A Day of La-De-Da

[I'm still typing with one hand, so the next several posts might be of the short & sweet variety.]

We're doing another "keep it local" weekend... we enjoy traveling, but also know there's a lot to do closer to home where we can mix it up with the locals. So this morning, we got dressed up considerably more than we usually do for a Saturday, and headed to the tiny town of Ascot for some perry, cider, champagne and horse racing (and perhaps a little wagering, too.)

Why did we get dressed up? Well, for this particular day of racing and for the level of ticket we bought, both ladies and gentlemen are asked to dress in a manner appropriate to a smart occasion. Many gentlemen wear a shirt and tie with a jacket or suit.

There were 7 races in all today, with the first one going off just before 2:00 pm and subsequent ones starting every 35 minutes. Racing-wise, the highlight of the day came in the 7 furlong long 4th race which had 28 entrants. Even with betting "each way" (which means we win something if the horse we pick wins or places) Peggy and I were 0-for-2 wagering up to this point. So, we let Chloe pick and again we placed an "each way" wager. And wouldn't you know it, the horse won! (If only we had done a straight "win" bet!)

The other highlight of the day took place as we were leaving after the final race. There was a band playing on the one lawn and we, apparently like many other racegoers, weren't interested in leaving quite yet. For the next 45 minutes or so, we joined in on the revelry, dancing and the occasional conga line.

(Pictures: top 3 are general; bottom one is of the Parade Ring.)