Steeplechase at Blackpool Pleasure Beach

Steeplechase-Pleasure_Beach_Blackpool

When it comes to rides I am definitely a person who loves the more severe and intense variety but even I can appreciate an attraction which is great fun rather than thrilling, especially when it is unique. Whenever I go to Blackpool Pleasure Beach I have to ride Steeplechase, a ridiculous contraption which is simply hilarious.

Opening

Steeplechase was a specially commissioned ride built by Arrow Dynamics which first opened in 1977. In keeping with the theme of the ride and the tradition of celebrity openings, the great Red Rum opened the ride in the year of his third Grand National victory. The appearance of Britain’s most famous horse was accompanied by celebrity guests dressed for the races to add pomp to the occasion.

Unique Experience

The ride is the only one of its type now operating and so it is worth giving it a go to try something you just can’t find anywhere else but it is the indignity of the whole experience which provides the real entertainment. Riders are seated on horses which traverse an undulating coaster type track featuring two chain lift hills on the circuit. You don’t travel very fast or to any great heights, which is just as well given the rather precarious nature of the seating! Riders are perched on the horse with only a seatbelt to hold them in place and a bar to hold on to which necessitates leaning forward and assuming a position which mimics riding a real horse. You almost feel as if you should have donned your riding gear before entering the queue! The horses can also be ridden two up for extra hilarity and travel three abreast for a racing experience.

Bumpy Ride

Your journey around the circuit is somewhat bumpy which makes the elevated position above the track seem even more precarious. This is not a huge coaster or a high speed machine and yet you really do feel rather vulnerable. The ride is certainly more intense in reality than it looks from the comfort of the queue line! There is something truly mad and deeply entertaining about watching a succession of adults traverse the track astride model horses looking terrified by the ordeal. Having taken on Steeplechase on many occasions I still laugh every time I ride.

Mad but Good!

Steeplechase is a uniquely stupid contraption which somehow conspires to be a brilliant experience for the whole family. An undignified romp across the landscape, it is ride which looks innocuous but ultimately really delivers. The ride, however, is undeniably uncomfortable but the seating position and lack of restraints do mean that you don’t get bashed about by the jolts en route. The queue can move slowly as the throughput is woeful, a problem which is only enhanced by the tendency of the park to operate only two of the three tracks on the ride. You might have to wait a bit on busy days but the sight of the other riders is enough to entertain you as you progress slowly to the platform.

Byline