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AP PHOTOS: At Derby, a passion for hats

The Associated Press
May 2, 2015 at 9:50PM
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The Kentucky Derby is known for women's fashion, especially the hats. But 48-year-old Jeff Rieg wasn't going to let the women upstage him.

His hat, a flowing feather boa that reached down to his calves, included a "lucky monkey" and roses. He's been wearing it to the Derby for 20 consecutive years.

Karen Vanzant, another Derby goer, is nearly 6 feet tall on a normal day. On Derby Day, she plunked another two feet of bright yellow feathers on top of her head.

Passers-by gawked at the Colorado couple in glittering yellow. Some asked them to pose for selfies. The Vanzants happily obliged.

"We don't ever dress up at home," Karen said, as strangers snapped photos. "This is our one time a year to put on a show."

Here's a gallery of Derby Day hat photos.

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