AIKEN - The partying in Aiken on Friday was in recognition of the horse, but it played out in dramatically different fashion at different parts of town.
The scene in downtown Aiken was inflatable children's rides and petting zoos at the Triple Crown Street Fair, held in honor of the city's three consecutive weekends of horsing events that continue today with the Aiken Steeplechase.
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Maryan Ackley, of Atherton, Calif., looks at one of the horses that was auctioned off at the Horseplay Gala Auction and Ball. In the early evening, horses typically sold for between $4,000 and $7,000. One horse, Carolina Bay, sold for $16,000.
Ron Cockerille/The Augusta Chronicle
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Parents and children strolled along blocked-off Newberry Street, taking in live music and enjoying pizza, hot dogs and funnel cakes.
Many visitors carried around makeshift horses built of measuring sticks and stuffed socks.
Volunteers glued on eyes and created manes with yarn.
Robert Runnels held a patchwork horse as he meandered around the street fair.
He said the yardstick version was as close as he's ever come to horses. He was in town visiting his son and is attending today's race.
"As I understand, it's a big time," he commented.
Organizers estimate more than 30,000 people will attend.
It was a bit more formal at the Horseplay Gala Auction and Ball, where it took a $135 ticket to get in the door. Men wore tuxedos, and women donned evening gowns.
The event, held under a canvas canopy at Ford Conger Field, the site of today's race, was glitzy for a good cause.
Organizers auctioned off artfully designed horses, which have recently decorated downtown streets, to benefit the Aiken Center for the Arts.
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Brennen Boyd, 2, of Beech Island, looks at his stick horse, donated by Lowe's, after arriving at the Triple Crown Street Festival in Aiken.
Ron Cockerille/The Augusta Chronicle
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Visitors sipped wine and dined on fine food as they bid thousands of dollars for the horses.
Seattle Blue, named after Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew, bore a version of the South Carolina flag created by using colored pieces of glass.
Carolina Bay, which sold for $16,000, included the blue and green hues of waterfront scenery. Its selling price was one of the highest early in the evening, with other horses selling for between $4,000 and $7,000.
"The other thing about these horses is you don't have to clean up after them, a wonderful benefit," auctioneer Terence Collier told the crowd of hundreds.
Chairman Bill Reynolds said the group hadn't set a financial goal before the night began, but that he was pleased with early bidding.
"I am beyond myself," he said.
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