|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
By Selena Simmons-Duffin
Julie Falconer was about as familiar with world-famous Ascot Racecourse in Berkshire, England as Eliza Doolittle, but on June 21, the race’s “gripping, absolutely ripping” moment was all about her, when she was chosen as the winner of the Face of Ascot 2009 competition.
The whole thing happened in a lightening, Doolittle-esque transformation. She and her boyfriend, Rob Kniaz, went to the Royal Ascot primarily to people watch, and left after only a few hours. As they were leaving, a model scout for Models 1, a leading European model agency, asked her if she would let him take her photo to enter in a competition to be the “Face of Ascot 2009.” She agreed.
“I walked away laughing merrily at how ridiculous the English would find an American contender for their prize,” she wrote in her personal blog.
Ms. Falconer was born and raised in Portola Valley, attended St. Francis High School, and graduated from Brown University in 2004 with a BA in International Relations. She always dreamed of living in London, so in October she moved there with her boyfriend to work at a technology startup.
Prior to her first visit to the Ascot Racecourse, Ms. Falconer had been to a few races, “but nothing on this scale.”
“I went to the races expecting to discover some choice people-watching opportunities and it turns out I was one people were watching.”
The “Face of Ascot” competition was the first in the racetrack’s 300-year history, and more than 100 women were selected. The Ascot races are known for their connection to the British royal family, and visitors can sometimes glimpse royalty; that is, if they can see over all the outlandish hats.
Two days after getting scouted, Ms. Falconer was shocked to get a call informing her that she was chosen as one of the five finalists for the competition. In the spirit of the races, odds were fixed on the five contestants, and Ms. Falconer was not a favorite to win. Ms. Falconer wrote, “Good thing the English seem to favor the underdog!”
On June 21, the final day of the races, she was back at Ascot, drinking champagne and posing before a panel of judges. She had never modeled before in her life. She heard the BBC TV announcer, who was broadcasting the competition, say, “The winner is not one of our English roses, but an American beauty.”
“As soon as I heard that I knew it had to be me, because I was the only American in the competition,” Ms. Falconer said. “I was very flattered that they would choose an American for such a traditional English institution,” she said.
The next day, she wrote what happened on her blog: “In the blur that ensured, I was handed a bouquet of flowers that weighed about 15 pounds. The show wrapped up and I was overwhelmed by journalists, photographers, and people offering congratulations. My head was completely spinning.”
After winning the competition, Ms. Falconer presented the trophy to the winning jockey, trainer, and horse owners in the final race, the Queen Alexandra Stakes. She wrote that seeing her face on the giant screen “was one of the strangest experiences I’ve ever had.”
As the Face of Ascot 2009, Ms. Falconer will be photographed by Models 1 modeling agency in London, and her photo will be used for Ascot promotional materials. She will also visit the racetrack throughout the year, and she says she’s excited to go back.
“It’s a great feeling to know that I’m part of the English culture already,” she said. She doesn’t imagine any dramatic changes will come from the prize, except perhaps people recognizing her from “the tube.”
However, shots of Ms. Falconer at the races show her shockingly hatless. Perhaps the choice of Ms. Falconer as the Face of Ascot will usher in a new era of California-inspired minimalist fashion.
Change of plans: Research campus to leave Menlo Park, make way for more housingJune 12, 2026 6:46 pm