We were invited to Catterick Racecourse to attend their family day this summer. We like to go to the races a couple of times a year and knew we'd all enjoy it. I hadn't realised just how nearby Catterick is, and it was an absolutely stunning drive up through the Yorkshire Dales, taking in some incredible scenery along the way. Throughout the summer, Catterick, and many other racecourses across the UK offered free tickets for accompanied under 18's, making a family day out that bit more affordable.
It was Carnival Day when we were there, which meant there were rides, bouncy castles and all kinds of fun and games going on in the Course Enclosure. Even more impressive was that the rides and games were free. The only entertainment for children that you had to pay for was the face glitter. it meant unlimited bounces on the bouncy castle and as many whizzes down the slide as the children could fit in.
There was a brilliant atmosphere at the course and we all really enjoyed being able to get so close to the horses in the parade ring. We had fun choosing which horses we thought would win, and we didn't need to bet on them in order to enjoy the race. In fact, as a family we chose horses and just saw who won out of the four of us, rather than putting bets on every race. It added a different type of competitive element, which we all enjoyed.
We were treated to a meal in The Winning Streak restaurant, with views from one side out to the racecourse and the other side out to the parade ring. In spite of a power cut, we were still served a two course meal. There were no children's meals, but they were given smaller portions of the adult meals, which I thought was a great option. My daughter especially would generally prefer to eat an adult meal over typical kids meals of chips and chicken nuggets. The pudding I had was genuinely one of the best I have ever eaten. It was a lemon pavlova with fresh fruit and such a delicious lemon sauce. I'm not generally a fan of puddings, but this really was sensational.
We had a wonderful day at Catterick. The sun shone, the children were entertained and we ate fabulous food. There's not a lot more that I would wish for a day out as a family. We'll definitely be heading back to Catterick again now that we know how close it is. For more information, and for future race dates, check out their website.
Disclosure: We were provided with race tickets for the day and also our meal for the purpose of this post.
