For farmer’s daughter Anne Marie Phelan, winning the Bollinger best-dressed lady competition at Punchestown Festival last year was a “surreal experience”.
Raised on a livestock farm in Galmoy in Co Kilkenny, Anne Marie started attending Punchestown Races after moving to Co Kildare, where she is a primary teacher at Scoil Mhuire Senior School in Ballymany.
“We first went to Punchestown in 2008, so it’s our 10-year anniversary this year. It’s my favourite, hands down,” she says.
“I just think the style, the racing, the craic; it just is my favourite festival I have to say, probably because it is so local and we just go and enjoy it, we really do.”
Indeed, Anne Marie explains how she was just looking forward to having a fun day out with a gang of teachers when she was selected as best dressed on the Thursday of last year’s festival in an outfit she had previously worn to another race meeting.
“I wanted to get another wear out of it,” she says of her Self Portrait jumpsuit, which she paired with a pair of Penneys shoes, a pink Lulu Guinness clutch and a leather headpiece from Hats Amore: a hat hire business she runs in her spare time.
As well as a number of prizes, including a Montgomery Millinery headpiece and a Topflight voucher, Anne Marie was also put forward into the overall final the next day.
“Thank God I had planned going on the Friday,” she says, though admits that she “didn’t sleep a wink” the night before.
However, Anne Marie impressed the judges once again with her Solace London dress, which she had bought online in the January sales, having watched it for weeks. She completed her look with a headpiece by Tuam milliner, Michelle Kearns, which was designed especially to pick up the swirl in her dress, along with a Parfois clutch and, once again, a pair of shoes from Penneys.
“It was a totally surreal experience I have to say,” Anne Marie recalls of hearing her name announced as winner.
“Even though I knew I was going to be in the final on Friday, I still didn’t dream of getting picked.”
And this time, her prize included a trip for two to the invite-only Bollinger estate in France – complete with Michelin-star dining and business class flights – where she is hoping to travel to in June, along with a year’s supply of the exclusive bubbly.
“We’re kind of saving that,” she laughs, “it’s not something you’d crack open on a Friday night.”
Though Anne Marie has had plenty to celebrate recently, having tied the knot with fellow teacher, Paul Dunning, in Central Park in New York on 2 November, followed by a reception at the iconic Loeb Boathouse and a week-long Caribbean cruise. But right now, she is looking forward to returning to Punchestown Racecourse for this year’s festival.
For any first-timers seeking advice in the style stakes, she recommends wearing a dress with long sleeves given the unpredictable nature of the weather at this time of year.
“It’s a lovely big open space and it’s an open track and you really have to bear that in mind when thinking about your outfit,” she says.
“Get something with sleeves – maybe a bright spring colour – and then you’re kind of sorted because you don’t have to think of a coat to go over it: you’re ready to go.”
She also carries spare hairpins and plasters in her handbag on the day, always books in for an upstyle at Eternal Flair in Newbridge and likes to do her own make-up, with “hero products” like Giorgio Armani luminous silk foundation and Laura Mercier translucent loose setting powder lasting the pace on race day.
However, her top tip is simply to go and enjoy yourself.
“If every time you go racing, you hope to place in the top five or the top 10, then more often than not you’re going to be disappointed,” she concludes.
“As I said, I’m going to Punchestown 10 years now and it took that long to get it right, so you need to plan a nice day out with your friends or your family or whoever you’re going racing with – and anything after that is a bonus.”
The Punchestown Festival will run from Tuesday 24 April to Saturday 28 April, with the Bollinger Best-Dressed Lady competition taking place over the first four days and the overall winner being chosen and announced on Friday 27 April. For further information, on the festival and tickets, visit http://punchestown.com/
DID YOU KNOW?
• A ‘festival’ in the truest sense of the word, you don’t have to know much – or even anything – about horse racing to enjoy the Punchestown event. You do, however, have to know how to soak up the atmosphere, enjoy live music and entertainment and get stuck into the craic and social side that comes with a day out at the races. With 12 different bar venues, a new-look shopping venue, The Street, six restaurants and lots of cafes and eateries, you’ll be spoilt for choice• Punchestown Racecourse has recently completed phase two of a €6m capital redevelopment programme, the centrepiece of which is the new €4 million Hunt Stand that opens on the first day of the festival. This will be the jewel in the crown of the reserved enclosure or the social hub of the festival, with a new Bollinger Bar, Corinthian restaurant and Vantage room suite.• Punchestown is steeped in heritage and history, with its first festival taking place in 1823. The makeup of the industry has changed a lot since then but the core principles remain the same. The best of the best come to Punchestown every April to battle it out for championship races. Trainers, horses, jockeys and owners from across Ireland and the UK converge in this famous venue. Over 125,000 people will come to see them and this obviously brings with it a fantastic economic impact locally.• The crowd at Punchestown come from all over the country and over 20% travel from the UK. So if you haven’t tried it yet, maybe this is the year to make the journey… after all, it’s more than a one-horse town.When Chelsea meets Punchestown
Made In Chelsea’s Rosie Fortescue is set to judge the opening day of the hotly contested Bollinger best-dressed lady competition at the Punchestown Festival on Tuesday 24 April.
