Royal Ascot visit celebrates Racing to School’s 25th anniversary with winning silks design revealed

As part of its 25th anniversary celebrations, Racing to School invited local Ascot schools to design their own racing silks inspired by the charity’s milestone year.

The winning design, created by Lily Chamberlain, was brought to life as a real set of racing silks and presented to her on the Wednesday of the Royal meeting. Lily also received a framed version of her design and a book voucher.

Racing to School Ambassador Hollie Doyle judged the competition and said of the winning entry: “It was a really tough decision because there were so many fantastic designs, but Lily’s design stood out to me. I loved the royal blue and thought the horse heads on the sleeves were very unique.”

The prize presentation took place during Racing to School’s second year supporting Royal Ascot’s community activity, where 750 students from 17 local schools attended across Tuesday and Wednesday, with many experiencing the royal meeting for the first time.

Lily Chamberlain receives her framed silks design and book voucher at Royal Ascot

From their base in the Heath Enclosure, students enjoyed a front-row view of the Royal Procession and were joined by Scotty the Ascot racecourse mascot who handed out goody bags and flags to wave as Their Majesties’ carriages passed by.

The groups also had the chance to put their jockey skills to the test aboard the Racing to School’s equicisers and VR headsets, dressing in some of the famous silks of Royal Ascot winners of the past as they raced their classmates.

John Blake, Chief Executive of Racing to School, said: “For 25 years, Racing to School has been using places like Royal Ascot as fast-moving classrooms, taking children out of their school environment while allowing learning to continue. We’re very grateful to everyone who supports the programme, both for the young people’s education and as an investment in racing’s future.

“We want them to enjoy the experience and see that racing is for everybody. It’s important they feel a sense of belonging and that this is for them too, and we hope experiences like today’s help inspire the racegoers of the future.”

Jacqui Greet, Corporate Social Responsibility Manager at Ascot Racecourse, added: “We were delighted to support Racing to School’s 25th anniversary through this exciting competition, using our platform to shine a light on the charity’s tremendous work.

“Inspiring and engaging the next generation of racegoers through creativity and a meaningful connection to the sport is at the very heart of what we do, and it was great to see so many local students get involved.”

Congratulations to all students who entered the competition and thank you to Ascot Racecourse for supporting Racing to School’s 25th anniversary year.