‘Mum adored everything about Cheltenham’: Dame Jilly Cooper to be honoured at home of jump racing
The life and legacy of the late Dame Jilly Cooper will be honoured at Cheltenham racecourse with a special tribute to the much loved author.
A memorial bench will be unveiled on the crescent walkway overlooking the parade ring on Countryside Day (13 November). The Retreat bar will also be renamed for the November meeting (13 to 15 November) to The Rutshire Arms, in a nod to Jilly’s work.
“Mum adored everything about Cheltenham – the fabulous racing, the wonderful horses, the glamorous people and of course the champagne,” said Felix Cooper and Emily Tarrant, Jilly’s son and daughter, in a statement.
“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 bench will take place ahead of racing, and more details of further celebrations are set to be announced.
Cheltenham racecourse chief executive Guy Lavender said: “Dame Jilly 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.”
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
The celebration will take place the same week as the second part of series two of Rivals, the TV series based on Dame Jilly’s Rutshire chronicles, is released on Disney+ (11 November).
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Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.