For those of you who have never heard of this event, the Far Hills Hunt is a “horse race” that takes place each year in the open fields of Far Hills, NJ. The traditional horse race is a gathering of upward 70,000 people, many of which are college aged and older. The tradition has been around since 1913.
Speaking of tradition, the often acclaimed “rich kid debauchery” is an event no one forgets. Upon getting my tickets my parents and I even bonded over the fact that they went as kids. My Father laughed learning I was going while my mother, aunts and uncles remarked they had their fare share of good times. Preceding the day of the event, I learned my friends also had this same bondage with their parents as they recollected on their own glory days back in college while we create our own. My favorite story was my Father explaining his friend and a certain eventful train rides. In his experience, he took a train all the way from Boston. On the ride home from NJ to Boston, it was realized a friend decide to ride the top of the train home. Keep in fair mind this was the 80’s, I’m not quite sure today’s policing would allow this much debauchery. Anyway, as the train pulled in and his near-savage feat was almost complete, the wires electrocuted the poor friend. It’s okay though, like the rest of us he lives to tell the story just so the next generations can create their special little dumb memories for ourselves.
As everyone dresses in their finest attempts of prep to head off to the race, the day begins. In my case is was marked by a two and a half hour van ride with fourteen friends piled in, most of which were asleep seeing as how we pedaled out at 7: 30 am and needed to face the long day ahead. The day progressed and the happy smiles on everyone’s faces continued. In the end, and even though Hunt attendees may not have seen a single horse, it was a debauchery and a day to remember.
