I have lived in Louisville all of my life, so the fanfare of the Kentucky Derby has dwindled just a bit. If you don’t live here, you don’t get the hoopla. You don’t understand that this just isn’t a horse race, it is THE horse race. It is two weeks of celebrating the roots of our city along with the first leg of the Triple Crown.
For me, I have attended the Oaks and Derby several times, mostly in an area where I am waited on and am protected from the weather. Yes, it completely spoiled me for any other way to experience this particular event. For the last few years, we have had zero plans which is heavenly. So, when they had the bed race on Tuesday, I was already in bed reading, so I was already the winner. Wednesday for the steamboat race, my boat was my couch where I was happily enjoying an adult beverage while reading. The Pegasus parade didn’t have my float participating because I was sitting on it – guess what I was doing- reading. Yesterday for the Oaks, I bet the race from my phone, wrote, read, and enjoyed pizza all from my couch. Today for Derby, I imagine it will be a little of the same. My hat will be a baseball cap and my attire might be yoga pants. I am sure that my look will be trending on social media.
But, with all that said, there is nothing more moving than hearing “My Old Kentucky Home” playing right before the big race. I might not be an active participant, but these last two weeks reminds me how much I love this city and take pride in all it represents. Happy Derby……my chariot aka my sofa awaits.
Recent Comments