The Dunkeld Cup

We were catching up with Aaron (Aussie who came over to Riding Mountain on exchange) the other day and he mentioned that he and Kat might be up our way for the Dunkeld Cup. He was rather gobsmacked that we hadn't taken in a country race to experience some Aussie culture. Sure we have horse races in Canada, I think, but we have never been to one and I am fairly certain they are not the to do that they are in rural Victoria.


On his recommendation we decided to take in the spectacle and were certainly not disappointed. There is nothing comparable to this type of thing in Canada. 10,000 people descend on a beautiful little town the size of Erickson, all dressed in suits and fancy dresses, park in a paddock and walk in high heels to the edge of a horse racing track. There they can go to a rented tent with their mates and cook up some BBQ and kick back with some cool ones to take in the action, or enter competitions for fashions on the field to determine who is best dressed, or place bets with local or national betting services on races across the nation. When races aren't happening live, races from other parts of Australia are shown on a large television on the field. There is food, fun and a general stage of drunkenness.

As we entered the grounds, two blokes dressed as Superman and Batman were being escorted away by police for stealing beer. Aiden was also impressed by the buck party (stag) who decided to dress in drag for the occasion. Mixed in the chaos were very civilized wealthy looking people having picnic lunches and a glass of bubbly while drinking in the excitement of the races.


There was also a great little spot set up for kids and Aiden headed straight for the tallest climbing thing he could find. Luckily ropes and safety gear were involved to keep grandmother anxiety to a minimum.


All in all, it was an excellent afternoon of entertainment, ice cream and unique culture. We may not become regulars to the country races but it was certainly an experience we savoured, so many thanks to Aaron for the recommendation. Now we will have some idea what all the talk is about when it comes to the weekend races.