As I sit watching the Kentucky Derby, kids having living room horse races,
sipping a mint julep (I wish), I immediately go back to our lovely visit to Ascot Racecourse. While living in London, a neighbour told us that “we simply MUST go to Ascot,” which is British for, it will be a very fun time for the family.
So we trekked due west of London, for almost an hour by train, to Ascot, which is about 6 miles from Windsor. An over 300 year old racing track, Ascot began in 1711, on an idea from Queen Anne. The original racers were English hunters, quite different from the jockeys we see today. The first race was four miles, and bared little resemblance to today’s races. A proper race course was erected later on the site, and a permanent building followed in 1794. The most prestigious races happen during Royal Ascot, which is held over five days in June, and is quite a formal affair.
We attended on a beautiful April morning for Family day, which had an Alice in Wonderland theme my three year old absolutely adored. Complete with rides on the outside lawn, delicious food booths, face painting and games, it really is an all-day outing. We had such a great time, and I was so happy to have the experience. Now someday we really MUST go to Kentucky for the Derby.
Looks like that was great fun!!!