Great Britain has its own traditions, which are connected not only with the ethnic culture of the English, but also with the social life of this country.
Among the latter are the so-called Royal meetings or horse races, which have acquired the status of one of the most significant sporting events on a global scale.
The history, features of this grand and famous event, requirements for the dress code of its spectators and interesting facts related to the holding of this equestrian tournament are described below.
What is Royal Ascot?
This event, known as Royal Ascot, is considered one of the most important in the British calendar.
The uniqueness of the respective royal horse races is that they are an event that has no analogues in the whole world. The venue of these races is a historic county in the Thames River Valley, which occupies the southern part of England.
Such an event is not just a tournament of racehorses and their riders. It has a secular significance, as it is a symbiosis of sophistication and luxury of the English aristocracy and the traditions of the monarchical dynasty of the Great Britain state.
For several centuries, this event has been considered one of the most famous equestrian competitions on the planet and an important milestone in the social life of England.
Year after year, this large-scale sports spectacle gathers hundreds of thousands of gentlemen and ladies at the hippodrome.
Traditionally, it begins with a solemn royal procession from Windsor Castle to the hippodrome.
Features that how and when the horse races take place Royal Ascot, may be slightly adjusted every year. For example, the last time these equestrian competitions were held from June 18 to June 22. There were 7 races every day, that is, the total number of them was 35.
Such horse racing tournaments were held according to the established schedule. The time of the first races was at 2:30 p.m., the finals at 6:15 p.m.
How did it all begin?
Queen Anne, the last representative of the Stuart dynasty, is considered the initiator of horse racing. According to sources, this potentate once drew attention to a wasteland located in the East Court district, which was near Windsor Castle.
The queen decided that this place was perfect for setting up a racetrack. Her idea was realized. Anna Stewart opened the first race in 1711 on August 11. It was Saturday.
The program of the earliest races included three races of 4 miles each. Only extremely hardy horses could overcome such a distance. Nowadays, the appropriate distance for the participants of the equestrian tournament is reduced to one or two miles.
Annual royal horse races began to take place, starting from 1807. This event lasted for several days, always at the specified time - from June 17 to 21. Since then, the race has been called the Gold Cup.
The importance of the city of Ascot in royal horse racing and beyond
This area, located approximately 10 km south of Windsor, 6.4 km from Bracknell and 40 km from the metropolitan metropolis of London, has the reputation of being one of the most expensive cities in England.
His chip became the legendary racecourse for Royal Ascot.
And this city is also known for the fact that it is home to many celebrities who own luxury real estate. Among them are Princes Edward and Andrew, Marty Pellow and Chris Evans, as well as supermodel Kate Moss and famous Queen musician Brian May.
These wealthy people own stunning mansions, the value of which is estimated at tens of millions of pounds.
Ascot has the reputation of being the safest place in the whole of Great Britain, because the level of crime there is minimal.
Who attends Royal Ascot?
The entire beau monde becomes participants and eyewitnesses of this sports and social event. It gathers representatives of the aristocracy, celebrities and, of course, members of the royal family. She is also visited by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Recently, the new Duchess of Sussex - Meghan Markle - joined the most titled spectators of the event.
The events of this event are covered in detail by the mass media, including the press.
The condition for joining the audience of the respective spectacle is simple - you need to buy a ticket for it, and also observe the dress code, which is discussed a little later.
However, it is almost impossible for an average person to get into the fenced sector of the spectator stand, reserved for members of the royal family. True, in theory such an algorithm exists.
To do this, the applicant for an elite seat must first submit an application to the office of the organizing committee, confirmed by a guarantor - the owner of the membership ticket. Such a document can be obtained by persons who have attended this equestrian tournament for four consecutive years.
If the application is considered positively, which no one guarantees, an exclusive family badge will be made for the applicant, on which his personal data - first and last name - will be indicated.
For those who have already been awarded honorary membership, an invitation with a request for a badge is sent to the office of the organizing committee by a representative of the current monarch of Great Britain, Charles III.
