It was a Royal Ascot Day

Yesterday, I was able to check something special off of my "bucket list." After living in the London area for 3 years, I finally was in town the week of the Royal Ascot horse races, and we were the lucky guests of friends who had arranged for a private box where we could enjoy the entire day. Royal Ascot spans over 5 days, and this year was the 300th anniversary of the race that was first begun by Queen Anne in 1711.

Some arrived by horse and wagon to Day 2 of Royal Ascot,

but our style was much simpler, arriving by mini coach, and joining the others who arrived early to enjoy

some pre-race festivities and picnics.

It could have been compared to a royal tailgating party, because there were coach loads of guests all dressed to party.

Our group of friends was in rare form,

and the girls were in their loveliest hats and frocks.

Hubby and I stopped for a quick picture as we entered the race course-- he, of course, in his morning suit, and I, in my formal day dress and a "substantial fascinator" as required by those

entering the Royal Enclosure, a section at the heart of all the Royal Ascot activities with strict rules to abide by, as well as special privileges.

We watched 5 races throughout the afternoon, with one upset after another, with none of the favorites taking home the winning prize.

In between races, we enjoyed a lovely lunch together, as well as high tea in the afternoon.

Race watchers sitting in the Royal Enclosure  are allowed into the Parade Ring to get a close up look at the horses before they run,

and see them as they come off the tracks, lathered in sweat after a race well run.

Jockeys are quizzed about their performance,

 and the winner of the biggest race of the day, the Prince of Wales £400,000 Stakes, is crowned. Rewilding, owned by the Sheikh Mohammed of Dubai came from behind to earn the coveted prize.

One of his trainers kept him circling in front of us for awhile as he cooled down, giving us a close up look at this beautiful 4 year old colt who had been given 17-2 odds of winning.

As the day wound down, the crowds stopped around the bandstand to celebrate their winnings in an old-fashioned and traditional sing along. One of the highlights of the day and a marvelous way to wrap up such a memorable occasion.

Stay tuned, because coming soon, I'll share with you about the "people-watching" we did, including some "royal" sightings, and of course, no report on Royal Ascot would be complete without sharing with you some of the wildest and best hats of the day! 

A Day at Ascot

It was a foggy, chilly day in February when a group of us headed to Ascot for the Betfair Ascot Chase Day. Located just 6 miles from Windsor Castle, it is owned by the Crown Estate.

Spending time with good friends enhanced all the fun we had that day. Queen Anne originally selected the area and set it aside for horse racing with the first race on August 11, 1711.

Three centuries later, however, the racecourse was closed for 2 years between 2006-8, when renovations took over and the ultra modern grandstand was constructed that is used today. Twenty five days of thoroughbred horse-racing take place here each year.

The races include flat racing, hurdle racing and steeplechase racing.

We were fortunate to be the guests of friends who had arranged for a private box, which meant we had some great food, room to walk around, and our own private betting grid to make watching the races a little more fun.

On our particular race day, there were jumping races: both hurdle and steeplechase races as a lead-up to the championship Cheltenham Races following a few weeks later.

This is a close-up of a plain steeplechase fence. At a height of 4'7", there are 8 of these fences made from the branches of birch trees, as well as 2 open ditches for the horses to jump. Depending on the individual race, the course is between 2 and 3 miles.

In the other type of jumping race, there are 7 flights of hurdles, each at a smaller height of 3"6." Typically, a horse would start his career jumping these before moving on to the more difficult steeplechase races.

The girls decided to go on a little exploring trip of our own between races.

We checked to see if we could get into the Royal Enclosure where the queen would sit on days she was attending, but we had no luck entering.

So we headed to the Parade Ring where the horses parade prior to their race, and we checked out the jockeys,

and the horses,

and then the jockeys again.... Cute little fellows!

We also got a peek at the award presentations to some of the winners.

And now, we're anticipating Royal Ascot to come in the month of June, when the attire and the behavior becomes "very proper."

Which reminds me of this song  from "My Fair Lady" called Ascot Gavotte. One interesting tidbit for you as you enjoy this clip--there's a little movie blooper here: the horses are running the wrong way!

♫♫ "What a smashing, positively dashing spectacle, the Ascot Opening Day." ♫♫