“I am so excited to visit Punchestown and see all the stylish ladies competing for such an enviable title and prize by Bollinger. It’s going to be such a fun day, I can’t wait!” says the stylish TV star.
The search for the Bollinger best-dressed lady will be held over the first four days of the Punchestown Festival, with judges and style scouts tasked with finding the most stylish ladies in attendance and selecting a number of finalists each day. The daily winner will then progress to the grand final on Ladies Day, Friday 27 April. All finalists will receive fantastic runner-up gift bags complete with Bollinger Champagne and a selection of exclusive goodies.
It’s important to note that gates open at 12 noon each day and scouting will commence early. Festival organisers are encouraging ladies to be on site from 1pm if they are interested in the Bollinger best-dressed lady competition. Judges will choose a selection of those deemed best dressed from the crowd and all finalists will be required on stage for the announcement of the winner at 4pm each day.
The 2018 Bollinger best-dressed lady at Punchestown will receive a VIP trip for two, taking in the Bollinger Estate, Reims and Paris, complete with private chauffeur, Michelin-starred dining and luxury accommodation, not to mention a year’s supply of Bollinger to top it all off!
“Rosie will be an ideal judge for the Bollinger best-dressed lady competition at the Punchestown Festival, after all, she really is a true modern-style star whose Instagram page mirrors the Bollinger ‘Life Can Be Perfect’ motto and has attracted a following of over 530,000 people,” said Shona Dreaper, head of communications, Punchestown Racecourse. “Since her successful debut in Made In Chelsea back in 2011, Rosie has enjoyed a flourishing career in the fashion industry. She has made the leap and followed her dreams to combine her TV work with numerous design collaborations, media partnerships and she also has launched her very own jewellery range. Most of all, Rosie exudes style and elegance, which is what the Bollinger best-dressed lady competition at Punchestown is all about and we look forward to welcoming her to our festival this April,” added Shona Dreaper.
For all things Bollinger best- dressed lady at Punchestown, follow
@punchestownraces #BBD18.
For farmer’s daughter Anne Marie Phelan, winning the Bollinger best-dressed lady competition at Punchestown Festival last year was a “surreal experience”.
Raised on a livestock farm in Galmoy in Co Kilkenny, Anne Marie started attending Punchestown Races after moving to Co Kildare, where she is a primary teacher at Scoil Mhuire Senior School in Ballymany.
“We first went to Punchestown in 2008, so it’s our 10-year anniversary this year. It’s my favourite, hands down,” she says.
“I just think the style, the racing, the craic; it just is my favourite festival I have to say, probably because it is so local and we just go and enjoy it, we really do.”
Indeed, Anne Marie explains how she was just looking forward to having a fun day out with a gang of teachers when she was selected as best dressed on the Thursday of last year’s festival in an outfit she had previously worn to another race meeting.
“I wanted to get another wear out of it,” she says of her Self Portrait jumpsuit, which she paired with a pair of Penneys shoes, a pink Lulu Guinness clutch and a leather headpiece from Hats Amore: a hat hire business she runs in her spare time.
As well as a number of prizes, including a Montgomery Millinery headpiece and a Topflight voucher, Anne Marie was also put forward into the overall final the next day.
“Thank God I had planned going on the Friday,” she says, though admits that she “didn’t sleep a wink” the night before.
However, Anne Marie impressed the judges once again with her Solace London dress, which she had bought online in the January sales, having watched it for weeks. She completed her look with a headpiece by Tuam milliner, Michelle Kearns, which was designed especially to pick up the swirl in her dress, along with a Parfois clutch and, once again, a pair of shoes from Penneys.
“It was a totally surreal experience I have to say,” Anne Marie recalls of hearing her name announced as winner.
“Even though I knew I was going to be in the final on Friday, I still didn’t dream of getting picked.”
And this time, her prize included a trip for two to the invite-only Bollinger estate in France – complete with Michelin-star dining and business class flights – where she is hoping to travel to in June, along with a year’s supply of the exclusive bubbly.
“We’re kind of saving that,” she laughs, “it’s not something you’d crack open on a Friday night.”
Though Anne Marie has had plenty to celebrate recently, having tied the knot with fellow teacher, Paul Dunning, in Central Park in New York on 2 November, followed by a reception at the iconic Loeb Boathouse and a week-long Caribbean cruise. But right now, she is looking forward to returning to Punchestown Racecourse for this year’s festival.
