Inside Ascot Racecourse’s new jockey changing rooms

When most people think of Ascot Racecourse, they picture the Royal Enclosure and the thunder of hooves down the straight. What they rarely see is what happens beforehand – the preparation that takes place in the changing rooms, where jockeys ready themselves for the most demanding minutes of their professional lives.  

After three years of work, Ridge has delivered a complete overhaul of the jockey changing facilities which have been rebuilt from a basic shell to meet modern standards in safeguarding, ergonomics, and operational flexibility. It is the latest in a long line of projects delivered for Ascot, a client relationship that now spans two decades. 

Starting from scratch 

The existing facilities were stripped out entirely before work could begin, a blank canvas approach that allowed the design team to rethink every element of the space. Ridge We provided architecture, structural engineering, mechanical and electrical engineering, principal designer services, cost management and project management across the full programme. The brief demanded both technical precision and a genuine understanding of how these spaces function on race day. 

Safeguarding driving the brief 

The project was shaped significantly by safeguarding mandates issued by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), which now apply across every racecourse in the UK. Jockey changing rooms have their own dynamics: riders work alongside personal valets, privacy is essential, and the presence of under-18 jockeys requires clearly defined protections built into the fabric of the building. Dedicated under-18 cubicles have been incorporated, alongside carefully considered segregation and privacy measures throughout – a level of detail that goes well beyond a standard refurbishment. 

Built around the athlete

The bespoke joinery changing bays, manufactured by a local company, with everything made to order, are the most tangible expression of the design intent. Ergonomics were central to the layout of the spaces and their adjacencies to each other in, responding to the physical demands of the sport including the integral practicalities of how jockeys and their valets use the space. 

The reaction from some of the world’s best jockeys has been just as hoped.

“The new jockey changing rooms are really outstanding – the best I’ve seen in the UK,”

 

Hollie Doyle

“Ascot has done what they’ve always done – put jockeys in world-class changing facilities, as you’d expect at a racecourse of this calibre.”

 

Tom Marquand

The Professional Jockeys Association were also impressed with the facilities considering them to be some of the best in the world. 

Flexibility built in 

A shared central zone between the male and female changing areas has been designed to allow the female changing facilities to expand when required, with different configurations available depending on the day’s racing programme. It is a practical solution that also future-proofs the space as participation numbers in the sport evolve.  

The weighing room 

The project also included the reconfiguration of the weighing room, a space that carries particular significance at Ascot. Its’s refurbishment as part of this wider programme reflects the breadth of what has been delivered and is entirely in keeping with the kind of work our teams have carried out at the racecourse over the past 20 years. 

Finishes / Materials  

The interior finishes take their cues from the tack room: purposeful, hardwearing and rooted in tradition. Black metalwork, leather detailing and industrial-grade fittings give these spaces a character that feels native to racing, while references to the wider racecourse interiors – including the restaurant – create a sense of cohesion without flattening what makes the jockey and valet areas distinct.  

In the changing rooms, marble tiles, high-specification cubicles and bespoke joinery push the environment well beyond the functional. New ice baths have been installed across both male and female changing rooms, alongside two dedicated physio rooms and a gym area that opens directly onto the valet tables – keeping jockeys and valets connected throughout race day. The valet tables are crafted in oak with industrial-style legs, designed to be reconfigured as operational demands shift. Saddle racks, wall-mounted hooks, additional benching and washing and drying equipment give the valets everything they need close to hand.  

The new lounge and kitchen servery completes the suite – a café-style space designed for exactly what the rest of the facility is not: somewhere to slow down.  

 A facility that sets the standard for what a jockey changing room should be – and a fitting reflection of what two decades of partnership can deliver.