Many people believe that horse racing can’t be a family activity because of the alcohol and the large crowds that are prominent. However, contrary to popular belief, a day at the races can be a perfect day for the family. Many people grew up watching the big races on the television with their parents and grandparents, but very rarely went to a meeting.
That vision of racing only appealing to the older crowds has been changing over the past number of years, and the racecourses are now family-friendly places to enjoy a day out. Many of the biggest venues across the world now have child areas where there is a playground. At the same time, there are also on-going events throughout the day that will appeal to the younger audience, while also educating the visitors about racing.
Offers To Entice Families
The rise in the number of families attending the race meetings has been steady since there has been an introduction of under 18s going free. This has been on-going for the past number of years now, and the numbers have been staggering.
The recent reports from the GBR showed that 44% of the people attending horse racing meetings were born in 2000 or after.
The same findings also found that there was a 1.15% increase in the number of families that were attending race meetings during the six weeks holiday in the summer months. The under 18s going free would certainly be a factor behind this.
The bigger race meetings such as the Grand National and the Kentucky Derby also operate with the same policy, but children’s tickets will need to be booked in advance. You can also compete with your family tracking the Kentucky Derby odds on Twinspires.com and see who guesses the eventual winners.
Why Is It A Good Day Out?
As well as the high-quality sporting action that will on show, there are other reasons why a day at the races will appeal to families. There is a lot of space for visitors and children to roam around in, while it is also an option for visitors to bring their own picnics. This ensures that families are able to save their money when they attend the races, as there is no obligation to buy the food inside the course, which can sometimes be expensive.
There are multiple events throughout the year that are purely aimed at families, with these likely to take place during the periods that the children will be off school. These will be the events with the most to offer for families, as visitors will be able to find bouncy castles, crazy golf and other activities at one end of the course.
If you’re new to racing, you will enjoy how much space there is to explore. As well as the racing itself, there is the paddock, where visitors can get up close and personal with the horses, while there are numerous inside areas at all courses to watch the races should the weather be bad on the day that you attend.
Importance Of Reaching Younger Audience
Not many other sports can appeal to families like horse racing because unlike many other sports, it is a cost-effective day out. The main reason for that is because the sport needs to appeal to the younger audience to ensure its longevity.
The age of the average racegoer has dropped from 50 to 44 in recent years and appealing to the younger demographic will lower that further. If you haven’t taken your family to a horse racing day out, then this could be the ideal time.
