Cheltenham Festival

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allthegearnoidea

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I'm going to the Cheltenham festival for the first time this week and wondered if it was worth taking a camera and lens along. Would I

a - be able to use it and
b - get near the fence to get a decent shot

Any good advice appreciated especially if you have experience of shooting there during Gold Cup week :)
 
You will be able to get near the fence! It's quite open both sides- stand and "standing"! I'd take a small camera no DSLR as the amount of people due is unbelievable!

Keep your hand on it at all times as thefts are very high this week!

If you win big remember me [emoji6]
 
I've been, not to the Festival, but to the Open meeting in November. They were a bit wary of letting people into the centre of the course unless you had the owner/trainer badges. I suspect security will be beefed up this week. Most of the fences are out in the country, but the ones that aren't are difficult to get near because of the crowds. Certainly the final flights will be crammed full of pros, many of whom will have permission to go inside the rails, but you won't. Not all the fences have a running rail on both sides so you could be some distance away. Out in the country you won't get much of the atmosphere.

TBH for the festival I'd go without the camera. Have a few beers, back a few losers. The place will be heaving and if you start swinging a long lens around in front of the granstand or near the parade ring you won't make many friends. And if you are studying the viewfinder you won't be studying your pockets!

Go and enjoy the atmosphere - it's a phenominal day out.
 
I've been many times on the Tuesday (Champion Hurdle) and Wednesday (Queen Mother's Cup*) but never on Gold Cup day - this was before it became a four day meeting.
The crowds are unbelievable, there's no elbow room at all, and this was in the Member's enclosure with access to the Parade Ring etc..
Most 'old hands' at Cheltenham find their favourite spot and stay there, if you want to buy a drink or food you will have to miss a race.
I never took a camera but, as Snooky says, if you are in one of the enclosures from which you can go out onto the course you can get right up to the last or second last fences.
From these fences take a look back at the stands seething with people, it's a fantastic sight.
(* 2 mile chase, the best race of the meeting).
 
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