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Racing fans frolic at the Fairgrounds to celebrate Thanksgiving in style

From the kooky to the downright extraordinary, the hat-wearing folks were the 'mane' event.

NEW ORLEANS — Many celebrated Turkey Day at the New Orleans Fairgrounds, hundreds donning their best hat creations. 

From the kooky to the downright extraordinary, these hat-wearing folks were the mane event. 

Meaghan Davis told WWL Louisiana, "I made this during COVID when I was really bored and then my friends announced the theme for the hats this year was Lord of the Rings, and I was like oh man I guess I have to go now." 

And Jeff Cantu really wasn't horsing around when it came to his creation, saying, "Everyone has these great hats and I was thinking how do I make a great hat, we make it more bourbon the whole time." 

But wait, hold your horses, Ryan Gualandri said he, "Decided to challenge myself to see how big me and my dad could make a hat, and collectively with myself it spans about 18 feet tall." 

While the racing Horses where inside the stable, Gualandri had to hold onto this giant top hat to keep it stable. "It’s a bit top heavy but we're doing a lot of management with my hand today," he said. 

The hats at this year’s races were really jockeying for first place, Diane Stengle said, "That's why you come, I mean the horses are cool but it's the hats." 

While these horses don't usually spend their leisure time playing stable tennis, these hat-wearing Louisianans really did stirrup trouble. 

Cantu says he just had to make sure he kept his the centaur of attention, saying, "We drink a lot so then it gets more fun, that's why I had to wear a black shirt in case it spills everywhere."  

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