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I’m probably going to be called a miserable old git but why do so many kids come racing? Not for the first time today at Sandown there were four of five young boys and girls who had absolutely no interest in the racing, and instead were being a darn nuisance running about everywhere, rolling down the hill in the front of the stands in the premier enclosure and disturbing my view of the racing.
I know its said that these people are the racegoers of the future, but racecourses are not playgrounds and I don’t go racing to have them scream in my ear all day long.
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Their our future and it’s best to get them in as early as possible, feel comfortable with the surroundings and they are a great communicator, how many of them will go to school next week and tell their friends? it’s all about making the public aware that Racing is much more than sour faced toffs and degenerate gamblers.
Their our future and it’s best to get them in as early as possible, feel comfortable with the surroundings and they are a great communicator, how many of them will go to school next week and tell their friends? it’s all about making the public aware that Racing is much more than sour faced toffs and degenerate gamblers.
Some are, but there are others like the ones highlighted who obviously have no interest as the f*** around highlights and are only there coz the parents didnt want to leave them at home on their own or get a sitter!!! These are the human beings who as they get older will go to the racecourse for a piss up and annoy people as brought up on here on more than one occasion. Are these the future people the sport want to promote??.
I have some sympathy with you but in the case you describe I think it’s more a case of the parents not watching their little snotgoblins properly as opposed to the kids themselves.
I suppose many children who go racing are interested for the first race or two (and certainly enjoy watching the horses in the parade ring) but with long gaps between races, attention soon wanders (I know mine does!)
Haydock has a childrens play area in the ‘silver ring’ & they centred all their Halloween activities in there too. I’m surprised most courses don’t do similar.
I could argue that some meetings should be made ‘child free’ (I suppose they’re called weekdays aren’t they?) in the same way I think some meetings should be made alcohol free.
I also think towns/cities & anywhere that can be considered a public space should have child free days but that’s mostly because I don’t like them very much!
Why do so many kids come racing? Because their parents can bring them in for free
How many of them will go to school next week and tell their friends? None
These are the human beings who as they get older will go to the racecourse for a piss up and annoy people … not just at racecourses, because clearly their parents are not bringing them up properly and teaching them good manners. Often because their parents do not understand good manners themselves.
Are these the future people the sport want to promote? Unfortunately, it seems they are.
Solution? Kids go free into family enclosures that have lots of activities and entertainment for them to make it an enjorable experience for all the family. In the main enclosures their entry has to be paid and they are not allowed in bars where kids don’t belong anyway.
Bah bloody humbug
I took my boy to Taunton races the other week and he was as good as gold and had the time of his life, and now wants to go to the Cheltenham festival…….
It was a fun day with donkey rides, face painting(My lad done spiderman) lots of funfair rides and with it being on a school holiday week there were plenty of other young kids there too who all seemed to be enjoying themselves and were all well behaved.Blackbeard to conquer the World
I often take my kids, yes they get bored (particularly my son) but even he has started taking an interest, once he knows a few horses. However, some race courses are better than others. The Curragh has a reasonable kids playground at the 1f marker and Punchestown looks to have started a good kids club. Leopardstown, although having family days is a bit of a disaster as everything takes place behind the stand and there is no chance of watching the racing.
In terms of going free the courses still make money as my wife comes as well and we typically have to buy chips and ice cream.
Can’t comment on English race courses but anything that is going to get people through the gate and for everyone to have a good time can only be encouraged.When i go racing its to enjoy watching and hopefully make some money betting i want to concentrate on what i am doing and not trying to avoid kids running about like mad because they have lost interest i have no problem with young people being encouraged to go racing but they must be properly supervised by there parents.
I took my little girl to Wetherby last week and she loved it and I think more kids should be encouraged to go as part of a family, she certainly told her friends that she’d had a great time..
Tarring all kids with the same brush is totally wrong.
If kids are misbehaving and being annoying to other racegoers then it’s the parents who should be blamed. Don’t be blaming innocent kids who are probably bored while their parents are more interested in themselves, blame them parents, it’s those who have no respect and not the kids.
You’ll find it’s the same in all walks of life…in pubs, restaurants, shopping centres, other sporting events etc, etc…there will always be kids playing up because selfish parents are probably treating it as a chore taking them instead of enjoying it.