For any first-timers seeking advice in the style stakes, she recommends wearing a dress with long sleeves given the unpredictable nature of the weather at this time of year.
“It’s a lovely big open space and it’s an open track and you really have to bear that in mind when thinking about your outfit,” she says.
“Get something with sleeves – maybe a bright spring colour – and then you’re kind of sorted because you don’t have to think of a coat to go over it: you’re ready to go.”
She also carries spare hairpins and plasters in her handbag on the day, always books in for an upstyle at Eternal Flair in Newbridge and likes to do her own make-up, with “hero products” like Giorgio Armani luminous silk foundation and Laura Mercier translucent loose setting powder lasting the pace on race day.
However, her top tip is simply to go and enjoy yourself.
“If every time you go racing, you hope to place in the top five or the top 10, then more often than not you’re going to be disappointed,” she concludes.
“As I said, I’m going to Punchestown 10 years now and it took that long to get it right, so you need to plan a nice day out with your friends or your family or whoever you’re going racing with – and anything after that is a bonus.”
The Punchestown Festival will run from Tuesday 24 April to Saturday 28 April, with the Bollinger Best-Dressed Lady competition taking place over the first four days and the overall winner being chosen and announced on Friday 27 April. For further information, on the festival and tickets, visit http://punchestown.com/
DID YOU KNOW?
• A ‘festival’ in the truest sense of the word, you don’t have to know much – or even anything – about horse racing to enjoy the Punchestown event. You do, however, have to know how to soak up the atmosphere, enjoy live music and entertainment and get stuck into the craic and social side that comes with a day out at the races. With 12 different bar venues, a new-look shopping venue, The Street, six restaurants and lots of cafes and eateries, you’ll be spoilt for choice• Punchestown Racecourse has recently completed phase two of a €6m capital redevelopment programme, the centrepiece of which is the new €4 million Hunt Stand that opens on the first day of the festival. This will be the jewel in the crown of the reserved enclosure or the social hub of the festival, with a new Bollinger Bar, Corinthian restaurant and Vantage room suite.• Punchestown is steeped in heritage and history, with its first festival taking place in 1823. The makeup of the industry has changed a lot since then but the core principles remain the same. The best of the best come to Punchestown every April to battle it out for championship races. Trainers, horses, jockeys and owners from across Ireland and the UK converge in this famous venue. Over 125,000 people will come to see them and this obviously brings with it a fantastic economic impact locally.• The crowd at Punchestown come from all over the country and over 20% travel from the UK. So if you haven’t tried it yet, maybe this is the year to make the journey… after all, it’s more than a one-horse town.When Chelsea meets Punchestown
Made In Chelsea’s Rosie Fortescue is set to judge the opening day of the hotly contested Bollinger best-dressed lady competition at the Punchestown Festival on Tuesday 24 April.
“I am so excited to visit Punchestown and see all the stylish ladies competing for such an enviable title and prize by Bollinger. It’s going to be such a fun day, I can’t wait!” says the stylish TV star.
The search for the Bollinger best-dressed lady will be held over the first four days of the Punchestown Festival, with judges and style scouts tasked with finding the most stylish ladies in attendance and selecting a number of finalists each day. The daily winner will then progress to the grand final on Ladies Day, Friday 27 April. All finalists will receive fantastic runner-up gift bags complete with Bollinger Champagne and a selection of exclusive goodies.
It’s important to note that gates open at 12 noon each day and scouting will commence early. Festival organisers are encouraging ladies to be on site from 1pm if they are interested in the Bollinger best-dressed lady competition. Judges will choose a selection of those deemed best dressed from the crowd and all finalists will be required on stage for the announcement of the winner at 4pm each day.
The 2018 Bollinger best-dressed lady at Punchestown will receive a VIP trip for two, taking in the Bollinger Estate, Reims and Paris, complete with private chauffeur, Michelin-starred dining and luxury accommodation, not to mention a year’s supply of Bollinger to top it all off!
“Rosie will be an ideal judge for the Bollinger best-dressed lady competition at the Punchestown Festival, after all, she really is a true modern-style star whose Instagram page mirrors the Bollinger ‘Life Can Be Perfect’ motto and has attracted a following of over 530,000 people,” said Shona Dreaper, head of communications, Punchestown Racecourse. “Since her successful debut in Made In Chelsea back in 2011, Rosie has enjoyed a flourishing career in the fashion industry. She has made the leap and followed her dreams to combine her TV work with numerous design collaborations, media partnerships and she also has launched her very own jewellery range. Most of all, Rosie exudes style and elegance, which is what the Bollinger best-dressed lady competition at Punchestown is all about and we look forward to welcoming her to our festival this April,” added Shona Dreaper.
For all things Bollinger best- dressed lady at Punchestown, follow
@punchestownraces #BBD18.
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