Washington businessman Russell M. Arundel was chairman of the Virginia Gold Cup from 1930 to 1955, and then in 1980 his son Arthur W. "Nick" Arundel purchased Great Meadow, a 500-acre tract of open space in The Plains which he developed for more than $5 million into a new home for The Gold Cup, which at the time was threatened by development.
Arundel served as Chairman of Great Meadow and of the Virginia Gold Cup for nearly two decades until his passing in 2011.
The Virginia Gold Cup event was generated by eight sportsmen who met at the Fauquier Club in Warrenton and organized a four-mile race alongside the natural walls and fences of the nearby hunting countryside on April 3, 1922, and thirty four days later was the first Virginia Gold Cup race.
[3] Additional activities include terrier and pony races before the main event, hat contests on Members Hill, vendor tents and booths, parachute demonstrations, classic and new car displays, and countless tailgates.
All three sections include private tents, public viewing areas, and tailgate spaces.