While we were at Wetherby I kept her entertained enough for her not to get bored. There was a nice little cafe that we went in a couple of times, there was a swing and a slide that she had a couple of goes on and then there was putting the bets on and watching the actual races.
There was also a lovely old St John’s Ambulance chap at the last fence who I had a chat with at the first race and then had to do every other race and I think she enjoyed that as much as anything!
I took my little girl to Wetherby last week and she loved it and I think more kids should be encouraged to go as part of a family, she certainly told her friends that she’d had a great time..
Tarring all kids with the same brush is totally wrong.
If kids are misbehaving and being annoying to other racegoers then it’s the parents who should be blamed. Don’t be blaming innocent kids who are probably bored while their parents are more interested in themselves, blame them parents, it’s those who have no respect and not the kids.
You’ll find it’s the same in all walks of life…in pubs, restaurants, shopping centres, other sporting events etc, etc…there will always be kids playing up because selfish parents are probably treating it as a chore taking them instead of enjoying it.
While we were at Wetherby I kept her entertained enough for her not to get bored. There was a nice little cafe that we went in a couple of times, there was a swing and a slide that she had a couple of goes on and then there was putting the bets on and watching the actual races.
There was also a lovely old St John’s Ambulance chap at the last fence who I had a chat with at the first race and then had to do every other race and I think she enjoyed that as much as anything!
Good post………..couldnt agree more
Its the parents fault if kids misbehave on course, mine were taken racing as babies and when they were old enough i used to try and make it interesting for them by explaining the form, picking out the jocks in the parade ring that they would know from the tele, and staking them a couple of quid a race, usually found a bit of boredom setting in by the fourth race if they hadn"t drawn , but usually it was a good day out.
It’s to do with parenting skills and how the kids are brought up.
If the kids are well behaved, their parents stimulate them at the races and they show respect for other people then they should be positively encouraged.
If they are just there because the parents can’t be bothered to get childcare and are allowed to run amok then they should be confined to a family enclosure.
All about consideration, decency and respect for others
Doesn’t matter whether it’s at the races, in a coffee bar etc. I was in Starbuck’s this morning and kids were jumping up and down on the chairs like a trampoline with the mothers chin wagging next to them! Would they do that at home or let someone else do it? The mind boggles!
There’s a fantastic initiative here in Ireland to encourage kids to go racing- they have a dedicated area near the winning post (I’m guessing it’s one of the hospitality suites) where they can play games, ride on the mechanical horse and watch the races though the window. They get to walk into the parade ring with the jockeys as well. They also hold days out for schools where a jockey and a trainer amongst others explain what they do and they get to meet a racehorse.It’s that sort of positive experience which is likely to convert them into racegoers of the future. I suspect the OP has no children…
[attachment=0:35wz5nrz]races 152.JPG[/attachment:35wz5nrz]
That never worked! Tried to upload a photo!
In October 1964 Mr and Mrs Bell took their son to Carlisle races for a birthday treat and then took him one day to Kelso races where he stood in wide eyed wonder by the big ditch past the grand stand at the colour and thrill of horses jumping fences and hurdles at speed.
That was me and I ran about daft in the silver ring as well, of course I did, but I became hooked on the game.
You should see them at point to points, often kicking a ball about during races but not getting in anyones way and having a great time especially at a hunt run meet when hounds are paraded and they all flood into the parade ring to meet hounds and horses. They all come away with a big smile on their faces.
For goodness sake encourage children to come, make it interesting for them by showing them the horses and saddling up and the rest. There are bad kids of course, but just as many in my branch of Morrisons on a Friday.
Hong Kong racing has various child initiatives, but on racedays nobody under 18 is admitted to the track.
HK is even more child-centric as a society than GB, but it does reserve the racing/betting experience to seniors.
Which ultimately seems to make it forbidden fruit more attractive to those kids who will develop into the future racing audience.
If kids are admitted to the racecourse in GB, why not also to betting shops?
You can "adultise" or you can "infantilise" the actual race day, and maybe in some cases you can segregate the two approaches with discrete areas for them on track.
But mix them ?
Not unless you take the view that a person following "the intellectual challenge" can co-exist in the same space as a person wanting to run around.
Or you’re a track as interested in ice-cream receipts as betting receipts.
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