Horse Racing is a Great Excuse to Wear Funny Hats

In a place were “no worries” is a lifestyle choice and lack of conformity is a badge of honor, the dress code of horse racing fans is an oddity. A day at the races will find women in dresses and hats with men in cloths that wouldn’t be out of line at a Midwestern wedding. Horse racing in Australia is a time honored tradition and major events are honorary national holidays. November 6th was the Melbourne Cup, and all of Australia paused for the race. Bars and clubs across this far flung country hosted celebrations to watch the race on television.

Several events were held in Alice Springs and I was fortunate enough to be at the Pioneer Park Race Track for a day of live racing and broadcast of races in Darwin and Melbourne. The festivities began with a shuttle bus ride to the track and a champagne toast before lunch. Copious amounts of bubbly followed accompanied by giggles giving way to uproarious laughter as the afternoon progressed. Our winnings didn’t come close to covering the bar tab but we got to wear our hats and good time was had by all. This outing landed us in the social page of the Centralian Advocate.