Pantomime horses race to the harbour

The Pantomime Horse Racing Championships will gallop back into Eastbourne to form the ‘mane’ attraction at this year’s Sovereign Harbour Fun Weekend when it returns to Europe’s biggest manmade marina from 14-15 June.

Back for a third year, the pantomime horses are a popular attraction and event organisers, Marine Volunteer Service (MVS), are calling on groups of friends, colleagues, and rival companies to get themselves into groups of two or three and enter the fun weekend’s unique championships. Now a traditional part of the Fun Weekend, entrants are being asked to come up with the wackiest horse costumes and compete in a race for the Grand Prize, with all funds raised going towards the MVS and their chosen charities.
Eastbourne Borough Council Spokesperson for Tourism, Cllr Steve Wallis said “The Sovereign Harbour Fun Weekend has made its mark on the event’s calendar in Eastbourne and brings thousands of visitors to the town’s award winning marina for a truly unique weekend. As well as the Pantomime Horse races making everybody laugh and enter into the fun atmosphere, there are plenty of other attractions over the two days. The weekend is a fantastic way of raising the profile of the MVS and the priceless service they provide to seaside resorts like Eastbourne.”

There’ll be a hive of family fun at Sovereign Harbour’s popular Waterfront across both days, including a special appearance from the Air Training Corps who’ll perform a field gun carriage drill, and entertain crowds with their Marching Band. The RNLI will also hold their annual open day on the Sunday, with the Eastbourne Lifeboat open to the public with crew on hand to speak to enthusiastic visitors.

Plus there’ll be other nautical displays, including the MVS Eastbourne-based 17.5 metre training vessel; open to budding seamen with information available on the invaluable maritime skills employed by MVS members, including navigation, seamanship, and marine engineering.

With a host of other displays around the marina and keen to entertain the whole family, the Fun Weekend will present funfair rides for the kids, a classic car cavalcade, a display of the more modern Mercedes-Benz, an ex-army tank, plus will welcome back the crowd favourite plate smashing stall. The scrumptious selection of restaurants at the Waterfront will also enter in the festival atmosphere with a variety of refreshments for those enjoying the weekend.

With Sovereign Harbour featuring in Eastbourne’s latest awareness campaign, the prestigious marina development offers a cool, relaxed atmosphere with plenty of places to stay for a break in Eastbourne; from family townhouses to penthouse apartments.

To find out more about where to stay in Eastbourne, see Visiteastbourne.com .