Melbourne Cup Week

This week was Melbourne Cup Week. The Melbourne Cup is a famous horse race that happens right outside the city of Melb. It's very similar to the Kentucky Derby, however much more popular throughout all of Australia! Tuesday--which was the day of the actual Melbourne Cup race, is considered the "race that stops the nation" because it is a public holiday. Crazy that a horse race gets you out of work/school/ect! I spent my Cup day running 6 miles in preparation for my upcoming half marathon :) I also have been studying a lot and had my first final today which went pretty well. I still can't believe that 52 multiple choice questions counts as 50% of my entire grade....what the heck! But back to the races, Wednesday night I went to a place called Pony Fish Island (a bar connected to the bride on the yarra river) with a friend to enjoy the beautiful weather. We met a jockey who was racing this week as well which was fun because I got to learn a lot about horse races and they learned a lot about America! Then on Thursday I was lucky enough to experience the races firsthand! Thursday was Crown Oaks Day, better known as Ladies Day during the Melbourne Cup. After taking a train to the race area we got to see the horses up close before they raced and then see the horses on the final stretch of the race! It was awesome to see them up close and personal. I sure do love horses and they really are beautiful animals. I also was a big fan of some of the jockey's outfits. Because it was ladies day, women were also dressed very eloquently and it was fun to see some of the dresses and hats! I saw some really ugly styles as well which was hilarious! I bet on one horse.....and lost 5 dollars so that ended quickly. The jockey I had met the night before was suppose to race as well but scratched so that was pretty disappointing ! But other than being minus 5 dollars it was a great day and I'm thankful for my chance to experience the infamous Melbourne Cup!  Time to get back to studying....three finals to go!

xx
Makenzie