Weekender: Beverley racecourse bucks national trend as visitor numbers increase

Beverley Racecourse is reported bumper attendances throughout the 2018 season along with a  new £4.8m grandstand investment.

The Beverley Races team also introduced a series of initiatives designed to provide an enhanced raceday experience and an improvement in inclusivity and accessibility.

The average raceday attendances rose by almost 6% year-on-year over the course of the season, despite a washout on opening day, as a total of 80,000 people flocked to the venue.

That meant the racecourse equalled last year’s total attendance, despite one fewer raceday.

Following a similar 6% rise in attendances in 2017, Beverley is continuing to buck a national trend of decline in racecourse visitor numbers.

Among the highlights of the season was another Flemingate Ladies Day in August, which attracted 12,000 people, up by 1,000 on 2017.

Meanwhile, the course witnessed a first in the shape of “horse-boarding”, which involves a horse rider tow a board rider at high speeds. September’s Beverley Bullet meeting saw the racecourse set a world speed record for the extreme sport.

Beverley Racecourse also staged Britain’s first deaf-friendly raceday, designed in partnership with the British Deaf Association. The event included British Sign Language (BSL) interpretations of the build-up to races, displayed on a big screen, and extra training for staff to ensure that people with hearing impairments were able to enjoy fully a thrilling day at the races.

Sally Iggulden, Beverley Racecourse chief executive, said: “It has been a memorable year at the racecourse and we’re absolutely delighted with another rise in average raceday attendances.

“This season we knew we would be competing with the football World Cup, so we decided to make the most of it, and our raceday on July 7, which coincided with England playing Sweden in the quarter final, turned out to be one of our busiest and best meetings. We showed the game on a big screen and there was a fantastic atmosphere.

“The feedback from other courses in Yorkshire is that attendances are generally down year on year, so we’re thrilled to be bucking the trend. I believe that’s due to our focus on the quality of the raceday experience and innovative thinking that is making this course more accessible, inclusive and popular than ever before.

“I must pay also tribute to the amazing efforts and incredible skill of our ground staff who, against the odds, were able to produce excellent and safe course conditions for horses and jockeys throughout the season, despite a very wet winter and an exceptionally dry summer.”

Close