Hood Ornament

Roy & Paul

Pre-Race  Tailgate Party

The Queen & "special" Carriages  enter the Parade Ring

Hmmmmm ...do we do 1st Place or 2-Way ?

Freddy ( from Austria) & Roy ( looking at what I've bet on )

Prince Charles & Camilla give trophies in Parade Ring

Pre-race Tailgate Party .... munching  away

( with Laird Ian Burkhill from Scotland )

Presentation Stand in the Parade Ring

Here she comes

" All the Queen's Horses & All The Queen's Men "

The Queen & Prince Phillip  .... That may be Andrew bending forward , but I'm not sure... since it's been about 5 years since I've seen him or any photos of him.

Princess Ann's horses

Princess Ann & one of Fergie's daughters ... Beatrice I think.

Ann - Charles ( in grey ) ... and the Queen

Fergie's 2 daughters & Prince Phillip  ( far right )

My pick for this race ... came in 3rd

The Winner

Post-race party with 2 guys who always park next to us.  They've got titles ... but I can never remember which is which

The Press interviewed us & took photos of our little group ... but we never got around to checking the papers or watching the news .... to see if any of it was actually published.

Laird Ian & wife Alison ...

with Prue's daughter in the back.

With Lady Swan & her husband.  Also Josh , Prue's grandson attending his first Royal Ascot.

The Queen's horse  Free Agent takes a pre-race turn around the track in the Parade Ring

Queen in conference with her jockey Richard Hughes

The Queen with Daughter-in-law Sophie.

Okay then .... Free Agent heads for the track

News clippings

This was the first time

in 9 years

that one of the Queen's horses has taken first place

during Royal Ascot week.

Thank heavens, I bet on

 Free Agent

to win.

( was one happy camper at

the collection window ..

80-1 odds )

She was absolutely ecstatic !!!  Couldn't stop grinning.   I swear if she hadn't had the good coat & gloves on ... she would have hugged that sweaty horse.

The Queen or another member

of her family usually acts as

Trophy Presenter  ....

so it was quite moving to be so near to her while she got

 her very own, after all that time.

Yep ... Ascot Hatboxes !!