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Ripon’s annual Family Sunday Meeting takes place this weekend (May 17), when the action at Yorkshire’s ‘Garden Racecourse’ is scheduled to start at 2-10 p.m. (7 races).

 The day focuses on entertainment for the family, with our first Traditional Family day. There will be a wide variety of FREE attractions, with Punch & Judy from Professional Dan Slater, Magic shows, Face painting & Balloon Modelling, Coconut Shy and lots of other fairground rides for children available in the Course Enclosure, ensuring youngsters have a fun-packed day. As usual at Ripon, accompanied children under 18 years of age are admitted free of charge into all enclosures. Adult admission is available at £6 per person in the Course Enclosure, or £18 (inc admission for four adults) to drive the car into the Course Enclosure – perfect for those picnics with the family.

 The feature races on Sunday include The C.B. Hutchinson Memorial Challenge Cup, a £13,000 Handicap contest for fillies and mares over the sprint distance of six furlongs, held in memory of Charles Hutchinson who was the managing director and company secretary of the Ripon Race Company Ltd. between 1930 and 1976, while The Ripon, Yorkshire’s ‘Garden Racecourse’ Handicap Stakes over one mile offers prize money of £25,000.

 The VW Van Centre (West Yorkshire) Anniversary Handicap (one mile and a quarter) is a further highlight, while a couple of races are sponsored in aid of The Wooden Spoon Society (Yorkshire Region) which funds projects for disadvantaged children and young people. The races are The Brook Miller Mobility Supporting Wooden Spoon Maiden Stakes and The Premex Services Stirring Yorkshire Children’s Smiles Charity Selling Stakes.

 For the third year, there’s a Handicap race for sprinters held in memory of Barry Taylor, who was a respected local Ripon businessman, and an annual member of the racecourse for many years.

 They are joined on the day by Richard Farquhar, a 53 year old father of four who is walking 2,760 miles to connect all racecourses in Britain on foot. This brave undertaking is all in aid of Racing Welfare and Pancreatic Cancer UK, Richard hopes to raise a huge £1.4 million for these two outstanding charities.

 Richard finishes his Redcar to Ripon leg of the journey on Sunday and racegoers are encourages to find the ‘Walking the Courses’ Team on the racecourse to find out more information and to support them in the fundraising where they will be doing a bucket collection on course at the end of the day. 

As always, there will be musical entertainment during the afternoon from the bandstand, courtesy of the Reeth Brass Band and racegoers will be able to follow all of the action on the course’s permanent giant screen.