5th August 2018 at Port Royal, Sidmouth.
Sidmouth Folk Week.
For the third year at the Folk Week there was "an all-comers event for Hobby Horses, Unicorns, Goats, Morris animals and other Beasts of Disguise". Most of those taking part were Hobby Horses (other animals included a Giraffe and a Zebra). Hobby Horses are part of the Morris dance tradition and many sides have a beast. There are two main types: the Hooden or Mast (where the operators holds a pole with a horse's head on the end above their own head. A cloak attached to the horse's head conceals them) and the Tourney or Rider (operators have a frame around their waist with a skirt draped over it hanging down to the ground. The frame has a horse's head at one end and a tail at the other, sometimes with fake rider's legs hanging down the side).
I left fairly early on to attend another event, but did see the beasts assemble in a paddock and do some parade laps. I learnt later that the competition was won by Malarkey and her rider, Julie Page.
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