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| Opened by the Queen in 1983, royalty is never very far away in this cosy, if rather cramped, museum – fitting for the sport of Kings (and Queens), from the Stuarts to today. The Museum is strong on the history and personalities (from Charles II to Dettori), with special exhibitions, old newsreel footage and no attempt to hide the sport’s skeletons. That of the outstanding stallion Hyperion, winner of the Derby in 1933, shares museum space with exhibits about legendary 19th century jockey Fred Archer, champion for 13 consecutive years. These include the pistol with which he took his own life in 1886, troubled by losing his wife, depression, and struggling to make the weight. Racing and betting have always existed side by side and the sport’s seamier side is not covered up, nor the strains that being a jockey puts on the human body – though more on horse injuries and deaths would be a good addition. The star of the show is the Practical Gallery, an old-fashioned name for a rather good interactive area with a horse simulator (not for the faint-hearted, or unsupple), racing silks for those who like dressing up, and horse food and track surfaces to handle. Ex-jockeys or stable staff are on hand and always eager to explain and answer questions. The Museum has regular exhibitions, currently including (until the end of October) one about Royal Newmarket, to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. It features details of James I’s Palace and the many ‘lives’ of Palace House, the surviving element of Charles II’s Palace. Paintings, drawings and archive material from the British Museum, the Royal Institute of British Architects, Worcester College, Oxford, Colchester and Ipswich Museums, Jockey Club Estates and private collections are featured. The Vestey Gallery on the first floor (included in the Museum’s admission price) features a selection of works from the collection of the British Sporting Art Trust. Art exhibits in the Museum itself include Cecil Aldin’s quirky sporting scenes, featuring cricket, bowls and curling as well as racing and hunting. ____________________________________________________________ There is a big choice of racing tours from the Museum. The two-hour Classic is the most often run. It includes a visit to the course itself, the gallops, an equine swimming pool and a private stables, to meet and talk to a real-life trainer. If you are lucky you will get a tip and bump into one of the sport’s big names – we met top trainer Henry Cecil. Wrap up well especially in autumn and spring, or you will may find yourself shivering on the gallops. The National Stud does tours too and the Newmarket Experience website is also worth checking out. |
