The Anthony Ryan’s competitions for the best dressed women at Ladies Day at the legendary Galway Races next Thursday offer a €20,000 prize fund.
TV Presenter and VIP style awards “Most Stylish Woman”, Kathryn Thomas will join the judging panel for the competition on Thursday August 1.
She will join fellow judges Bairbre Power, the fashion editor of the Irish Independent and PJ Gibbons, editor of Social & Personal magazine in selecting a winner from the crème de la crème of the fashion elite attending the busiest day of this summer racing festival.
They will be joined by well known faces from the Galway fashion scene Patricia McCrossan, the managing director of Galway NOW magazine, and Mandy Maher of Catwalk Model Agency.
“I was delighted to be asked to be a judge at this years iconic Galway Races Ladies Day,” says Ms Thomas. “I am looking forward to seeing the style at Ballybrit. I know from my own experience it is such a great day out.”
Anthony Ryan’s, sponsor of the Best Dressed Competition at the Galway Races since 2003, has announced further details of this year’s competitions which boast a prize fund of €20,000, with the Best Dressed Lady set to scoop a prize worth €12,000.
In addition to the Best Dressed Lady and Best Hat award there will be a new “Wear Irish” award for the woman with the most appropriate choice of Irish design or accessories in her ensemble. The winner of the Best Dressed Lady title will walk away with a one carat diamond solitaire pendant valued at €8,500, a shopping spree worth €1,500 in Anthony Ryan’s, and €1000 cash. She will also receive a Lancôme presentation gift hamper worth more than €500 and a corporate hospitality package for Galway Races October Bank Holiday Racing Festival to include dinner and champagne reception.
The prize for the winner of the Best Hat is a €1,500 shopping spree at Anthony Ryan’s while the winner of the Wear Irish award will receive a €500 shopping voucher for this city department store.
The finalists at the Anthony Ryan’s Best Dressed marquee will be presented with a special collection of Lancôme cosmetics compliments of University Pharmacy, Newcastle Road.
Anthony Ryan, the managing director of Anthony Ryan’s, says as Galway’s longest established independent department store, it is proud to continue its association with the Galway Races by sponsoring the Best Dressed Lady and Best Hat Competition on Ladies Day.
“This year we are delighted to introduce a new competition for the lady with the most appropriate choice of Irish design or accessories in her ensemble. We hope that the ‘Wear Irish’ award will encourage ladies to support Irish design when co-ordinating their ensemble.
“Winners of the Anthony Ryan’s Best Dressed Competition in previous years have impressed our judges with their stylish ensembles appropriate for daytime summer racing. This year our distinguished panel of judges will be on a quest to find a lady with an innate sense of style who demonstrates the ability to put together a winning ensemble, complementing the wearer and the occasion. Individuality, elegance and true style will be the order of the day.”
Women interested in taking part in this year’s Best Dressed Lady Competition are asked to arrive from midday as the finalists will be chosen by 2.30pm. Anthony Ryan’s scouts and judges will mingle with the crowd and will invite selected finalists to the judging marquee which is located adjacent to the champagne tent in the race enclosure.
The winning outfits will be announced at 3.30pm at the Anthony Ryan’s Marquee. The presentation of the prizes will take place in the Parade Ring later in the afternoon.
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