Uphill struggle: horseboarding world record attempts fail at Beverley

Horseboarders found it an uphill struggle in their attempt to break two world records after racing at Beverley on Saturday.

The competitors never got anywhere near their target – perhaps not surprisingly as they were using the final furlong on what is one of the stiffest finishes in the country.

It was a new venture for the racecourse and many who stayed behind to witness the spectacle had never heard of the sport, which involves a person on a wheeled board little bigger than a skateboard being pulled along by a ridden horse.

A horseboarder attempts to break the long jump recordCredit: Colin Russell

The first record attempt was the long jump, where the horseboarder went up a ramp and attempted to land as far as away from it as possible. The horse stayed on the flat. The record is over 30 feet, on Saturday the most anyone could manage was 19 feet.

Failure to gather enough momentum due to lack of speed was cited as the reason for the record not being threatened.

That lack of speed was evident over the timed furlong when in the individual time trials the thoroughbred Anglo Paddy, who never broke any speed record in his days with Neil Mulholland, came out best at 31mph, which was some way short of any world best.

The display took place after seven competitive races, and several hundred curious spectators lined the rails on both sides of the track for the start of it.

World records, however, never looked in danger of being broken. Better luck next time, perhaps going downhill here, or at a less undulating course.

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