- The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse creator Charlie Mackesy to appear at Goodwoof – Goodwood’s ultimate dog’s day out.
- Mackesy will appear on the Sunday to headline the Literary Corner where he’ll share his journey of bringing his beloved characters to life.
- The Oscar-winning artist will also be adding his work to a one-off Babboe bike along with James Middleton in aid of Goodwoof’s charity, Pets As Therapy.
- Goodwoof presented by MARS Petcare takes place Saturday 20 & Sunday 21 May. Early bird tickets are on sale now at Goodwood.com.
Goodwood is thrilled to confirm that British author, artist and filmmaker Charlie Mackesy will join dog lovers and owners - and their four-legged friends - at Goodwoof presented by MARS Petcare, this May.
Best known for the ‘The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse’, Mackesy recently took home the Academy Award for the animated short film adaptation of the much-loved book, just weeks after winning the BAFTA for the same film.
Goodwoof, which returns for its second year on Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 May, celebrates all things canine and offers a superb day out for dog fans of all ages.
Appearing on the Sunday of the event, Mackesy – joined by his dog Barney – will proudly headline the family-friendly Literary Corner. A cosy and welcoming space, the Literary Corner will host a number of well-known faces over the weekend as they read extracts, tell stories and chat with the audience.
In addition, Mackesy has joined forces with entrepreneur and Pets As Therapy ambassador, James Middleton, to paint a bespoke Babboe bike, which Middleton famously rode around the Goodwoof site in 2022. Ahead the event, Mackesy is currently working on a special design that will be on view on the Sunday, before being sold in the Bonhams auction to raise funds for the charity partner, Pets As Therapy. Kindly donated by Babboe, customers will be able to see the bike up close on the day and take up the opportunity to have a photo alongside it.
James Middleton said: “I can’t wait to return to Goodwoof next month. Last year’s event was spectacular, with so much to see and get involved with, whether you came with or without a dog. For me, Charlie’s infamous ‘The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse’ highlights the unique bond between humans and animals, which aligns perfectly with this year’s charity Pets As Therapy, who work to promote the important role dogs and animals can play in our lives. It’s wonderful that Charlie will be adding his work to a Babboe bike and I can’t wait to showcase the bike at Goodwoof together.”
The Duke of Richmond said: “We are honoured that Charlie will be joining us at Goodwoof to celebrate our shared love of animals in a few weeks’ time. It is such a privilege to have him join us in the Literary Corner. We also can’t wait to see the special designs he adds to a Babboe bike with James, who is a valued friend of the event; it is a wonderful collaboration that will help us raise awareness of Pets As Therapy.”
Tickets are on sale now for Goodwoof at Goodwood.com where supporters of Charlie Mackesy can secure their tickets to see him on Sunday 21 May. Further details of the Literary Corner and the familiar faces appearing alongside Mackesy will be confirmed in the coming weeks.
-ENDS-
Note to Editors:
Goodwoof presented by MARS Petcare, Saturday 20 & Sunday 21 May 2023.
Tickets
Tickets for Goodwoof start from £30 when purchased within our new early bird window before Friday 28 April and can be purchased at Goodwood.com or by calling the Ticket Office on +44 (0) 01243 755055. Children aged 12 and under and dogs go free.
Contact
For more information about Goodwoof please contact, Katharine Morgan, PR Manager: Katharine.Morgan@goodwood.com
For all other press enquiries please contact: media@goodwood.com
Imagery and news from Goodwood are available from our Press & Media Site.
Stay up to date with all future announcement and on-event activation across our social channels:
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Media accreditation
Media accreditation for Goodwoof is open. Make your application here.
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About Goodwoof presented by MARS Petcare
Goodwoof presented by MARS Petcare is a celebration of all that we love about dogs on the Goodwood Estate. It takes place in the fields around the James Wyatt designed dog kennels, which is now the social home of our sporting membership on Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 May 2023. The event offers a wide range of activities and demonstrations designed to delight, entertain and inform. Dog owners and their families and friends can encourage their own dog to have a go, browse our carefully hand-picked retailers, enjoy a dip in Fido’s Lido, sit back with a glass of Taittinger champagne, relax in The Studio presented by Randox with a spot of soundbathing, reiki or dog yoga, or marvel at the clever kennels designed by architects from around the world in the Mastercard presented competition, Barkitecture.
For more information, go to www.goodwood.com/goodwoof
About MARS Petcare
MARS Petcare is a diverse and growing business with 75,000 Associates across 50+ countries dedicated to one purpose: A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS. With 75 years of experience, our portfolio of almost 50 brands serves the health and nutrition needs of the world’s pets – including brands PEDIGREE®, WHISKAS®, ROYAL CANIN®, NUTRO™, GREENIES™, SHEBA® and CESAR® as well as The WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition which has advanced research in the nutrition and health of pets for over 50 years. MARS Petcare is also a leading veterinary health provider through a network of over 2,000 pet hospitals including BANFIELD™, BLUEPEARL™, PET PARTNERS™, VCA™ and Linnaeus. We’re also active in innovation and technology for pets, with WISDOM PANEL™ genetic health screening and DNA testing for dogs, the WHISTLE™ GPS dog tracker, and LEAP VENTURE STUDIO accelerator and COMPANION FUND™ programs that drive innovation and disruption in the pet care industry. As a family business and guided by our principles, we are privileged with the flexibility to fight for what we believe in – and we choose to fight for: A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS.
About Charlie Mackesy
British artist, illustrator and author Charlie Mackesy began his career as a cartoonist for The Spectator, before becoming a book illustrator for Oxford University Press. His award-winning work has featured in books, private collections, galleries and public spaces around the world. His internationally bestselling book, The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, was published in October 2019 and holds the record for the most consecutive weeks in the Sunday Times Non-Fiction Chart across all formats as well as being the longest running Sunday Times Non-Fiction Number One of all time. A number one New York Times best-seller, it is one of eight books since 2013 that has remained on the number one New York Times Bestseller and on the New York Times Advice, Misc. Best Seller list.
Charlie’s beloved book is the first ever book to be awarded both the Waterstones Book of the Year and Barnes and Noble Book of the Year (2019) and has been translated into over 40 different languages and dialects. Charlie's words and illustrations have brought comfort to many and have been shared online around the world as well as on t-shirts for Comic Relief, magazine covers, street lamp posts, school classrooms, cafés, women's safe houses, prisons, hospital wards and as NHS hospital computer screensavers. Charlie worked with Richard Curtis on the set of Love Actually to create a set of drawings to be auctioned for Comic Relief, and with Nelson Mandela on a lithograph project, The Unity Series. Charlie's paintings have been exhibited widely, most recently in Sotheby's in London. His bronzes can be found in public spaces in London, including Highgate Cemetery and the Brompton Road. Away from art, Charlie co-runs Mama Buci, a honey social enterprise in Zambia that helps families of low and no income become beekeepers. He lives between Brixton and Suffolk with his dog Barney.
