▁at ▁other ▁ste e ple ch ase ▁and ▁horse ▁racing ▁events ▁across ▁the ▁South . ▁ ▁Se ers ucker , ▁bow ties , ▁and ▁past el ▁colors ▁pre dom inate ▁the ▁atmosphere , ▁particularly ▁at ▁the ▁spring ▁race . ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁Fox field ▁R aces ▁are ▁premier ▁ste e ple ch ase ▁horse ▁racing ▁events ▁held ▁ann ually ▁in ▁Alb em ar le , ▁Virginia . ▁The ▁races ▁take ▁place ▁twice ▁a ▁year : ▁the ▁last ▁Saturday ▁in ▁April , ▁and ▁the ▁last ▁Sunday ▁in ▁September . ▁ ▁The ▁races ▁were ▁created ▁by ▁Marian n ▁de ▁Te j eda ▁on ▁property ▁that ▁was ▁once ▁owned ▁by ▁the ▁well - known ▁Virgin ian ▁hors eman , ▁hun ts man , ▁and ▁teacher , ▁Gro ver ▁Van dev ender . ▁ ▁The ▁property ▁was ▁originally ▁a ▁private ▁horse ▁farm . ▁When ▁De ▁Te j eda ▁bought ▁the ▁property ▁after ▁Van dev ender ’ s ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 3 , ▁she ▁began ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁a ▁ste e ple ch ase ▁course ▁dedicated ▁to ▁his ▁memory . ▁The ▁final ▁product ▁ful filled ▁the ▁dream s ▁en vision ed ▁by ▁de ▁Te j eda ▁and ▁the ▁late ▁Van dev ender . ▁The ▁first ▁Fox field ▁race ▁was ▁held ▁in ▁the ▁spring ▁of ▁ 1 9 7 8 , ▁and ▁has ▁since ▁become ▁a ▁popular ▁tradition ▁among ▁Char l ott es ville ▁residents , ▁students ▁of ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Virginia , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁al umn i ▁from ▁the ▁University . ▁Fox field ▁is