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What happens in France, Germany, US, Australia, Hong Kong, etc?
From what I remeber when I went to the Melbourne Cup a long time back it was anything goes.
About twenty years ago I went to the old racecourse in Singapore. They had a policy of no shorts. One enterprising lady had set up a table outside selling cheap trousers at $5 a time. She was raking in a fortune from the tourists who all turned up in shorts.
Have to dress smartly, can’t drink beer while in the stands, costs an arm and a leg for bad food, high entry costs.
I never go to racecourses for precisely these reasons. Just ridiculous really.
Nice to see the policy working! Keeping beer-swilling, scruffy people out of the Premier Enclosures is what the policy is for isn’t it?
Don’t buy the bad food, don’t spend all day drinking beer (does it add to the enjoyment of racing for you?), and then the entry cost won’t seem so prohibitive!
I really don’t like sharing my racing experience with pissheads who don’t seem to be able to function without a glass of lager in their hand, with yobs who don’t have any other clothing except jeans and t-shirts, with stag parties in fancy dress and the obligatory 20-stone wally dressed as a jockey. So any rules that preserve the best enclosure for well-mannered people just interested in watching the racing are fine by me.
Radio 4 presenter to Ascot’s Nick Smith today (without guile, simply curious): "For those of our listeners unfamiliar with racing who might be wondering what on earth a sport is doing enforcing a dress code in 2012, what would you say?"
Radio 4 presenter to Ascot’s Nick Smith today (without guile, simply curious): "For those of our listeners unfamiliar with racing who might be wondering what on earth a sport is doing enforcing a dress code in 2012, what would you say?"
And his answer was……?
"this perfect mix of poetry and destruction, this glory of rhythm, power and majesty: the undisputed champion of the world!!!"
It’s quite easy to answer isn’t it? I would have said:
Certain racecourses want to maintain a tradition of smart attire and a sense of occassion to their meetings. Racing caters to all strata of society and is accessible to all; more so than many other sports. We believe that having a dress code in the Premier Enclosure enhances the spectacle and makes a day’s racing eye-catching and more than just a sporting event. Many of our customers feel the same way which is why we try to cater for them. We also cater for those who don’t want to dress up for the occassion, which is why we have enclosures where there are no restrictions at all.
What did Nick Smith say?
I really don’t like sharing my racing experience with pissheads who don’t seem to be able to function without a glass of lager in their hand, with yobs who don’t have any other clothing except jeans and t-shirts, with stag parties in fancy dress and the obligatory 20-stone wally dressed as a jockey. So any rules that preserve the best enclosure for well-mannered people just interested in watching the racing are fine by me.
Personally I don’t like to share my racing experience with yobs who can’t function without a drink in their hand and have absolutely no interest in racing. That would account for a large number of those in their fancy attire who populate Royal Ascot. Dressing in fancy dresses and suits in no way means you are more well mannered than those who dress in jeans and a t-shirt.
The purpose of dress codes is be divisive and exclusive. The RFC and various previous racing marketing attempts have tried to engage with non-racing people in an inclusive way. It is symptomatic of the mess racing operates in that these are diametrically opposed messages.
Many of the posts on the subject indicate the depth of feeling. From my own viewpoint I try to avoid courses operating dress codes and feel strongly that people should be free to wear whatever they like. The attempt to "uphold standards" by a dress code is anachronistic and IMHO more concerned with keeping racing as a closed club and the power with the same old elite.
I’m not offended by going racing alongside a man dressed in a suit and tie, I even have friends who do so. There is no reason for anyone else to be offended by my jeans. Time to lighten up and be happy that there is such a variety of people who are racing fans.
Vive la Diffrence
Manners, not clothing, maketh man. A well behaved person will still be so even if he is wearing a bin bag. A badly behaved person will still be so even if he is wearing Armani.
Good jeans are expensive, but a pair of so-called "smart" polyester trousers can be obtained very cheaply. The idea that a scrap of fabric, even if it is silk, tied around the neck, will transform an oaf into a gentleman is ludicrous.
Much mention was made of "chavs" earlier in the thread. As far as I know these types of people are very particular about the style and smartness of their designer-label clothing, and would easily pass the "weed-out-the-scruffs" test. Doesn’t stop them being lager-louts if that is their inclination though does it?
As the old adage says, "Don’t judge a book by its cover". People should not be classified by their clothing, and should be allowed to wear whatever they feel comfortable and happy in to attend a race meeting.
