The Fiat S76 or "Beast of Turin" is a Goodwood favourite and can usually be heard before it is seen at #FOS
Legend of Goodwood's golden racing era and Le Mans winner Roy Salvadori once famously said "give me Goodwood on a summer's day and you can forget the rest".
Whoa Simon! A horse so determined and headstrong, he not only won the 1883 Goodwood Cup by 20 lengths, but couldn't be stopped and carried on running over the top of Trundle hill
The first ever horsebox was used from Goodwood to Doncaster for the 1836 St. Leger. Elis arrived fresh and easily won his owner a £12k bet.
Easy boy! The charismatic Farnham Flyer loved to celebrate every win with a pint of beer. His Boxer dog, Grogger, did too and had a tendancy to steal sips straight from the glass.
The iconic spitfire covered almost 43,000 kilometres and visited over 20 countries on its epic journey and currently resides at our Aerodrome.
The replica of the original Axminster carpet is so lavish that the President of Bulgaria came to visit it before its departure!
As the private clubhouse for all of the Estate’s sporting and social members, it offers personal service and a relaxed atmosphere
Festival of Speed is our longest-standing Motorsport event, starting in 1993 when it opened to 25,00 people. We were expecting 2000!
The dining room is host to an original painting from the Goodwood collection of the 6th Duke as a child.
The Fiat S76 or "Beast of Turin" is a Goodwood favourite and can usually be heard before it is seen at #FOS
Legend of Goodwood's golden racing era and Le Mans winner Roy Salvadori once famously said "give me Goodwood on a summer's day and you can forget the rest".
Sir Stirling Moss was one of the founding patrons of the Festival of Speed, and a regular competitor at the Revival.
Future Lab is Goodwood's innovation pavilion, inspiring industry enthusiasts and future scientists with dynamic tech
Goodwood Motor Circuit was officially opened in September 1948 when Freddie March, the 9th Duke and renowned amateur racer, tore around the track in a Bristol 400
FOS Favourite Mad Mike Whiddett can be caught melting tyres in his incredible collection of cars (and trucks) up the hillclimb
Festival of Speed is our longest-standing Motorsport event, starting in 1993 when it opened to 25,00 people. We were expecting 2000!
King Edward VII (who came almost every year) famously dubbed Glorious Goodwood “a garden party with racing tacked on”.
Whoa Simon! A horse so determined and headstrong, he not only won the 1883 Goodwood Cup by 20 lengths, but couldn't be stopped and carried on running over the top of Trundle hill
King Edward VII (who came almost every year) famously dubbed Glorious Goodwood “a garden party with racing tacked on”.
Whoa Simon! A horse so determined and headstrong, he not only won the 1883 Goodwood Cup by 20 lengths, but couldn't be stopped and carried on running over the top of Trundle hill
King Edward VII (who came almost every year) famously dubbed Glorious Goodwood “a garden party with racing tacked on”.
Leading women of business, sport, fashion and media, take part in one of the most exciting horseracing events in the world.
King Edward VII (who came almost every year) famously dubbed Glorious Goodwood “a garden party with racing tacked on”.
For safety reasons F1 cars can no longer do official timed runs so instead perform stunning demonstrations!
Ray Hanna famously flew straight down Goodwood’s pit straight below the height of the grandstands at the first Revival in 1998
The first ever round of golf played at Goodwood was in 1914 when the 6th Duke of Richmond opened the course on the Downs above Goodwood House.
Just beyond Goodwood House along the Hillclimb, the 2nd Dukes banqueting house was also known as "one of the finest rooms in England" (George Vertue 1747).
Just beyond Goodwood House along the Hillclimb, the 2nd Dukes banqueting house was also known as "one of the finest rooms in England" (George Vertue 1747).
The Motor Circuit was known as RAF Westhampnett, active from 1940 to 1946 as a Battle of Britain station.
One of the greatest golfers of all time, James Braid designed Goodwood’s iconic Downland course, opened in 1914.
One of the greatest golfers of all time, James Braid designed Goodwood’s iconic Downland course, opened in 1914.
The first ever round of golf played at Goodwood was in 1914 when the 6th Duke of Richmond opened the course on the Downs above Goodwood House.
The first ever round of golf played at Goodwood was in 1914 when the 6th Duke of Richmond opened the course on the Downs above Goodwood House.
The first thing ever dropped at Goodwood was a cuddly elephant which landed in 1932 just as the 9th Duke of Richmonds passion for flying was taking off.
The famous fighter ace, who flew his last sortie from Goodwood Aerodrome, formerly RAF Westhampnett has a statue in his honor within the airfield.
Ray Hanna famously flew straight down Goodwood’s pit straight below the height of the grandstands at the first Revival in 1998
We have been host to many incredible film crews using Goodwood as a backdrop for shows like Downton Abbey, Hollywood Blockbusters like Venom: let there be Carnage and the Man from U.N.C.L.E.
The Gordon Tartan has been worn by the Dukes and Duchesses over the last 300 years.
Ensure you take a little time out together to pause and take in the celebration of all the hard work you put in will be a treasured memory.
Ensure you take a little time out together to pause and take in the celebration of all the hard work you put in will be a treasured memory.
Whoa Simon! A horse so determined and headstrong, he not only won the 1883 Goodwood Cup by 20 lengths, but couldn't be stopped and carried on running over the top of Trundle hill
One of the greatest golfers of all time, James Braid designed Goodwood’s iconic Downland course, opened in 1914.
