The King of Horse Races at Royal Ascot

13 September 2008

The Royal Ascot is the Kentucky Derby of England. Held over a five-day period in June, this British race is one of the most popular in the world, and definitely tops the English charts. The origin of the Ascot goes back to Queen Anne, daughter of King James II, who was an enthusiastic horse lover.

In the village of East Cote (which would later become known as Ascot), she spotted a beautiful flat field. Only a few miles south of Windsor Castle in Berkshire, Queen Anne felt this location would be ideal for a racecourse. The land was immediately turned into a racetrack, and the inaugural race was held on August 11, 1711. Queen Anne planned and attended the festivities.

The races at Ascot thrived for decades to come, but they weren't the most popular races in England. In 1760, when George II was on the throne, the Royal Ascot was transformed and subsequently became the second most popular race in England. The most popular race in England at the time was the race at Epsom, which started back in the 17th century. With George II overseeing the annual event, the Royal Ascot gained a reputation for being the race of royalty.

A grandstand was built at Ascot in 1822, and soon after, a permanent stand was constructed for the King, Queen, and royal family. The newly constructed luxury stands added to the mystique of the race and further suggested that Ascot was for the rich and famous.

All of the buildings which surround the racecourse were either added or enlarged in the 19th century. And after the track was expanded, private boxes, hundreds of stalls, and even a paddock for saddling horses along with accommodations for carriages were installed.

Because of the upgrades and ambiance, a strict dress code was enforced for the Royal Enclosure. Male attendees must wear full morning dress, including a top hat, and ladies must not show bare midriffs or shoulders and must wear hats.

Outside of the Royal Enclosure, the dress code is less severe, but most of the attendees choose to wear formal dress nonetheless. Besides the races taking place, there are also many social events and festivities. Many private clubs are also allowed to set up their own tents for refreshments.

The popularity of the race is not in doubt. Over 300,000 people make the visit to Berkshire annually to visit during Royal Ascot week. To date, the Royal Ascot is the most popular race in England, and one of the world's top 5. Many visitors don't know the first thing about racing, but still attend for the social side of the event.

There are currently 16 Group races on the Royal Ascot schedule, with at least one Group-One event on each of the five days. The Ascot Gold Cup is on Ladies' Day (Thursday), and there is a total of over £3,000,000 offered in prize money. A few of the notable races include Coventry Stakes, King's Stand Stakes, Queen Anne Stakes, Jersey Stakes, Ascot Gold Cup, and the Prince of Wales's Stakes.

Tags: horse racing, royal ascot, queen anne, king james ii, epsom, ladies day, royal enclosure, coventry stakes, king's stand stakes, queen anne stakes, jersey stakes, prince of wales's stakes, ascot gold cup,
Posted In: Sports Events, Horse Racing,

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