The Carolina Cup in photos: From sunup to the final race – and the flowered hats, food and frivolity in between

By Eileen Waddell | Apr 22, 2024

Students participating in the Talmadge Moore LeGrand photojournalism workshop at the School of Journalism and Mass Communications in March photographed the 89th running of the Carolina Cup, a steeplechase racing event in Camden, South Carolina.

The experience is part of the JOUR 499 special topics course: A Photojournalism Adventure at the Carolina Cup: The Thrill of the Chase and is open to students of any major. The hands-on skills course is a fast-paced photography basics course combined with the real-world experience of working under deadline pressure as photojournalists.

Twenty student photographers gathered before dawn on Saturday, March 30, to capture beautiful scene-setting imagery as well as trainers working with their horses in the golden morning light, long before the gates opened to the public at the Springdale Racecourse in Camden. By day’s end, they had logged 16 hours on site covering a hat competition, children’s games, tailgating, race preparations, and the five steeplechase races and one flat race that mark this annual rite of spring.

About the Journalists

Jada Kirkland – Kirkland is a senior broadcast journalism major with a minor in African-American studies.

Megan Sever – Sever is a freshman visual communications major at the University of South Carolina with a concentration in sports media and a minor in business.

Lexi Croft – Lexi Croft is a soon-to-be visual communications graduate of USC’s School of Journalism and Mass Communications.

More Photos

Thousands of spectators gathered at Springdale Race Course in Camden on March 30, 2024, to enjoy steeplechasing as well as fashion, food, and community at the 89th running of the Carolina Cup.