Bring Your Family to The Tanglewood Cup Steeplechase

By Guest Blogger April Bowman


TSP is thrilled to help promote this year's Tanglewood Cup Steeplechase. We hope many Triad families will plan to attend this fabulous family event. Tickets are available now and can be purchased for $5 off by entering the code "smarty." Click here to purchase yours!

If your kids are like mine, they LOVE animals. My daughter is already super excited about the ones that she’ll see at the Tanglewood Cup Steeplechase on Saturday, May 8the in the petting zoo, at the pony rides, in demos, and during the horse races. She’s also really hyped up about the inflatables that will be there. She can spend hours climbing those air filled ladders and sliding down slides. Forsyth County 4-H is coordinating the Kaplan’s Children’s Paddock and since that is my job, my daughter has heard all about it!

I am really glad that her birthday is before the Steeplechase, because otherwise I am certain that a miniature horse would make its way onto her list after watching Macy Plemmons, American Miniature Horse Registry 2009 Youth of the Year, jumping with her mini in hand and driving her country pleasure cart.

My daughter is very crafty, so I know that she will enjoy getting to create her own stick horse using a foam pool noodle, a paper bag, yarn, markers and more. She’s not very coordinated (she takes after her mother), but I am sure that she will try her best in the Stick Horse races! She’ll also love painting on the GIANT (20’ X 6’) horse mural that will be there.

The family tailgating area is located next to the Kaplan’s Children’s Paddock so we can all conveniently take a break between activities. You can decorate your tailgate and try to win the “Most Outrageous Tailgate”, “Most Beautiful Tailgate”, or “Most Creative Tailgate” awards.


My hairdresser doesn’t know it yet, but she’s going to be seeing less of me. I’m trying to let my hair grow out a little ALL so that you can see it sticking out from under my wide-brimmed hat that will be decorated with 4-H ribbons and clovers! I’m very competitive by nature so I am out to win an award, I just can’t decide which one I want to go after: “Best ‘Do you DARE wear that’ Hat” or the “Most Elegant & Classic Hat”. My daughter is of course trying for the “Best Children’s Hat”.

First Tee of the Triad will be on hand to promote life skills, character development and life-enhancing values through the game of golf and other ball games. The Forsyth County library will have piñatas and free horse related books in the book mobile. “McGruff” the crime dog will also be making his rounds.

Admission to the Children’s Paddock is $10, but kids under 12 are admitted free to the Steeplechase with an accompanying adult. Everything in the Children’s Paddock is included with the cost of the $10 admission including the pony rides and petting zoo (you will need a little change if you want to feed the animals).

The Tanglewood Cup Steeplechase is put on by the Tanglewood Equestrian Association and will be held at Tanglewood Park, Saturday, May 8th. Tanglewood Park is located off Interstate 40 at exit 182. Gates open at 9am and the first race is scheduled for 1pm. The Children’s Paddock is open from 10:30am until 3:30pm. Advance tickets may be purchased on-line at www.tanglewoodcup.org.

April Bowman is a 4-H Agent with the Forsyth County Cooperative Extension Center and mom of two (a school-aged daughter and a toddler). They live on their family farm outside of Germanton.

Photo image courtesy: Forsyth County Public Library Photograph Collection.

Posted by Triad Smarty Pants at 5:00 AM