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In my quest to immerse myself in all things English, I found myself enjoying a quintessential English activity – betting on the horses at the Chester Races!
The city of Chester is perhaps best known for the Chester Races. The Chester Racecourse is the oldest racecourse in Britain, dating back to the 1600s!
And while the races themselves are great, what I loved most was the dressing up. Not every race is a dress-up occasion, but some days, like Ladies’ Day and the finale, the latter of which we attended, most certainly are.
If ANYTHING is a dress-up activity, there is a pretty good chance that I’ll love it.
Especially in Britain, where “dressing up” pretty much means “you need a fascinator.”
I wore my bright red fascinator, and Dave wore his custom-made pimp suit from Vietnam.
Snazzified, we hit up the races with our great group — me and Dave, Dave’s brothers Chris and Neil, and Neil’s girlfriend Felicity.
Despite all my trips to Vegas, I’ve never been much of a gambler. I’ll play a little bit of Blackjack, but that’s about it. So horse racing was an entirely new concept to me.
Luckily, it was easy to learn. You’re given a booklet with information on the horses, including how they’ve performed recently, and different bookies have odds displayed. You choose a bookie and bet a minimum of £2-2.50, either for the horse to win, or to place.
I was ready to win big! I placed my first bet, hoped for the best, and cheered on my first horse, Bubbly Ballerina…only to walk away with a loss.
We lost the next race, too.
Some of us took it better than others.
Then, finally, we won a race! Neil and I bet on a horse named Belle Royale (or Belle Royale with Cheese, as I referred to her), and with 6:1 odds, she finished first! My robust £2.50 bet translated into a £17.50 payoff.
What I love about the Chester Races is that they’re a fun-filled social occasion! You grab a group of your friends, dress up in your finest duds, and spend the day betting, drinking cocktails, triumphing, commiserating, and having a blast.
There were a number of hen parties, some of which asked if they could get pictures with Dave in his pimp suit! (He got a lot of compliments from guys, too – “You have the best suit here!”) Have I mentioned that his suit is lined in fuchsia silk?
It was a great day filled with excitement. In the end, I finished in the negative, but I only lost £7.50 overall.
But after the races finish, the event is far from over — everyone goes out in Chester! It’s a great time to enjoy the bars and clubs, especially if you’re dressed up, but make sure you have a dining reservation. It’s crazy busy in Chester during race times.
The Chester Races happen several times during the year. If you’re going to be in Northwest England during race times, I highly recommend you come and enjoy this very English activity – especially on one of the dress-up days!
Do you have any idea what those racehorses go through?
I train them for a living, so I sure do. Do you?
What do you do with them when they retire?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2006/oct/01/horseracing.sport
I agree, any event where I get to dress up is okay in my book. Add in a little gambling and it sounds like a great day!
…and you look terrific!
Thank you! You must be a Vegas fan as well! 😉
Basically my entire source of excitement for the Scottish wedding I attended this summer revolved around the fact that people were going to be wearing hats and fascinators (and, you know, kilts!)
It was fantastic! Glad to know there’s another way to get my fix next time I’m in the UK. You guys looked rocking!
Thanks! I need to get invited to a Scottish wedding! 😉
Wow. It’s so crazy seeing you all dressed up here compared to your days backpacking through Asia. Lookin fancy!
HAHAHA — a far cry from the hippie pants, huh? 🙂 Thanks!
How exciting! You looked so cute. Any occasion to get dressed up and have a few drinks is the best in my opinion!
Thank you, Sheryll! I’ve loved playing dress-up since I was little and I love it even more now!
Ow ow, lookin’ good, Kate! Love the fascinator.
I’ve never been to a horse race (despite the fact that I used to be obsessed with the idea of becoming a jockey when I was in middle school), but I think it would be fun to dress up and cheer on some horses. Actually, I’ve always wanted to go to the Kentucky Derby and just hang out outside or in the infield (which you can do for like $40). I’ve heard that experience is CRA-ZY.
You SHOULD! It’s not too far from you! I found the dressing up/community aspect to be the best part — go with a group!
I like your “Fascinator”, it is very discreet and feminine. I was thinking it would be huge and on your forehead! You looked adorable as usual. I’m glad you are having a good time.
Thank you, MaryAnn! I wasn’t about to pull a Princess Beatrice. 😉
Ahhh, sounds like such a fun day at the races!!! Bubbly Ballerina sounded like she could’ve been a true winner 😉
Next up the Ascot?!
Ooh, I’d need a MUCH bigger hat for the Ascot!
I’ve never heard of a ‘fascinator’ but I like yours. And his suit is very pimp. Did he get it in Hoi An? I plan on getting about three suits made in Thailand at the end of the year. Can’t beat the quality and deals.
This was a fun post to read. Have you tried another English activity and gone to a local football match?
He did get it in Hoi An! He was going to go traditional, but…we weren’t dating then, and he wanted to impress me. 🙂