In recent years, this spectacle, which gathers 300,000 spectators, has become more accessible to ordinary people. On this occasion, some skeptical critics express the opinion that it is gradually losing its aristocratic appeal.
How should you dress for the horse races?
The founder of the strict dress code at Royal Ascot is considered to be the founder of fashion in the 19th century - the handsome George Brian Brummel.
It was this gentleman who introduced access to the stands exclusively for "elegant men", that is, dressed in perfectly tailored black coats with high waists and white ties with trousers. Their shoes had to be shiny, polished with champagne.
Recently, starting from 2018, an additional requirement was put forward for gentlemen visitors to horse races - they must wear socks. At the same time, the new rules allowed men to attend the tournament in dresses, and women in trousers or trouser suits.
Men these days have to come to Royal Ascot in tailcoats, a shirt with a waistcoat over it, and a tie. A black or gray top hat and black shoes should complement their image.
A number of increased requirements are put forward for the dress of ladies in the royal sector. They must wear skirts or dresses that are at least mid-knee length or below. At the same time, the width of the straps of blouses and dresses should not be less than one inch, even if there are items of outerwear such as a cashmere cape, cardigan or jacket.
It is strictly forbidden to come to the royal horse races in short tops, corsets, with bare backs and shoulders.
An additional requirement of the dress code for ladies is the presence of a spectacular hat. The role of this headdress can be performed by designer accessories in the form of a three-dimensional bow, a textile flower, a large feather, etc., if their size is at least 10 centimeters, that is, they can cover most of the head.
How much is bet, and what bets are made on these horse races?
Royal Ascot is shaping up to be the busiest week for bookies taking bets.
The size of their approximate amount in total is about 30 million pounds sterling.
Tournament visitors traditionally use racecourse bookmakers for bets. But the majority of such sums have been placed online in recent years.
The bet execution algorithm is not complicated. To do this, you need to choose a horse and stand in line at the appropriate stall. The participant calls the nickname of the chosen horse and bets on it an amount chosen at his own discretion.
The lowest rates start at a few pounds. Many visitors to the Royal Races try to win by budgeting £10 for 10 bets.
At the same time, wealthy guests of the tournament or die-hard fans of gambling often bet substantial sums of tens or even hundreds of thousands of units of British currency on the chosen horses.
Interesting Facts
You can cite a lot of such information that year after year only fuels interest in the corresponding famous social event.
- Lester Piggott became the most successful jockey in the history of royal horse racing. This legendary rider managed to win a record 4,493 times in the respective competitions. This sportsman, extremely motivated and persistent, participated in Royal Ascot for more than 40 years in a row - from 1952 to 1993.
- In 2013, for the first time in history, the victory in this important equestrian tournament was won by a royal horse named Estimate, which belonged to Elizabeth II. But this achievement of the corresponding thoroughbred race mare of Irish origin turned out to be doubtful, as the winner was suspected of doping. An analysis of the horse's blood, made immediately after the competition, showed the presence of traces of morphine in it.
- The production of trophy cups for the winners is always done by the same brand - Garrard jewelry house. This company is one of the oldest in its field of business on the planet. For the first time, its specialists created such a cup in 1842 for the first Gold Cup competition. Usually, the rider who chose her received this high award directly from the hands of her Majesty.
- The race that took place in 1910 went down in history as Black Ascot. The reason for this name was the death of the British monarch Edward VII, which happened shortly before the start of the royal equestrian competitions. Paying respect to the deceased king, who was a big fan of these races, they did not cancel this event. However, this year the royal box was empty, and all the visitors to the competition came to see him in mourning black and white clothes.
- The hippodrome, where these famous equestrian competitions take place, was designed in an oval shape. This configuration is adapted for the so-called flat horse racing, which at the time of the object's creation had the highest status and was the favorite competition of Queen Elizabeth II.
It is also surprising that watching a gambling event is traditionally combined with a meal. Every year during Royal Ascot, about 56,000 bottles of champagne and 44,000 bottles of wine are drunk, and approximately 240,000 cakes, 60,000 canapés and 8,000 crabs are eaten.