planning your visit | membership
MEET A MEMBER W hen he’s not busy working as a barrister’s clerk in Birmingham, Arron Snipe likes nothing better than to head to Cheltenham races. The 25-year-old Cheltenham member ARRON SNIPE talks ownership dreams, Royal treatment, and the thrill of the Roar at his favourite race track
prides himself on not missing any of the weekend meetings, made all the more achievable thanks to his membership. “My first Festival, and in fact my first ever time at Cheltenham, was Gold Cup Day 2014,” he explains, “when Lord Windermere won a fantastic Gold Cup under Davy Russell. It was that day that I caught the racing bug and I have been obsessed ever since.” He signed up for an 18 to 24 membership in 2016 “because I wanted one of the enamel membership badges!” but has got much more out of it than that. “If you plan on attending most of the fixtures, it works out as great value for money,” he explains. And the advantages go beyond cost-saving. “The members’ facilities are second to none, with a great bar and viewing steps, as well as some fantastic reciprocal fixtures.” Regular attendance has made Arron, now a full member, an expert spectator, despite not being a rider himself. “I’ve never sat on a horse in my life,” he says, “but never say never!” He dreams of having a horse in his name and colours running at Cheltenham one day. Until then, he’s dipping his toes in ownership as a member of Warwickshire’s Olly Murphy Racing Club. If he won the lottery he’d want to support up-and-coming trainers like Olly, while his dream jockey would be Ruby Walsh. Horses he would love to own include Samcro, Altior, Footpad and Buveur D’Air.
a lifetime opportunity”, but he also loves the fantastic view from the Members’ Grandstand. Arron hasn’t got a bad word to say about the venue, describing it as the best sporting arena experience he’s had. And he keeps coming back, he said, for “the atmosphere, the people, the racing, the food, the drink… the reasons are endless. It’s genuinely one of my favourite places to be!”
Until that big lotto win, though, he is happy watching The Festival TM presented by Magners every year with his cousin Alex, best mates Matty and Jack, and his fiancé Louise -- if he can convince her to come. “I’m not doing too well at the moment,” he says. “I am usually banished to the man cave on a Saturday
mid-winter to watch the racing!” Arron’s favourite Festival day is
Champion Day. “After all of the build- up, to be there for the Cheltenham Roar really is something special that everyone interested in the sport should experience,” he says. His membership meant he was lucky enough to be a Royal Box guest for The November Meeting, an experience he described as “a once in
To speak to the membership team about becoming a
member, please call 01242 537 662. Full membership costs less than £400 for all 16 days’ racing, including four days of The Festival.
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