 hours indicated that the Derby might be run in the dark for the first time, it was Nashville that stole the thunderstorms. Yes, we had Louisville beat hands-down as the party kicked off at the exact time that the most devastating flood in the city’s history began to flex its muscles. Guests, who had just seen the main entrance to the Mansion and its bridge with a river of rapids coursing over it, arrived with shocked looks of disbelief at the door of the Carriage House where a line of umbrella-toting valet parkers escorted them to the door.

But once inside, the mood turned festive, although conversations continued about the weather throughout the event. Co-chair Theresa Menefee explained she had received a phone call from one of her co-chairs, Bill Armistead, who wasn’t sure he was going to be able to make it (he did), while Pat Jancowski (running the Lipman Brothers-sponsored bourbon tasting) showed pictures of his friend Tommy Derrick’s underwater backyard. Tommy and family didn’t make it to the event and later had to be evacuated.

But back to the party. This is one of the best new parties in Nashville, and Belle Meade Plantation pulls out all the stops to turn the Carriage House into a fun house. We’re talking gambling, the aforementioned bourbon tasting, groovy lounge areas equipped with flat screens of race coverage (and weather updates), winery tours and a tasty spread from Jim N’ Nick’s.

And there’s the people watching. Deby Pitts looked smashing in her western-style, pony-patterned rain boots and Derby Queen Maggie Bond looked lovely, presenting fellows with red rose boutonnières.

We salute this grand fundraiser for Belle Meade Plantation, once home to some of Nashville’s finest studs and fillies and currently the hot spot for some of Nashville’s best party beasts! EN

—photographs by
eric england