Monday 22 February 2010

The Thrill of the Chase



We received an unexpected invitation to the opening Point-to-Point of the season which produced huge excitement from our household as my eldest and middle chap have developed a passion for country pursuits and it seems that there is always something going on either following a hunt, beagling, shooting or beating all involving some form of killing or attempting to kill, all rather savage but these are the ways of the country and there are plenty of people around to protest and stand up for the rights of vermin which are the blight of most farmers.

Handsome husband and the small herd have all been kitted out with suitable country clothing for these various events and they work the country look convincingly, handsome husband looking particularly rugged. I however, have struggled as sludge green, the shade of all country attire, does nothing for my complexion and the box shapes of most jackets are not remotely flattering. My verdict is that English country clothing favours the male of the species whilst leaving even the most striking woman looking rather dowdy, perhaps that is why many of the younger women choose to dye their hair with peroxide, in the hope they may stand out.

In pursuit of perfection, I have solved the problem with ease and have the ideal combination of town and country and all thanks to some quality tailoring from Holland & Holland where I found a jacket of the softest and warmest cashmere I have ever touched in a deep cornflower blue, to which I added a silk twill Hermes scarf for my neck and all cleverly found in the same London Street.

So with clothing dealt with I only needed to concentrate on our picnic as this, along with betting on the horses is the highlight of any point to point and as ever ensuring my herd are properly fed and watered to the highest levels is a priority. I find Delia is the best help for picnics with a little input from Nigella and you not only have delicious pies, pastries, tarts and puddings to eat they also look beautiful spilling out of my Louis Vuitton hamper which I had purchased at a local auction (a tale for another time). There you have it the quintessential English picnic all set out and eaten from the boot of your car whilst sitting on your tartan rug.

We were not disappointed and we arrived just as the first race began and were instantly captivated as we watched these magnificent creatures jump hedges far taller than ourselves with ease and grace. We met a variety of people, some attending for the social aspect whilst others there very much to make a bob or two on the betting.

I left Handsome husband in charge of our gambling as he had done a little studying of the form, and eldest and middle chap were given £20 and told to double it. They weren't actually allowed to place bets themselves due to their ages, so they shrewdly roped in the Master of the Hunt who was glad to assist not only placing but also advising on where best to place their money.
Watching racing is fun, but watching when you have your money on a horse is completely thrilling as you can feel the adrenalin pumping as you shout, encourage and cheer for you horse as it takes the last jump and charges for the finishing line, and when you win the surge of elation is exhilarating.

We had turned our afternoon into a profitable one, our two chaps had won on 4 out of 6 races and handsome husband being victorious in 5 out of 6. When I questioned him on his expertise he simply gazed at me adoringly and replied that he had always known a winning filly when he sees one.

35 comments:

daisychain said...

fabulous post x

Unknown said...

Love that picture to pieces. What an exciting day at the races : ) Stopping over from SITS this morning. Nice to meet you!

Chic Mama said...

Sounds so much more civilised than our first visit to point to point where I was constantly worried one of the children would 'escape' onto the course and get trampled on! ;0/

Vix said...

I'm in love with your fabulous picnic hamper and so agree with you, man look fabby in country chic and the most of the gels look distinctly horsey.
Sounds like a very civilised day out.
Vix
xxx

Kat Ibáñez said...

I have just found your blog,and couldn´t stop watching that picture of fabulous rose cupcakes!!
Lovely blog, Saludos from Barcelona!!

Couture Carrie said...

Exhilirating, indeed!

Gorgeous post, darling!

xoxox,
CC

sarah-jane down the lane said...

Yay, we love the point to point races around here too!

Thank you for your lovely comment. Yes, I know Helford well, our house is up a creek off the Helford River! we are opposite Helford Village.Love to walk from there to Mannaccan, Giddy up!

Sarah x

Julia, the Thanksgiving Girl said...

