From giant bottles of rosé to passing out before the last race – photographer documents the VERY wild antics of racegoers during the English summer season
- British photographer Peter Dench has revealed his photographs from racing days across the UK
- Antics of racegoers show them straddling men, boozing, snogging and even taking shelter under a bin
- Taken over the last two summers, Dench has captured the ‘spirit’ of typically English sporting events
- The photographs are part of a show that will be on at the Wex Photo Video Gallery, between 30 April – 28 June
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A series of revealing images are showcasing the antics of racegoers at some of Britain’s most iconic racing days, from women straddling men to others passed out on the grass.
British photographer Peter Drench took the pictures over the course of two years, capturing the spirit and personality of the typically British sporting events for his photo series, The English Summer Season.
The images include shots from Epsom’s Ladies’ Day, Royal Ascot and the Queen’s Cup Final, which have become known for providing a day full of high octane racing, music, glamour and fashion.
‘The events I’ve portrayed were once the preserve of the rich upper classes, but through the years, have become open to a much broader audience,’ Dench said. ‘The rules of society have been rewritten.’
‘With this reportage, my intention is to capture the humour, the entertainment and the downright craziness of the scenes I have encountered in a light-hearted but truthful manner.’
The works portray the eccentricities, colourful personalities and outrageous antics of spectators enjoying the generous hospitality on offer.
The pictures are part of a collection that will go on show in Wex Photo Video Gallery (wexphotovideo.com) in London between 30 April and 28 June.
A young woman with a blue fascinator smokes a cigarette straddled across a man’s lap on Ladies’ Day at Epsom, while he plays with her handbag strap
Women chatter between the horse racing while others lounge about on the grass at the Royal Ascot, which welcomes 300,000 visits across five days
A man rests with his pint at the Royal Ascot during June, while others group together and drink in the sun. The racing event is one of Britain’s best known and is attended by The Queen
Visitors at Epsom shelter underneath a bin to avoid a downpour of rain – abandoning shoes, handbags and champagne to stay dry
One guest is poured a glass of rosé from an enormous bottle at the Royal Enclosure’s Car Park One on Ladies Day at Royal Ascot. The waiting list for a car parking space here is a long one and many have been passed down through generations
Getting friendly at Epsom Ladies Day! It’s traditionally held on the first Friday of June, a multitude of ladies and gents head to Epsom Downs Racecourse to experience a day full of high octane racing, music, glamour and fashion.
Many keen guests put money on the horses as part of the fun of the races – this racegoer gathers up his tickets to check how his horses have done
A woman shows off her pink Chanel bag on Ladies’ Day at Epsom, while she clutches a glass in her other hand
One racegoer takes an opportunity for a quick nap on the lawn at Glyndebourne, an English country house that is the venue for the annual Glyndebourne Festival Opera
A hen party – where the bride was even wearing a white dress and a veil – watch the horse racing on Ladies’ Day at Epsom
Good thinking! A man utilises his jacket pocket as a holder for his packet of chips on Ladies Day at Epsom in Surrey
Two young party goers look excited to join a sing-a-long around the bandstand at the end of the day’s racing at Ascot, a practice which has been in place since the 1920s
Visitors to Epsom take evasive action during a downpour on Ladies Day in Epsom – but are keen to keep their wine close, even if they’ve lost their shoes
A woman in an extravagantly decorated hat looks out across the parade ring on Ladies Day at Royal Ascot. The Berkshire course holds a special week of races in June each year called Royal Ascot, attended by The Queen
Two women greet each other among the crowd on Ladies’ Day at Epsom, an event famed for it’s luxurious and lavish headpieces
VIP guests socialise in the Cartier marquee at the Queen’s Cup Final in 2017. The polo tournament is played at the Guards Polo Club located in Windsor Great Park
Crowds gather to watch the horse racing on Ladies’ Day at Epsom on a busy day in June, and observe a funfair, tents and a huge screen while they wait
Race goers carry on drinking at the after party on Ladies Day at Epsom. The Derby Stakes, popularly known as the Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in England open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies
A male visitor to the Henley Royal Regatta in Henley-on-Thames wears his Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) tie stained with food.