It's often said that Aiken is synonymous with the equine industry, that horses are woven into the city's fabric.
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Looking at the outrider's horse, named Patrick, 10-year-old Brock Weigle, of Aiken, got an up-close view during last year's steeplechase.
Annette M. Drowlette/Augusta Chronicle
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It would be hard to argue otherwise during the Triple Crown, three straight weekends of horse revelry that attract tens of thousands of equine enthusiasts to the town.
Though organizers have tinkered with the lineup throughout the years, one event has remained constant. For the 63rd time, the Aiken Trials kick off the Triple Crown, which begins Saturday.
The race, which is run at the Aiken Mile Track, is a testing ground for 2- and 3-year-old thoroughbreds, some of which could be on their way to larger stages with bigger stakes.
Some of the world's strongest and fastest horses have raced at the mile track, an oval of soft brown dirt off Two Notch Road.
Several horses that spent time rounding the Aiken track went on to run in the Preakness Stakes and Kentucky Derby.
Dogwood Stable's Summer Squall won the Preakness in 1990. That same year, Aiken-trained Storm Bird finished second at the Derby.
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Jockey David Bentley, on Snowball Flannagan (No. 2), edged out Robert Walsh, on Unalienable Right, to win last year's Imperial Cup at the Aiken Spring Steeplechase.
Annette M. Drowlette/Augusta Chronicle
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Though Dogwood's Limehouse didn't run in the Aiken Trials last year, he did train on the track and went on to finish fourth in the Derby.
Dogwood President Cot Campbell said he might run as many as four horses in this year's trials.
"This is their shot to run under race conditions, just before being shipped out," Mr. Campbell said.
For many fans, the event is an excuse to have some fun in the sun. As many as 10,000 people are expected to attend.
The event, however, which is scheduled to feature seven races, remains more business than pleasure for horse owners such as Mr. Campbell.
"A lot of people say it's a fun day," he said. "Well, brother, it's intense."
The second jewel in the crown, the 39th renewal of the Aiken Spring Steeplechase on March 26, showcases racing of a different sort. Rather than a flat sprint, steeplechase racing adds the element of jumping.
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Competitors in last year's Aiken Spring Steeplechase made their way to the finish line after clearing the last obstacle. About 30,000 people are expected to attend this spring's steeplechase.
Chris Thelen/Augusta Chronicle
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The Aiken Steeplechase Association was founded in 1930 by prominent horsemen, including Temple Gwathmey, Harry Worchester Smith and Thomas Hitchcock, whose family left the 2,000-acre Hitchcock Woods to the city of Aiken.
It was in those woods that the first official steeplechase race was run in Aiken. More than a thousand people reportedly turned out to watch.
It's expected that more than 30,000 people will watch this year's races, which are sanctioned by the National Steeplechase Association and are part of the spring circuit.
The event is one of the biggest on the circuit.
The last leg of the Triple Crown, on April 2, will highlight Aiken's polo scene. The event replaced harness racing last year and attracted about 5,000 people.
Polo isn't new to the area, having been played in the city for more than 100 years. Aiken has been home to several hall of fame players, including Norty and Seymour Knox and Pete and Dunbar Bostwick.
Descendants of those players, including Charlie Bostwick, who is the resident of the Aiken Polo Club, have kept the sport alive, and today Aiken is home to world-class players such as Matias Magrini and Owen Rinehart.
Organizers foresee polo attracting larger crowds.
"We're trying to educate spectators so they can enjoy it more and more," Mr. Bostwick said.
Reach Josh Gelinas at (803) 648-1395, ext. 113, or josh.gelinas@augustachronicle.com.
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