Winterthur’s Point-to-Point steeplechase has grown from a horse race into a day-long spectacle during its 30-year history, said Race Chairman Duncan Patterson.

The May 4 event featured eight races, but Patterson said the races sometimes take second place to other entertainment.

“Of the 20,000 people who attend, very few of them go to Point-to-Point for the race,” he said. “They go for the event.”

The steeplechase began at Winterthur as a way to draw more people to the museum, said Victoria Saltzman, senior communications manager at Winterthur.

A steeplechase at Winterthur made sense because of the museum’s 100-acre grounds, which provide plenty of room for a racetrack, said Saltzman.

The races are a good fit for Winterthur because steeplechases are a tradition that began on country estates in England and Winterthur was Henri Francis du Pont’s country estate, she said.

For the first Point-to-Point, Saltzman said the museum contacted a few horse-owners in Pennsylvania, set up a racetrack and announced the race, which was attended by about 2,000 people.

Carriage parade

Some Point-to-Point traditions, like the carriage parade, started by accident during the first race, said Saltzman.

She said a group of antique carriage drivers from Chadds Ford, Pa., decided to drive their carriages to Winterthur and watch the race. Saltzman said the spectators loved the carriages so much the carriage parade has become an annual event.

Saltzman said the carriage drivers also brought fancy picnic lunches to enjoy at the race, which started the steeplechase’s tradition of elaborate tailgate parties.

Tailgate parties

The tailgate parties have evolved over the years, said Dr. Christopher Casscells, a Greenville resident who has tailgated at Point-to-Point for 25 years.

He said the event was originally for horse-enthusiasts only and people picnicked in their best clothes while watching the races. Today, he said the atmosphere is more casual, but people who dress up think of Point-to-Point as a costume contest instead of a formal affair.

Casscells, 55, said the crowd of tailgaters has grown substantially, but fewer people watch the races because there are other types of entertainment.

Saltzman said some of Point-to-Point’s entertainment was created to make the event more authentic, like the antique car show.

She said museum employees researched Winterthur and discovered that Henri du Pont entertained guests by driving them around the estate in his Rolls Royce.

To honor that tradition, she said Winterthur hosted a few Rolls Royce-owners several years ago. She said the show has increased in popularity and this year’s Point-to-Point featured 50 Rolls Royces and Bentleys.

“When people come to Winterthur, it is always fun to imagine what it would have been like to live here and enjoy the life of ease on a country estate,” she said.

Other events

As the crowds grew, Saltzman said more families began coming to Point-to-Point, so the museum began offering family-friendly activities like stick horse races and pony rides.

This year’s event included a pony show where children led ponies over obstacles like a miniature steeplechase, she said.

The staff and volunteers ensure there are plenty of events to keep everyone busy during the steeplechases, she said.

Patterson said no one imagined Point-to-Point would grow so much in 30 years, but he is glad more people are enjoying the event, even if they don’t watch a single steeplechase.