It’s hard to believe that it was an entire week ago today when, in a momentous occasion, Her Majesty Queen Camilla paid a special visit to the British Racing School last Thursday (1st June), as part of our 40th Anniversary year of celebrations. The team at the School welcomed the royal visitor as she engaged with students, staff, and horses throughout her visit.
The team eagerly introduced Her Majesty to the wide-ranging activities and impressive facilities and brought her up to speed on BRS’s significant role as an education facility and charity. During her visit, Queen Camilla took the opportunity to learn about the exceptional work carried out by the School, including visiting the Newmarket Pony Academy where she met with children, volunteers and young people from the Riding A Dream Academy.
The Queen warmly engaged with students throughout her visit, offering words of encouragement and expressing her genuine interest in their training and activities. It was fantastic to see the young people having the opportunity to showcase their talents to Her Majesty, who displayed great admiration for their dedication, skills and enthusiasm.
Accompanied by a number of Trustees and local dignitaries, Queen Camilla was given an exclusive tour of the BRS facility. During a private moment away from the following press-pack, she was whisked off in the BRS minibus alongside some students riding up the gallop. From the word go, her pleasure was evident as she witnessed firsthand the top-notch facilities and training that equip the BRS students with the skills needed to excel in the racing industry. As a woman who has famously been hugely involved with equestrianism throughout her own lifetime, it was fabulous to see the natural way she engaged with the horses, as well as making conversation with the people she met whilst at the School too.
Andrew Braithwaite, Chief Executive of the British Racing School said, “It was a huge honour to welcome Her Majesty The Queen to BRS and to be able to celebrate our 40th anniversary in her presence. Her Majesty has been a huge supporter of British Horseracing and it was wonderful to be able to show her the multitude of ways that the School contributes so much to the sport through the world class courses that we offer to young people from all across the country.”
The visit concluded with a heartfelt speech from Andrew and a few words from Her Majesty, in which she commended the British Racing School for its remarkable achievements over the past four decades. She emphasised the importance of nurturing talent within the racing industry, expressing her hope for a bright and prosperous future for all involved and was proudly presented with a beautiful watercolour by a Foundation Course student.
Her Majesty’s visit to the School will be one of the highlights of an already fabulous 40th anniversary year, and is particularly fitting as the existing Newmarket facility was opened by her husband King Charles (the then Prince of Wales) back in November 1983. The event served also, as a reminder of the School’s enduring commitment to the sport, education, and the well-being of both horses and students, as well as the progressive and proactive modern day operation.