Hobby Horse Riding

In April 1819, a notice was posted up in one of Blandford’s main shops. It stated that a fifty Guineas bet had been wagered that a newly invented and fashionable hobby horse would make the journey from London to the Crown Hotel, Blandford quicker than the mail coach.

The hobby horse was the forerunner of the bicycle. It was invented in France in 1817 and introduced into England the following year. It had no pedals or brakes and was propelled along by the rider pushing on the ground with his feet and dragging the feet to slow the machine down.

From about an hour before the mail coach was due to arrive in Blandford, a large crowd began to gather outside the Crown Hotel to witness the event. However, upon the arrival of the mail coach, it was discovered the whole thing was a hoax. A small boy appeared carrying a placard on a pole which read, ‘This is the first of April!’

That year fashionable society had become gripped by the new craze of hobby horse riding.

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