I suppose someone who made a sensible choice to wear wellies (with their jeans of course!) to a jumps meeting on a wet, cold winter day would be frowned upon and told they should have wrecked their best shoes in order to attend!
Dress codes are absolute rubbish! And while I am on my soapbox, what’s the problem with fascinators? That one is totally beyond my comprehension!
Many of the worst behaved people I’ve seen on racecourses have been in suits and ties.
except for the royal meeting at ascot id like to see how long ascot and other tracks survive with out the so called common people being allowed in ! there is no argument in what a person chooses to wear but using a dress code as a stick to beat the people they dont want in is not the way to go
I’d rather a racecourse didn’t have a dress code, but if they do, then that’s their decision and the public should either respect it or go somewhere else. If it costs the racecourse money yet they still persist in enforcing a dress code, then, again, it’s their decision and we should respect it.
If your next door neighbour said you must take your shoes off before entering their house you’d do it wouldn’t you? Why should you then object when a racecourse enforces a dress code in a particular enclosure?
Whilst it’s true that drunken yobs often wear jackets and ties and from that perspective a dress code doesn’t work, it’s still up to the individual course whether or not to have one.except for the royal meeting at ascot id like to see how long ascot and other tracks survive with out the so called common people being allowed in ! there is no argument in what a person chooses to wear but using a dress code as a stick to beat the people they dont want in is not the way to go
What are you talking about? When have Ascot or other tracks tried to stop "common people" coming in? If they were using it as "a stick to beat the people they don’t want in" why weren’t they just throwing people out of the racecourse?
You are talking rubbish.
Many of the worst behaved people I’ve seen on racecourses have been in suits and ties.
ALL of the worst behaved people I’ve seen on racecourses have been in suits and ties.
Mike
Many of the worst behaved people I’ve seen on racecourses have been in suits and ties.
ALL of the worst behaved people I’ve seen on racecourses have been in suits and ties.
Mike
totally correct
except for the royal meeting at ascot id like to see how long ascot and other tracks survive with out the so called common people being allowed in ! there is no argument in what a person chooses to wear but using a dress code as a stick to beat the people they dont want in is not the way to go
What are you talking about? When have Ascot or other tracks tried to stop "common people" coming in? If they were using it as "a stick to beat the people they don’t want in" why weren’t they just throwing people out of the racecourse?
You are talking rubbish.
ok thats your opion i read your other post the one quote workingmens sports like rugby football can do as they like well i count racing as a working mans sport too and its the opion of people like you the race courses are pandering too if i have the money to go in the dear section i should be able to wear as i please if i cause trouble then i would be expecting to get thrown out you were at wentworth i bet you did not walk around the 18 holes in a suit allday but i bet the ocaasion was not anyless enjoyable because of it dont take this personally everyones different opions is what make the world go round and christ the place would be a boring place if everyone was the same
Many of the worst behaved people I’ve seen on racecourses have been in suits and ties.
ALL of the worst behaved people I’ve seen on racecourses have been in suits and ties.
Mike
totally correct
Blimey to read some of the comments on here anyone would think that racecourses have become bloodthirsty battlegrounds and the retreats for murderous thugs!
"Tonight on BBC1 Panorama investigates the rising trend in violence on Britain’s racetracks. We spoke to a man who would only identify himself as "Gord".
Gord : Yeah last March me and a few of the Kauto Star gang went down to Cheltenham to take on those Imperial Commander b******’s. We organised it in advance on the internet. About 200 of us got kitted up in our pinstripes (there’s just something about puttin on that suit that brings out the animal in me) and pitched up an hour before racing. The IC’s were there led by this twat who calls himself "Iambigman" – must have been 300 of them. We were just about to kick off when to our right we saw this scottish bloke in polyester trousers and a Denman cap calling himself "Corm". He had about 500 with him and they had blades! I thought "this is going to be carnage" but then suddenly this beatiful looking English guy calling himself Jonibake arrived. He persuaded us all to take off our ties and the strangest thing happened. Suddenly a kind of tranquility came over the whole group. I extended my hand to Corm, he to Iambigman and we all had a big group hug! It was just like that Paul Mcartney video "Pipes of Peace!"
Maybe I am just lucky but in 35 years of going racing I have NEVER seen a fight and I can’t wait to start taking my little ones – in suits of course!
"this perfect mix of poetry and destruction, this glory of rhythm, power and majesty: the undisputed champion of the world!!!"
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