From 04 April 2025, the Museum is delighted to announce the opening of a brand-new exhibition entitled Horseplay, showcasing over 50 rare and antique board games that bring the racecourse to the tabletop, in an intriguing and creative way. With games on loan to the Museum from a private collection, the exhibition is thought to be the largest display of horseracing-themed board games ever opened to the public. Visitors will find all the thrills and spills of being at the races, without actually stepping on the turf.
The games on display range from a wooden box with a hand crank dating from 1880, to a madcap drinking game where nobody can visit the loo before a ‘Pee Break’ card is drawn. Others include antique playing cards, a board game endorsed by a Hollywood legend and another invented by a famous composer. Visitors follow a racetrack game through the exhibition. Along the way, you can view antique and contemporary games, as well as have a chance at playing a few, to be crowned ‘winner on the podium’.
Horseplay replicates the larks, japes and capers that can be had with everything, from simple dice and playing cards, to more complex games, demonstrating how games are an antidote to screen time, can create happy experiences where family and friends come together, and are inclusive of everyone, whatever their age or ability. What’s more, you don’t need a power source to shake a dice or move a counter.
Games that can be found in the exhibition, include:
The Old – Ascot The New Racing Game dates from 1880 and has a unique method of determining the winner. It comprises a large wooden box with eight horses attached with wires. A hand crank on the side of the box connects to the horses by a variety of turning gears, which result in a different horse winning the race. Players bet on which horse will win.
Hollywood Hero – The Crosby Derby! was made in 1947 by H. Fishlove & Co. and was endorsed by the famous singer (and his friends). Bing Crosby loved horses and bought his first racehorse in 1935. The board game features the top racehorses of the era, and the box cover pictures Bing Crosby and a photo of horses racing, while the contents include the game board, an odds chart, a deck of 70 playing cards, toy money, tickets, and five miniature race horses.
Spin some Vinyl – Foto Finish was made in the 60s using a vinyl record (a picture disc) with race commentary, which results in a different winner depending where the needle lands. One player is elected to be the bookmaker and offering odds, and the other players then bet on the race.
Grandparent of Modern Gaming – Totopoly dating from 1938, uses a double-sided board that enables competitors to trade horses, train and practice for the big day, before flipping the board to embark on a lap of the racecourse itself. Some claim it to be the ‘grandparent of modern gaming’.
Composed by a Composer – And they’re off was designed in 1993 by a syndicate, including composer Andrew Lloyd Webber; players back horses at a series of race meetings to try and win the most money. Movement cards are turned over one at a time and the corresponding horse moves forward one space until the race is won.
Table Games – Escalado, from 1928, is an English tabletop horseracing game. Up to six “jockeys” each have a metal horse, and one player acts as the bookie. Players then place wagers on the five coloured horses, which race across a mechanical vibrating track. The player with the most money is the winner.
A Japanese Apple – Apple Horse Race Roulette dating from 1900, is a Japanese horse racing game that fits inside a painted apple. Parts include a wheel, wooden “marble” and six game tokens. The wheel sits on a stake and can be spun inside the bottom of the apple.
Drinking Game – Black Beauty Downs dates from 1987 and is a party game where no one is allowed to visit the loo, until the ‘pee break’ card is drawn. Players roll the dice to move their horse around the track, often landing on spots causing other players to drink.
This exciting exhibition will be found in The Moller Gallery from 4th April 2025, and will be included in Museum general admission.
