A Trip to The Races – the iconic horse racing event in the UK

Royal Ascot. One of the key dates in the British social calendar, this year attracting 300,000 people over five days. Although Royal Ascot is now in its 301st year, this year was the first time I had attended the iconic horse racing event and what a day it was. Initially attracted to the thought of dressing up and drinking champagne, the horse racing provided a great source of entertainment. Royal Ascot attracts a wide range of people, from all over the country, if not the world. But what if you haven’t been before, what can you expect?

Royal Ascot, UK by Brittany

Prepare to Queue

Expect plenty of people. As soon as you get off the train, you get herded all day. You can get a ticket to the Silver Ring quite cheaply and this is what I had. Tickets to the Grandstand are more expensive and require a certain etiquette. The Silver Ring gets very busy with big groups of people. You will queue to get into the race course, queue to bet, queue at the bar, queue at the toilets and queue to leave again at the end of the day. Royal Ascot is essentially a social event so it attracts birthday parties and stag and hen do’s. Arrive to the Silver Ring early to get a good spot because grass space is limited and table and chairs even more so. You will end up sitting in close proximity to other groups so be prepared to make new friends!

Dress Up

I was attracted to Ascot for the idea of dressing up. I have no weddings to attend this summer, so when else would I wear a hat? A strict dress code applies in the Royal Enclosure and this year standards were even tighter. Women were no longer allowed to wear fascinators (presumably because the definition of a fascinator has got increasingly varied), had to wear a skirt of modest length and have their midriff covered. Men had to wear a suit and tie in the Grandstand and morning suit in the Royal Enclosure. The Silver Ring has no enforced dress code, but people still dress up in the main making for an excellent fashion show. I wore a cream dress, red wedges, red printed tux style jacket and cream hat. The wedges were essential this year, as the heavy rain made the ground soft. A sprinkling of rain in the morning led to muddy paths developing criss-crossing through the picnic blankets. Which brings me to another thing to expect, British weather.

Bet

Royal Ascot isn’t all dressing up and eating though, there is a primary reason involved in thousands of people gathering at the site, horse racing! Be prepared to bet. I didn’t know much about betting before I went, but it’s easy enough to pick up. I went for a high risk, high gain strategy, which didn’t pay off, but in putting just small token bets on it didn’t matter. Don’t drink too much and get carried away, especially if you haven’t been before. Must importantly, have a fun day out!

Emma writes for fashion and style site www.clothes.org.uk. Click here to read the blog.

Tags: birthday parties, brittany, close proximity, cream dress, fascinator, fashion show, horse racing, key dates, morning suit, royal ascot, royal enclosure, silver ring, social calendar, strict dress code, suit and tie

Category: United Kingdom, Wellness, Relax and Sports