The Brits love their Horse Racing
England beckons. While I consider myself a lucky man to have witnessed live thoroughbred racing at over 50 different racetracks in North America, it hurts just a little bit to know that I’ve never seen live racing outside of my home continent. This needs to change, and it will. With two trips planned to the UK this year, I’m all set to make one of the best racing nations in the world my next big adventure within the sport.
Royal Ascot beckons. First things first, though. Longines and the IFHA put on a wonderful show for the announcement presentation of the World’s Best Racehorse, and the World’s Best Horse Race. Held at the opulent Claridge’s in London, it’s a little on the fancy side for this ‘regular guy’, but I must admit, it’s fun to hobnob with the rich and famous once in a blue moon. I leave on a jet plate for London Heathrow Sunday evening, for the Tuesday afternoon ceremony. That is England trip #1 … but still no live racing for me outside of North America when I make my own Brexit on Wednesday.
Ahhh Royal Ascot. I’ve only dreamed of attending for most of my life. Joined by family and friends, I finally will get to experience the most famous race meeting of them all. That’s right, trip #2 to England this year will be centered around the Royal Ascot meeting. Part of me still feels like that kid from Jersey. Am I really worthy of rubbing shoulders with the best turf horses in the world … not to mention the Queen? I wonder if she is like me, and enjoys a corned beef sandwich and a beer at the track?
I’m not sure that pressing question will ever be answered, but what I do know is that I am going to soak up everything that Ascot Racecourse and the Royal Meeting has to offer this June. A simple train ride from London, and practically in walking distance from Windsor Castle, in many ways Ascot represents everything good and grand about racing. At least that is how I see it from afar. This place has been around for more than three hundred years. Sensational racing, history, and atmosphere. I can almost taste it.
Yes, Ascot and England seem like an ideal choice for my first international racing experience. The Brits love their racing, as I do. Reuters recently reported that horse racing is once again the second most popular sport in Britain. Racing regained that standing in 2016, after falling to third for a single year when the nation hosted the Rugby World Cup in 2015. I don’t know much about rugby, and I am not the biggest fan of soccer (football), England’s most popular sport, but I can sure relate to the country’s longstanding love affair with racing.
According to Reuters, 5.99 million people attended live racing in England last year. Interestingly, of that number, nearly 40 percent were women. As it should be, I say. It’s beyond my hope that racing will ever be that popular again in the United States, but I take what I can get over here. Oh, and by the way, days of racing at Royal Ascot, Cheltenham and Epsom were all among the year's top 10 attended events in England in 2016. I can’t wait to be a part of those numbers in 2017.
(Royal Ascot photos courtesy of Eclipse Sportswire/Bob Mayberger)