A Family Evening Out at Goodwood

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I had presumed that all the family days at race courses would be afternoon affairs, but we chose to visit Goodwood as part of our collaboration with Great British Racing and the first race started at 5pm. It was lovely to catch the late afternoon sunshine and enjoy an outdoors tea as we watched the fun. 

We arrived just in time for the first race and we loved how easy it was to find our way around at Goodwood.  It didn't take the children long to notice there were fairground rides down one end so we walked straight there! There are 50 family days across the summer with plenty to do for children and we were delighted to see that all the rides were free of charge! There was a fantastic atmosphere as the children rolled down the hills, spun round on the carousel, had their faces painted and devoured the ice creams being sold at the little ice cream van on site.  There were 7 races with the final one being at 8pm and we stopped our play to watch the horses and choose which one we wanted to win each time.

It was pretty much always the pink one they voted for and sadly they didn't win every time, but they loved cheering on the number of their horse and watching them dash by.  At the edge of the family area was an amazing playground that meant even the most energetic children were occupied and the kids thought it was the best evening!  We popped back to find some food and drink but the family area was always calling and it was brilliant having the mix of a funfair and the horse racing.

What we really loved was that the fun didn't stop when the races did and there was music, fire dancers, stilt walkers and fireworks still to come after the last race, meaning we could enjoy our evening as it got darker.  Finn starts moving as soon as he hears music and he loved showing off his dance moves to everyone and anyone!  The children were totally captivated by the bands and dancers and we didn't want to leave.

Under 18s go free to over 200 fixtures across the summer when accompanied by a paying adult and there are still 2 family days left, one at Brighton on September 1st and Fontwell Park on Sunday 8th September where you can dig for fossils and get the chance to meet a newborn baby dinosaur!  You can find out more about this amazing offer and your nearest race course at www.Under18sRaceFree.com.  We had such a lovely evening at Goodwood and were so impressed with how family friendly everything was, from the kids meals to the entertainment.

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A First Horse Riding Lesson

Archie rode a horse at a birthday party earlier this summer and really enjoyed the experience so the children were pretty excited when they got the opportunity to try a horse riding lesson at a local school this summer.  Cora loves all animals and she was the first one in, telling me all about the horse she was hoping to ride.  Unfortunately there weren't any pink horses around, but she was satisfied with a pink helmet instead and she loved 'Buddy', one of the smallest horses at the school who was just the right size for her.

We are working with Great British Racing this summer as under 18s go free to race days across the country and after seeing the horse racing and meeting a jockey at our day at Ascot last month, their love for all things horses has grown.  Finn was paired with Bob and Archie with Bertie and all three loved their session.  They started by walking and ended up doing a little trot, with Cora smiling from ear to ear all the way round.  She has always been the one most interested in animals and she kept telling everyone that horses are now her favourite animal - apparently she is getting one for her fourth birthday!

Not only did the children get to ride the horses during their lesson, they got to lead them back to the stable and help take all the gear off and put them away as well as meeting some of the other horses at the riding school.  There were sessions on over the summer where you can spend the day learning to ride and care for a horse which sounds great for any budding jockeys!

This summer there are more than 200 fixtures including 50 family days at race courses around the country and under 18s go free to the vast majority when accompanied by a paying adult, making it a great family day out! To find out more about ‘Under 18s Race Free’ and find a family race day near you, go to www.under18sracefree.com

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A Family Day at The Races

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I have to admit, we hadn't really considered a day out at the races to be a family activity until recently but this summer we are working with Great British Racing and after spending last Saturday at Ascot for the Summer Mile, my mind has been well and truly changed.  

We arrived in the morning dressed in our finest and the racecourse was dominated by a huge magestic building, people were dressed wonderfully and the staff were incredibly helpful.  We were being treated to lunch in a private box so we headed up there to meet everyone and find out more about the day. The children were so excited to see everything and there really was so much to see.

This summer there are 50 family race days out of the 200 fixtures across the country and children under 18 go free to them all. The Summer Mile was really family friendly and it was great to see so many children around.  There was a specific family area full of fun things to do like a helter skelter, teacups and other rides, a huge stunt pillow to jump onto, circus skills workshops, a wooden marble run and lots more and there were no additional charges which I was so impressed with - there wasn't even big queues!

As part of our experience we were taken to the weighing room to find out more about why the jockeys are weighed and the children were allowed a go on the scales too.  We met one of the jockeys about to get ready for her races and the kids loved listening to her and finding out more about what the job entails.  Back up in the box there was a huge colouring wall set out for the children too letting them know about all the different jobs that exist at a race course, from the manager to the vets and everything in between.

There were 7 races on the day and plenty of time in between them to enjoy some food and drink and a turn on one of the rides or activities.  We were also lucky enough to get to cross the track and see one of the races from the other side starting with loading the horses into the box and ending on the finishing line. The children all chose who they wanted to win based purely on the colour of their silks and we cheered on our chosen horses.  The atmosphere was fantastic and we could see the excitement from everyone watching.

There was so much to do and see and we can't wait to attend another family day this summer with a picnic and our fancy clothes again (I do love an excuse to dress up!).  The children had such a great day and it really was so much fun as a family. To find out more about ‘Under 18s Race Free’ and find a family race day near you, go to www.under18sracefree.com

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