Royal Windsor Horse Show Review
Royal Windsor Horse Show
18 May 2014
Reviewed by Amanda Hayes
We had an absolutely fabulous day for the Royal Windsor Horse Show, the sun was shining and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky so we packed up a picnic and set off for the day. Once you are off the M25 the drive is really picturesque taking you along the river and right up to Windsor Castle which is a spectacular sight.
They have a good website so we had checked online the timings and location of the arenas so that we could fit our day around the things we wanted to see most. You can also get a full programme on entry, which has details of all the horses entered for each class and the running order.
The show is not huge but nicely laid out with the Land Rover test drive immediately on entry, this looked fun and there was a pretty long queue of people waiting to be driven round the course of water and obstacles. My little boy is not great at queuing so we set off for a look around. There is a coffee bar, official Windsor Show merchandise shop and some other food stalls around the entrance and then you follow round to the trade stands. I was expecting there just to be equestrian items for sale but there was a large mix from clothes to jewellery and handbags. I had a look round while the boys had a wander around the grounds.
We met up at the end of the trade stands where there is a funfair, more food stands and a large block of loos. There were lots of children enjoying the fair but everything was a little bit big for my toddler so we wandered round and watched everybody’s faces spinning round the various rides.
There are four arenas at Windsor, the large main Castle Arena, the BHS Arena where the Pony Club hold its events throughout the day, an arena for the driving trials and one more where the show classes are held. There is minimal seating around the smaller arenas but there is plenty of open grassy space where you can sit and watch the events.
The Pony Club Events were well supported and the Triathlon is held here where running and shooting had already taken place on the previous show days. We sat on the grass and watched the show jumping phase which was really exciting and it was great to see all the support from spectators and family. We were feeling peckish by now so we found a good spot, and rolled out our picnic blanket. If you don’t fancy a picnic there are many different options from Higgledy pies to noodles to wood fired pizza and all looked really good quality. If you fancy a drink there is a classic open top bus with great views over the main arena.
On all the show days there is plenty of action in the main arena and the Sunday we were there was no exception. There were two international show jumping classes, a military band, The Royal Artillery, Shetland Pony Grand National and Pony Club Games Final to name but a few. All the stands were busy but we managed to get a seat every time we wanted to watch something and there always seemed to be a few spare. The great thing we found was how close you are to the action in all of the arenas bur especially the main one and I got some great photographs of the day.
There was a fantastic atmosphere at Windsor and lots of people were dressed smartly for the occasion, especially in the members enclosure where we were lucky enough to see the Queen albeit from a long way away in the public seating!
We ended our day by watching the final of the Pony Club Mounted games, we were all deaf by the end as everyone called and whistled for the various teams, England seemed to have the largest support although Wales were trying hard too! It was a great ending as it really was exciting and the atmosphere was electric.
The only downside of the show is the cost of parking; it’s an additional £8.00 on top of the entry price, which I think is a little high. However the parking is close to the grounds, well manned by crossing patrols and we didn’t have to queue to get out which is always a plus after a long day out.
Windsor Horse Show is a great family day out so don’t forget to book early for next year.
Rating: 4.5/5
For more information or to book events tickets visit www.rwhs.co.uk.
