Famous Sport Competitions

Derby (horse race) The Derby Stakes, known as The Investec Derby or The Derby and internationally as the Epsom Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to three-year-old Thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 10 yards (2,423 metres), and it is scheduled to take place each year in early June. It is Britain's richest horse race, and the most prestigious of the country's five Classics. The Epsom Derby is one of the most prestigious and iconic events of the sporting and social calendars. The Ladies day is known for being a highly fashionable event, where ladies compete to win the coveted Style on the Downs competition. Elaborate headwear and colourful dresses are the norm.

Ascot Racecourse Ascot Racecourse is a famous English racecourse, located in the small town of Ascot, Berkshire, used for thoroughbred horse racing. It is one of the leading racecourses in the United Kingdom.The course is closely associated with the British Royal Family, being approximately six miles from Windsor Castle, and owned by the Crown Estate. Ascot today stages twenty-five days of racing over the course of the year, comprising sixteen Flat meetings held in the months of May and October. The Royal Meeting, held in June, remains a major draw, the highlight being the Ascot Gold Cup. The most prestigious race is the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes run over the course in July.

The new stand, completed in 2006

Hat in the Royal Enclosure 2009High fashion and elegance at Royal Ascot

Ryder Cup The Ryder Cup (officially the Ryder Cup Matches) is a golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is contested every two years. The Ryder Cup is also the name of the trophy, after the person who donated it, Samuel Ryder. The Ryder Cup is unique in the world of golf, and possibly professional sports, as despite being a high-profile event which brings in tens of million dollars in TV and sponsorship the players receive no prize money and compete purely for the victory.

Ryder Cup 2010

The Championships, Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon, is the oldest tennis tournament in the world and is considered the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in the London suburb of Wimbledon since It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments. and the only one still played on the game's original surface, grass, which gave the game of lawn tennis its name. The tournament takes place over two weeks in late June and early July, culminating with the Ladies' and Gentlemen's Singles Final, scheduled respectively for the second Saturday and Sunday. Each year, five major events are contested, as well as four junior events and four invitational events.

Centre Court with open roof at the 2010 Championships No.1 Court

Terracotta Warriors The Ladies' (top) and Gentlemen's singles trophies

Tour de France The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than 3,600 kilometres (2,200 mi) and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The race is broken into day-long segments, called stages. Individual times to finish each stage are aggregated to determine the overall winner at the end of the race. The rider with the lowest aggregate time at the end of each day wears a yellow jersey.The course changes every year, but the race has always finished in Paris. Since 1975, the climax of the final stage has been along the Champs-Élysées.

The 2004 Tour rides the Champs Élysées

Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. The Stanley Cup is surrounded by numerous legends and traditions, the oldest of which is the celebratory drinking of champagne out of the cup by the winning team. Stanley Cup is not made each year; Cup winners keep it until a new champion is crowned. It is unusual among trophies, in that it has the names of all of the winning players, coaches, management, and club staff engraved on its chalice. The current Stanley Cup, topped with a copy of the original bowl, is made of silver and nickel alloy. Today, it has a height of centimeters and weighs 15.5 kilograms Originally the trophy was donated in 1892 by then Governor General of Canada the Lord Stanley of Preston, as an award for Canada's top-ranking amateur ice hockey club. It was awarded for the first time in The Lord Stanley of Preston

Stanley Cup

The first Stanley Cup The original Stanley Cup in the bank vault at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, Ontario