TUESDAY 29TH SEPTEMBER: Cheltenham Racecourse will celebrate the life and legacy of the late Dame Jilly Cooper on Countryside Day (Friday 13 November) with a special tribute to one of the sport’s most recognisable and much-loved supporters.
As a lasting tribute to Jilly, a memorial bench will be unveiled on the Crescent walkway, overlooking the Parade Ring. The location will provide a fitting place for racegoers to remember Jilly and reflect on her love of Cheltenham, the countryside and the sport.
For the weekend of The November Meeting, the popular bar named The Retreat will be renamed as “The Rutshire Arms”, as a tribute to Jilly’s work.
Jilly was a regular visitor to Cheltenham and a passionate follower of racing. She once described the racecourse and the Festival as: “so joyful, I love it. There are all the heavenly Irish, and the course is so beautiful, with that wonderful panoramic view.”
Her love of horses and racing was also a core part of her writing, bringing the characters and excitement of the sport to a huge audience. Her 2010 novel Jump! was set against the Jump racing world and included scenes at Cheltenham.
Jilly’s legacy is also being celebrated through the huge success of Rivals, now in its second series as a major hit on Disney+, introducing her much-loved characters and storytelling to a new generation with its star-studded cast.
Countryside Day will be a chance for Cheltenham Racecourse and its racing community to come together to remember Jilly, celebrate her remarkable life and recognise the special connection she had with the racecourse and the sport she loved.
Guy Lavender, CEO of Cheltenham Racecourse, said: “Dame Jilly Cooper was a wonderful lady with a huge zest for life. Her passion for the sport was undeniable, and in particular her love of the racecourse and the Cotswolds.
“We are delighted that her family will be able to join us on Countryside Day and, along with the rest of the racing community, help us to celebrate in a way that Jilly would have wanted.”
Felix Cooper and Emily Tarrant, Jilly’s son and daughter, added: “Mum adored everything about Cheltenham – the fabulous racing, the wonderful horses, the glamorous people and of course the champagne. She would be both utterly delighted and thrilled that Countryside Day this year is being held in her honour. Thank you to everyone involved.”
The unveiling of the memorial bench will take place ahead of racing. Further details of the celebrations and other ways in which Jilly’s life and legacy will be marked will be announced in the coming weeks.