Oh I love horses! Never been to the races, would totally love to go one day. Congrats on all of the wins!

If your picnic set looks like the one pictured, then wow! So elegantly classic!

And lol at "attempting to kill"..... :)

Smashingbird said...

I love your posts, I'm so jealous of your country life, it sounds so wonderful! Now, tell me more about that hamper...

Wildernesschic said...

Oh please post a photo of your jacket xx i am always looking for nice shooting attire :) Once fell in love with a fox trimmed jacket in Beretta. Same shop inspired part of my decor for the Orangery x

Gill - That British Woman said...

that was a great read. I wouldn't have thought it was warm enough for a picnic?

Gill in Canada

Unknown said...

Amazing!!! I love horses...grew up riding them, and would give anything to own one. Ahhh...the thought.

joei ♥ said...

i love it how you call your husband.. the 'handsome husband' ;)

anyway, another fab post! thanks for sharing once again.

joei
http://i.am/joei

Susie said...

Loved reading this - we have been told about 'point to point' but haven't made it to one yet & I'm afraid I have succumbed to the sludge green as it was the only jacket warm and weatherproof & how happy I was during the last few weeks of zero temperatures that I made the investment! Now for the peroxide.....Warm wishes, Susie

Susie said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Susie said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Susie said...

Sorry - don't know what happened! The comment appeared 3 times so have taken two off...apologies!

Betty Manousos said...

What an amazing country life! I loved this post. Congrats on all of the wins. I so love horses and races.
Betty xx

LenoreNeverM♡re said...

wonderful post~
the picnic set & Hermes are talking to me!
ps: so glad to hear from you, I'm flying back this weekend...home sweet home soon!
xo*

Duchess of Tea said...

Darling sounds like you had a lovely time...a fashionista, a handsome husband and two clever herds out in the country , eating out of a LV hamper and making a profit to top it, a good day indeed. Loved the post.

Love & Hugs
Duchess

Semi Expat said...

Oh my goodness so LOVE that picnic 'chest' - it is GORGEOUS.... fabulous day at the races !

Susie's country cottage said...

You have a great blog. Thanks so much for your visit to mine. I havent been to the races for years! I used to live in London too. I'm so glad I managed to escape to the country.
Susie

The Small Fabric Of My Life said...

Thank you so much for visiting my blog an dyour lovely comments. I have enjoyed catching up with yours too.

Elizabeth Patch said...

I love all those horsey, tweedy clothes on men too! what a fabulous day in the country, sounds so romantic to an American (of long-ago English descent) BTW, thanks for stopping by my blog on my SITS feature day, I really appreciate your comments.

BALLET NEWS said...

LOVED this post, thank you

Metropolitan Mum said...

Loved your husband's comment. :) That's so sweet!

Sarah Beth said...

What a cute line from your hubby - good for him! Thanks for stopping by. Very good writing. :)

Faux Fuchsia said...

Based on your post I bought the Chanel Polish Particular-whatsy. Am about to apply x

French Fancy... said...

Oh that picnic hamper looks gorgeous. I have an old one that belonged to my father but it is not a patch on yours.

I've got to say though that I detest hunting in all its forms. Our house and grounds back on to woodland where the weekly 'chasse' practice their stuff and they really are the most awful bores. Maybe your crowd are more interesting

English Rose ♥ said...

love this post - sounds like a great day =]

Stay safe and chic ma chérie,
English Rose x
http://iamanenglishrose.blogspot.com

Jill said...

I love Holland & Holland!

Thanks so much for the birthday wishes!

Wildernesschic said...

You have an award on my blog x

Duchess of Tea said...

Hello my darling, just popped in to wish you a great week.

Love & Hugs
Duchess

Nina said...

I've never been to the races .. you make it sound so eciting!

sanjeet said...

Sounds so much more civilised than our first visit to point to point where I was constantly worried one of the children would 'escape' onto the course and get trampled on! ;0/
data entry work from home

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