A Day at the Races

I spent this past Sunday at the Cheltenham Races. It was great to escape daily life into a world of fancy hats and beautiful horses. We spent some money betting on the horses, and lost most of it, but had fun cheering on our potential winners. Here I’ve captured a few moments from the day.

As we came in, a band was playing some old school jazz music. It made me feel as if I had stepped back in time. If anyone watches the Peaky Blinders, I imagine it was quite like that.

I found this scene particularly striking: both the couple watching and the two children washing down the huge horse. There were prizes for the best groomed horse, so every one of them had beautifully braided manes and not a speck of dirt on them.

The races happened on the huge, winding grass track and included jumps. It was fun to watch the horses disappear into the distance, and then come flying back in our direction, out of the mist. The best spot to watch the race was right on the ground next to the track.

After each race, the horses were led into the winner’s circle and sprayed down. This was probably my favorite thing to watch: the beautiful animals being cooled down as steam rose from their muscular bodies. My favorite shots came from these quieter moments.

What an amazing experience! Going to the races was certainly a fun English thing to do, and it satisfied my desire for travel, which has been growing and growing the longer I’m in the UK. Little day trips like this one are far more feasible with my busy schedule, so hopefully there will be more to write about in the future.