Cheltenham Festival, for those who were there, Is this true regarding drugs?

I go to a lot of sporting events, young lads take coke, theres no story here,.it's just the way it is.

Most big race meets now are chav fests

Remembers me of an old joke.

Harris the trainer had a runner in the big race for Lord Rolly in the 1930s at Newmarket.

His Lordship enters the paddock and sees his trainer putting a pill in the horse`s mouth.

"Harris", yells Lord Rolly, "Are you giving my horse some illegal substance"?

Harris turns round in shock and replies, "Certainly not my Lord, it`s just a mint sweet that he loves".

Lord Rolly is a little dubious so Harris goes into his pocket and puts one in his mouth and then hands one to his Lordship uttering, "Here my Lord, it`s just a peppermint sweet".

Lord Rolly hesitantly puts in in his mouth, tastes it, then turns to Harris and says, "Please accept my sincere apologies Harris, I`m sorry for even thinking that".

"Don`t worry my Lord", anybody can make a mistake replies Harris and his Lordship leaves the paddock red in the face.

Just as he leaves, the horse`s jockey arrives and the trainer legs him up on Lord Rolly`s runner and gives him his riding instructions, "Drop him in just behind the leaders and go forward 3f from home and take the lead. Then go for everything he has approaching the final furlong and don`t worry if anything passes you, it`ll either be me or Lord Rolly"!!

...

well played sir

Lot of police at gates with a small amount of dogs trying to stem the drugs . Sad times

Bad state of affairs indeed Timberman.

and, despite the Columbian marching powder being ubiquitous, my mate had to pour away a hip flask full of 20yo scotch after a search at the gate.

Did you knocked him out DP?

Expect the water was allowed in
To accompany the whisky

*Knock

We're they doing affordability and aml checks?

I have perfected a technique over the years of avoiding any risk of this disaster befalling myself. My mate is unversed in the art of deception. One can amend the pace at which one approaches the precise entrance to ensure that at the exact time one passes the bloke with the metal detector, he is busy scanning someone else!

Glad I had 40 great years at the Festival when these things were barely heard of. Much happier at home now. I have never even smoked a cigarette, never mind taken any drug.

and, despite the Columbian marching powder being ubiquitous, my mate had to pour away a hip flask full of 20yo scotch after a search at the gate......You can bet yer bottom dollar i would have got that through one way or another.

I would have got it through no problem by drinking the lot in front of the searcher.

wasnt aware south carolina was renowned for illegal narcotics. i thought it was south american in origin

The evidence I saw was circumstantial but pretty well ubiquitous from the centre of town and through the afternoon at the course. Many seemed on a mission to enjoy themselves, just showing a general lack of appreciation and consideration towards strangers in close proximity. Don't get me wrong, there atmosphere wasn't off but in an overcrowded environment getting from A to B meant navigating an awful lot of "elbows out" behaviour.

Put it this way, it wasn't Woodstock, more a Festival of crass behaviour. But drugs work in different ways. And Woodstock never happened in the UK.

Go to the boxes at Royal Ascot, you'd be throwing out half of the Toffs for using Charlie.1.01

Sure, and I don't want to sound like a killjoy nor say it was a bad atmosphere. Just show a little more consideration and appreciation and everybody benefits. But that means - too - a bit more focus on the customer experience, a bit less on the short end money.

The biggest problem with using charlie in public toilets is finding a clean enough flat surface.

If you want to partake in the glamour of cocaine, go to a pub flushed with plumbers and whitevan drivers on a Saturday lunchtime and listen to them yakking on for as long as you can stand it.

Their enjoyment is not your enjoyment.

almost sounds quite snobbish that comment, ub!

i loved a bit of charlie when I was living in London, many years ago now. don't know about other people but I really enjoyed it but wasn't anywhere close to needing to take it, was optional. couple of things i would say, you really need a trusted source and not risk using something that could be mixed with crap. and be amongst trusted friends.

I've seen it make a few people go the wrong way, but in my experience weed and alcohol risk having a much more negative behavioural impact.

I bow to your knowledge, Cider.

My experience is limited to the s**t they spout all night as they grind their teeth.. Zzzz...

My view is that the "Festival experience" (not just Cheltenham) could easily be enhanced with good management. I see how it has come to this:- back in the day, racing was labelled "elitist" or "niche" and tried to grab a wider audience. So now we have ITV racing and football chants at the course. I don't blame the pests, they dress up and pay through the nose and  -by God - for that they are entitled to a good time. Maybe they just don't know to behave to get that.

I'd say it's a sign of the times and an indication of how young people are raised now. No respect for elders, lack of discipline and boundaries. ie it's a reflection of the switch in values in the country that came in with Blair and continued by Cameron, May et al. It's a change in the country, exhibited at the CF, rather than a situation created by the CF.

There was a good interview with Gavin Sheehan on luck on sunday and he discussed how that was exhibited in the weighing room. when he started they did what the experienced riders told them, respected their views etc whereas now the younger jockeys tend to think they know it all and don't listen to advice. i see this in my own industry as well, so I imagine this is the way of things now.

but people aren't managed any more. it's all about how they feel, their mental wellbeing and all that great stuff. in fact people don't have sick days any more, they have wellbeing days best intent is assumed, no matter how absurd that may seem.

Yeah, basically, you get ripped off and treated like **** any "Festival" here but goers in the UK are so inured their behaviour - so far from the "English Gentleman" - is inevitably crass.

Risking sounding like the old man here, and I was definitely not a saint. But we did have a line and generally respected authority. Now they don't give a sh1t, just laugh in the faces of teachers, police et al.

unless your gearing up for a fight or a dancing session ,cant quite see how coke fits in to an afternoon at races,othet thaqn their addicts who cant function amongst normal people without it, i used t see lads in club after boro game 50+ yr old and jabbering shouting like teenage girls,obviously unaware what they sound like because their in a group who are all on/at it

Well, what goes round comes round and they will get back it in spades later on.

"The blatant use of drugs was in every toilet that you visit on the premises."

Exactly the reason why we didn't go this year .....

Nobody without some sort of fetish goes anywhere near the traps in the lavs at a big race meeting unless it's an absolute emergency. The smell alone conjures images of the bookies lav in Trainspotting. Yet there are always people queuing. Not sure if that is the evidence the quote in the OP is referring to. I've not missed a day at the festival for approx 30 years and I've yet to see a proper fight although it's getting more common to see the squaring up / hold-me-back guff you see in every Premier League game. Still mostly just folks that are so legless they are mainly a danger to themselves rather than anyone else. Walking out of the course yesterday past the coach park some poor lad had cuts all over his face and was struggling to stand up as if he'd been beaten up but in fact he'd just fallen into the hawthorns

unitedbiscuits -- "Put it this way, it wasn't Woodstock, more a Festival of crass behaviour. But drugs work in different ways. And Woodstock never happened in the UK"

Obscure claim to fame: I've held the Oscar for Woodstock. Surprisingly heavy. They look like plastic but of course are solid metal.

Nobody without some sort of fetish goes anywhere near the traps in the lavs at a big race meeting unless it's an absolute emergency.

If you've had a full English at the hotel in the morning you've got to drop it somewhere. Usually fine up until after the 2nd race.

If you've had a full English at the hotel in the morning you've got to drop it somewhere. Usually fine up until after the 2nd race.

You're a braver man than me. I'd opt for dropping it at the hotel or having more eggs with your fry-up