The famous fighter ace, who flew his last sortie from Goodwood Aerodrome, formerly RAF Westhampnett has a statue in his honor within the airfield.
As the private clubhouse for all of the Estate’s sporting and social members, it offers personal service and a relaxed atmosphere
Whoa Simon! A horse so determined and headstrong, he not only won the 1883 Goodwood Cup by 20 lengths, but couldn't be stopped and carried on running over the top of Trundle hill
The oldest existing rules for the game were drawn up for a match between the 2nd Duke and a neighbour
Easy boy! The charismatic Farnham Flyer loved to celebrate every win with a pint of beer. His Boxer dog, Grogger, did too and had a tendancy to steal sips straight from the glass.
A 20m woodland rue, from Halnaker to Lavant, was planted by our forestry teams & volunteers, featuring native species like oak, beech, & hornbeam
A 20m woodland rue, from Halnaker to Lavant, was planted by our forestry teams & volunteers, featuring native species like oak, beech, & hornbeam
Whoa Simon! A horse so determined and headstrong, he not only won the 1883 Goodwood Cup by 20 lengths, but couldn't be stopped and carried on running over the top of Trundle hill
A 20m woodland rue, from Halnaker to Lavant, was planted by our forestry teams & volunteers, featuring native species like oak, beech, & hornbeam
Olympic gold medallist Sarah Ayton OBE is trading sails for stirrups as she prepares to compete in this year’s Magnolia Cup. Charlotte Hogarth-Jones caught up with her before the big race
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“I’m a bit of an adrenaline junkie,” says 37-year-old Sarah Ayton OBE, the Olympic sailor who will race in the renowned charity event the Magnolia Cup this year – one of the highlights of the Goodwood Qatar Festival – having only sat on a horse twice in her life before commencing training in December.
“I love speed, so going 35-38mph on a horse was pretty appealing to me. I didn’t hesitate to sign up.”
It’s this passion for all things exhilarating, combined with an affinity for perfecting technique, that led Sarah to Olympic gold medals for sailing in Athens (2004) and Beijing (2008). Now she has set her sights on mastering a very different sport – and all in less than eight months.
“I’m giving this 100 per cent of my attention,” says Ayton, who rides at least three times a week and trains in the gym each day. “Making sure I’m really fit is a quick win for me, so I want to be one of the fittest jockeys out there. I’m lucky in that you use the same core strength you need for sailing.”
It’ll take more than just fitness, though, to give Ayton the lead. As any experienced jockey will tell you, horse racing is as much a mental challenge as a physical one. “Going fast is the easy bit,” she says. “What I’m struggling with is how to relax. Confidence comes with time and experience, so I’ve been working on harnessing my nerves so the horse doesn’t pick up on them. You need to be calm but also aggressive.”
There are certain advantages, however, in entering the race as a novice. Learning under the guidance of horse racing trainer Amanda Perrett and her husband, Mark, she has the benefit of an expert team behind her, and coming to riding later in life means she has “no bad technique, only good”. As with sailing, jockeys need to be aware of multiple different factors around them while retaining focus – but of course it’s a different challenge entirely when you’re dealing with animals.
It's a form of total escapism. When I'm on my horse I'm completely living. All my senses are firing and I don't think about anything else
Sarah Ayton OBE
“Being on this unpredictable, living thing adds a completely different dimension,” Ayton says. “I’m very fortunate that my horse, Archangel Raphael, who I call Archie, is an experienced racing horse. He’s solid and I trust him, and we have a good relationship – although I always have to show him who’s boss.”
Managing a time-consuming training regime with the demands of family life is another challenge, with Ayton fitting in her trips to the stables after the school run and training in a home gym in her shed in nearby Birdham, West Sussex, as well as on the Goodwood Estate. “It’s pretty tiring,” she says. “The hard bit is trying to get the rest you need when you’re pushing yourself physically. My days are quite exhausting mentally too. Every evening though, I always sit down with the boys [Oscar, five, and Thomas, seven] and we all discuss our stories. They’re coming to watch me on race day and
I hope this teaches them that you can’t just give up when things are tough, and that you should always be up for trying something new – you really can do anything if you’re brave enough.”
For Ayton, what began as yet another personal challenge has been rewarding in unexpected ways. “It’s given me back that sense of achievement and fulfilment I used to have when I was sailing,” she says, “and it’s a form of total escapism. When I’m on a horse I’m completely living; all my senses are firing and I don’t think about anything else.”
Although she already has her sights set on doing another race, Ayton won’t comment on her chances of winning. For her, it’s simply about getting off the start line and being in control. “When you’re standing on the podium at the Olympics and you’ve delivered, it’s not really about you – it’s the people all around you, who’ve helped you on this incredible journey. I’m my toughest critic – and I know my children will give me a hard time if I don’t win – but I’ve been overwhelmed with how supportive everyone has been. Amanda, Mark, everyone else… it’ll just be amazing to enjoy that final day with them.” The Magnolia Cup will take place at Goodwood on Thursday August 3, and will raise funds for Place2Be, a charity that provides emotional and therapeutic services for children in primary and secondary schools
Photography by David Goldman
This article is taken from the Goodwood magazine, Summer 2017 issue
horseracing
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