New Jersey is home to one of the nation's great steeplechase traditions.
New Jersey’s most prestigious steeplechase horse racing event, The Far Hills Race Meeting, will celebrate its 91st running on October 22, 2011.
Upwards of 50,000 spectators are expected to gather at Moorland Farms for the state’s largest social gathering of the fall season, enjoying top thoroughbred jump racing, the height of culinary skill, modern and traditional fashion and classic camaraderie.
The Far Hills Race Meeting Association has announced that it will once again offer race-goers alternative spectator opportunities in the form of the Chairman’s Tent and the designated Family Area. Both of these alternative venues made highly-successful debuts at the 2010 Races and were met with rave reviews from Race Day attendees. A limited number of reserved spaces on the hill above the race course are available this year as well. The Chairman’s Tent, centrally located on the exclusive hilltop, allows spectators to overlook the race track with a backdrop of countryside views or watch a live broadcast of the races on closed-circuit television. This experience offers all-day, all-inclusive food and beverage services for a day of enjoyment, rain or shine.
The Far Hills Race Meeting will once again honor its family-friendly origins by devoting a large track-side parking section exclusively to family tailgating. The designated Family Area promotes activities with large open space in which children can play and families can gather, ensuring Race Day is filled with fun and excitement for all ages.
Throughout the years, the Far Hills Race Meeting has raised more than $17 million to benefit Somerset Medical Center in Somerville, New Jersey, and helped to ensure the residents of Central New Jersey are afforded the highest quality healthcare available.
Once again chairing the event are John T. von Stade of Bernardsville and Guy J. Torsilieri of Whitehouse Station. “We are sincerely proud to host this event year after year, as the Far Hills Race Meeting continues to offer family fun in the countryside,” said von Stade. “We are pleased to be combining traditions that have historically marked the event with new initiatives and offerings that will enhance the experience for all generations.”
The Far Hills Race Meeting will give race-goers the opportunity to browse and shop in the outdoor Vendor Village again this year. Introduced to race-goers in 2010, the Vendor Village features a variety of vendors and gives guests the chance to purchase items ranging from delicious treats to fashions and accessories.
The Far Hills Race Meeting has supported the programs and services of Somerset Medical Center for 57 years. The Steeplechase Cancer Center at Somerset Medical Center, which opened in 2007, was named in honor of the Far Hills Meeting Association, the medical center’s most generous benefactor. The center enables Central New Jersey cancer patients to see their doctors, undergo outpatient treatment and participate in promising cancer research studies—all in one place close to home. The $28 million three-story, 63,000-square-foot outpatient facility houses the Sanofi-aventis U.S. Breast Care Program, the Sanofi-aventis U.S. Wellness Boutique, infusion therapy, radiation oncology services, the medical center’s research team, oncologists’ offices, a resource library, nutritional counseling and complementary medicine services.
The Far Hills Race Meeting will once again be sponsored by Open Road Auto Group.
Guests will have the opportunity to purchase tickets at http://www.somersetmedicalcenter.com/carraffle or www.openroad.com for the annual Far Hills Race Meeting car raffle, for which Open Road has generously donated a 2011 BMW X3. All proceeds from the raffle ticket will benefit Somerset Medical Center.
Yoursomerset.com, in cooperation with Somerset Medical Center, produced the following video highlights of last year's Far Hills Race Meeting:
For more information about the Far Hills Race Meeting, contact the Far Hills Race Meeting Association at 908-685-2929 or visit the association's website at www.farhillsrace.org. You can also follow on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FarHillsRaceMeeting.
