FEELING a Thoroughbred, the ultimate equine athlete, bunch beneath you and extend its stride defines horsepower. Perched above the tiny saddle in short stirrups, head down and eyes up, it’s impossible to stop grinning in sheer delight, intoxicated by the speed.
When Goodwood contacted the Editor of COUNTRY LIFE, asking if anyone on the staff would be interested in taking part in the Magnolia Cup, a charity race on Ladies’ Day of Glorious Goodwood, he asked me, as I am well known for charging off across country. The chance to learn a new kind of riding and race on the hallowed turf of the South Downs course was impossible to pass up.
And it is hallowed turf. Not only did the 5th Duke of Richmond’s friend Lord George Bentinck create the first horsebox to transport his horse Elis 250 miles to Doncaster to win the St Leger in 1836, but the pair cleaned up the sport and introduced elements familiar today, including flag starts and jockey silks. ‘The reform of racing was the 5th Duke’s biggest legacy,’ says James Peill, estate curator and the author of Glorious Goodwood. ‘It’s sometimes overshadowed by the glamour, but a lot of racing history has happened here.’
The Magnolia Cup was founded by the current, 11th, Duke, then the Earl of March, who wanted an event to raise money for charity and celebrate female jockeys. The name comes from the 2nd Duke’s enthusiasm for horticulture and the latest exotic to capture the attention of ‘brother gardeners’ in the 1730s; he wrote to supplier Peter Collinson about the plants of his late friend Lord Petre: ‘The small magnolias are confounded dear, butt I must have them, though I believe nobody else will be fool enough to buy any at that price.’
Denne historien er fra July 21, 2021-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra July 21, 2021-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
