Jeremy Hackett - The Mr Classic Blog

It was a real thrill to meet the Williams F1 driver, Valterri Bottas the other night and to notice how he handled his interviews back to back with journalists from motoring magazines. He was assured, calm and considered as he neatly answered all the questions put to him in a truly professional manner, without doubt he has all the attributes required of a great racing driver.

With barely time for a pit stop we were off to the Hackett event at our  Regent Street shop. The shop was heaving by the time we arrived and the Martini's were flowing  (thank you Martini). Not only was a Williams race car on display but a simulator had been set up which Bottas gamely took part in, setting a lap record for our guests to improve upon, of course no one came near.



Having had a couple of drinks I declined to take up the offer of competing for the fear of being arrested for being drunk while at the wheel of a simulator. I suspect that Bottas having negotiated his way around the shop for two hours and being constantly asked for a photo or his opinion on this and that he was beginning to think that the event had been more pressurising than two hours on the race track with a Ferrari in his slipstream but he never let it show. Thank you Valterri for making the evening such a success.

Jeremy Hackett

A huge and heartfelt congratulations to William Fox- Pitt on his second win at the Badminton Horse Trials on Sunday after an incredibly tense show jumping round. It must be more than twenty five years ago that I met the young Fox-Pitt an up and coming three day event rider at Gatcombe  Park horse trials. I was so struck by his riding ability that I decided to sponsor him, it helped that he was a good looking fellow. 

Credit: William Fox-Pitt photographed by Garda Tang for my book Mr Classic
The sponsorship ran for a number of years  and during that time we regularly took Hackett trade stands at all the major three day eventing events. We introduced a William Fox- Pitt polo shirt in his cross country colours which was always a sellout, bought by his admiring fans mostly teenage girls who adored him. 

I remember having riding lessons from him (long before he gave lessons to Madonna) and him being very patient when I rode one of his event horses very badly. Whilst we never had the good fortune to win Badminton, throughout our sponsorship I have fond memories of the time but as they say in the equestrian world " that's horses".  Well done William.

Jeremy Hackett