Ripon Races won a significant accolade at the 2024 Racecourse Association (RCA) Showcase Awards, held in November in Edinburgh. The awards ceremony brought together racecourses from across the UK to celebrate excellence and innovation in the racing industry.
Raceday Award for Gold Medal Family Day
Ripon Races took home the Raceday Award for its Olympic inspired Gold Medal Family Day which fully embraced the quadrennial event, whose Closing Ceremony fell on the new August fixture slot. Sporting themed activities and entertainment were provided for the whole family, including inflatables, sports, crafts and even a podium where children could go to collect their gold medals on completion of their Olympic-themed activity card, to have their photos taken and enter a prize draw.
In the words of the RCA, this was “A superb event which utilised a new fixture slot to capture the summer of sport and delight racegoers of all ages without interrupting the already-popular series of family days planned.”
Ripon Races were also finalists in the ‘Non-Raceday Event’ and ‘Diversity and Inclusion’ categories, the latter for the recent accessibility project undertaken that led to the introduction of the new Access Card, for people needing an essential companion with them on a race day.
Success for Yorkshire Racing
Alongside Ripon’s success, it was a fantastic night for Yorkshire Racing overall.
York were named overall Champion Racecourse for 2024, winning the Racing Connection Award and The Racing Foundation Green Award. Pontefract continued their series of Showcase successes by winning the Diversity & Inclusion Award.
Beverley Racecourse’s collaboration with Longcroft High School saw the East Yorkshire track honoured with the Non-Raceday Event Award and Go Racing In Yorkshire collected the Racing Together Community Award with their groundbreaking bowel cancer awareness and screening programme.
Ripon Races would like to thank all of its dedicated staff, partners, sponsors, and racegoers for their continued support and enthusiasm. Marketing Manager Jonathan Mullin said, “This Award and the Finalist nominations celebrate the energy and passion we have as a team, and the enthusiasm we have for making Yorkshire’s Garden Racecourse a fantastic place to go racing.”
230 guests attended the sold out 2024 Showcase Awards held at Edinburgh’s Signet Library on behalf of 2023 Champions Musselburgh. Hosts Rishi Persad and world record-holding rower Taylor Winyard led the celebration of the best of British racecourses in 2024, with 13 awards presented plus three Highly Commended accolades. The event is presented by the RCA and partnered by Great British Racing, Racing Together, the Racing Foundation and Racing Post.
