A trip to Cartmel Races on Whit Sunday resulted in a win for our shared horse, OnTheFrontFoot in the 2.10 & champagne & sticky toffee pudding prizes!
The long tradition of racing at Cartmel was started by the monks from Cartmel Priory in the 12th Century & Whit Holiday Races have been a feature of the Racing Calendar since 1856.
What first struck me on arrival at the racecourse was what a great day out it is not just for racing enthusiasts but also for families! Know as ‘the most picturesque race course in the UK’, it offers a fun fair & trade stands with picnics & dogs welcome.
The second thing to strike me was that I was quite possibly the only lady amongst the thousands of racegoers to be wearing high heels. Hey, pride must abide! My Mother raised me well! Luckily for me a dry spell on the run up to the event meant that the ground was ‘good to fair’, much to my relief & the shoes survived!
My husband Nigel, aka Dunny, loves horse racing. It is (after me) his big passion! Before we met he had several race horses but marriage & young children put paid to that! Now that the children are older we can spend a little more time doing the things we enjoy & for Dunny this means racing!
Going to the races as an owner is a whole different experience! For a start you get to park closer to the race course & often enjoy some nice refreshments once in! Winning a race is a massive buzz & afterwards you go & collect your prize, with photographs & hand shakes. Usually it’s a framed photograph of your winning horse in action (it amazes me how quickly they turn these around) & on this occasion Champagne & Sticky Toffee Pudding!
The famous Cartmel Sticky Toffee Pudding is made in Flookburgh, an ancient village on the Cartmel peninsula. The original recipe was developed by Francis Coulson and Robert Lee for the Sharrow Bay Country House Hotel in the Lake District in the 1970s. Today it’s huge, you can buy it in Booths, Selfridges, Fortnum & Mason, Waitrose & Harvey Nichols. Or you can just order it online.
But I digress! Back to the races. Once a winner you get to go into the winners tent……more champers & swapping tally ho’s with frightfully posh folk. Not really my cup of tea but highly amusing & definitely an experience. The best part of the day though was seeing how chuffed my husband was, not just to have seen his horse win but to have shared the experience with his wife & son. I made a mental note to join him whenever possible from now on, not because I’m into it particularly but because he is & he’s happy when I’m there too! Plus there might be Sticky Toffee Pudding……………………….
http://www.cartmelvilliageshop.co.uk
