Spring Carnival

One of the more curious events that grips the soul of Melbourne society is known as Spring Carnival. One might see this event or more correctly this string of events as a glorified horse race. I suspect there is little that would be further from the truth.
     Spring Carnival, spanning the months of October and November, takes place at various race courses in the area. The culmination, Cup Week, takes place at Flemington Race Course. It is more about fashion and style than it could ever be about horse racing. However, this particular year the horse part was greatly accentuated by the ascent of a horse named Makybe Diva to the annals of legends in horse racing history. This horse took the Melbourne Cup for the third consecutive year, a feat that has never been accomplished in the history of Australian horse racing, or world horse racing for that matter.
     I would not be exaggerating if I were to say that the entire country of Australia that has any access to TV or radio came to a grinding halt for the three minutes that this race, the Melbourne Cup Stakes, was run. We watched it from home on the tele and I could feel the electricity in the air as this horse came from the back of the field on the outside to pass every horse and take the lead right to the end. It was quite an experience.
     But, I digress. The real purpose for Spring Carnival is for everyone who is of that mind to dress up in their best spring outfit, dress and hat, and strut their "stuff" to a very public audience. This is not just a female show; men also primp up with suits, pink ties, shoes and hats of all sorts. Of course, nothing goes better with this type of event than a heavy dose of spirits, and there was no shortage of that either. This was a "boozeman's" holiday.
     We attended the continuing festivities on the Saturday after the Melbourne Cup Tuesday which was designated "family day". On this day families turn out in their best, from the oldest to the youngest. Carnival officials even hold a fashion competition for adults, for adolescents and one for the children. Awards are liberally given and there is national TV coverage of the fashion and for the betting and for the interaction with the crowd. It is quite the spectacle.
     The racing is interesting. Unlike the US, at least on the east coast, the track is grass and not dirt. The horses run with jockey riders dressed in colourful silks and the length of the race varies from race to race. They seem to have the win, place and show categories of betting, but I did not get into that aspect so I cannot speak with any authority.
     Meanwhile, there is some heavy partying going on in the "tailgate" section of the car park. Some serious equipment is unloaded for cooking and drinking. The basic barbecue unit is more like your kitchen stove unit melded with the typical outdoor Weber grill. It is really quite impressive. Tents or tent covers are erected for sun protection and people eat, drink and remain relatively neat and presentable over the course of the afternoon.
     The trip back was less enjoyable. The train we took was delayed after we departed the station due to heavy traffic. Unfortunately, we chose unwisely and found ourselves sitting next to a seat where someone had expelled their excess poison onto the floor. The smell was bad and we could not move as the train was full. So we just had to grin and bear it. Incidentally, all of the trains that ran to and from the race grounds were free on this day. All costs were absorbed by the city and the Carnival management.