PARTICIPANTS

1) Alice the Eagle (Crystal Palace)
2) Billy Butlin Bear (Butlins)
3) Bradley the Bear (Haven Holidays)
4) Charlie the mascot (Havant Leisure Centre)
5) Frogmore (Portsmouth FC)
6) Hampton the Hedgehog (Littlehampton
    Carnival)
7) Haydon the Womble (AFC Wimbledon)
8) Howie the Hornet (Horsham FC)
9) Humphrey the Elephant
10) JL the Bear (Playbox Playgroup)
11) Jolly Green Giant (Yeovil Town)
12) Oily the Otter (Southern Water)
13) Pete the Eagle (Crystal Palace)
14) Reggie the Red (Crawley Town)
15) Rocky the Bear (Bognor Regis Town FC)
16) Roland the Dog (Portsmouth Bowlplex)
17) Spinny the Tower (Spinnaker Tower)
18) Sting the Wasp (Wasps RFC)
19) Tamworth the Hound (Children's Trust)
20) Trusty the Bear (Children's Trust)

Horsham's ever popular mascot, Howie the Hornet, was out making more new friends when he took part in Fontwell Racecourse's Family Fun Day. With the British Summer showing belated signs of making an appearance, the thousands of visitors who made the trip to the West Sussex racecourse were treated to an afternoon of beautiful sunshine and a race programme that offered the chance of earning some lucky punters a small fortune. But it was the sight of a number of oversized birds, bears, dogs and assorted wildlife that captured the imagination early on when mascots from all over the south gathered to take part in the egg and spoon race. Entrants from more than a dozen different clubs, organisations and businesses made their way into the parade ring as children and their parents watched on in amusement as Crawley Town's Reggie the Red squirted on-lookers with a water gun before grappling with his old chum Howie in front of the day's celebrity guest, former England cricketer Phil Tufnell.

The participants were introduced to the crowd to great applause, and enthusiastic cheers, while 'Tuffers' put them through their paces with a few stretches. Humphrey the Elephant won the crowd's vote for being the cutest mascot (although Howie can't have been far behind !!) while Billy Butlin Bear and Bognor Regis Town's Rocky the Bear were both well received by the locals, as was Portsmouth FC's Frogmore. When it came to Howie's turn, the announcer declared his love of Horsham and got a hug from our green and yellow hero in return. After the introductions it was back to mingle with the crowds before tackling the 100 yards uphill sprint with egg and spoon.

As the mascots lined up, Howie was among those tipped as being one of 'the ones to watch' alongside Crystal Palace's Alice the Eagle, Frogmore and Reggie the Red and, after taking second place in the unofficial mascot Olympics in June, Howie clearly had a reputation to uphold. The motley crew made for a colourful site alongside Yeovil Town's top-heavy Jolly Green Giant who was struggling to prevent himself from toppling over at the starting point but the countdown had begun and, on the marshall's word, they were off. Reggie got off to a flier, surely that egg wasn't staying put on the spoon by legal means, but Howie suffered a disaster when, along with Rocky the Bear, he lost his egg seconds after the start and had to retreat to retrieve it only to discard the oval article and sprint like a hornet possessed as he strove to catch up with his fellow competitors. Regrettably, Reggie won the day for Crawley ahead of Frogmore in second place but, with Howie tearing up the course, it was nail-biting stuff as he vied with Alice the Eagle and outsider The Jolly Green Giant as the finish line loomed large. But, in one final moment of determination (and without the pressures of carrying an egg !!!), Howie made a desperate lunge for the line to take third place ahead of his Crystal Palace rival before collapsing in a fluffy green and yellow heap on the grass, revelling in his moment of glory. After composing himself, Howie was tracked down by a race official who pinned a rather splendid '3rd place' rosette on his chest and proudly went off to show his mascot chums before joining some of them to unwind on the fairground carousel.

Howie certainly continued to do his bit by spreading the name of Horsham Football Club throughout the community and spent a great deal of time posing for photographs and getting kisses and cuddles from dozens of admirers. I'm sure his friend, Matt Haynes, would have been proud of him but Matt didn't show his face all afternoon. Must have been in the bar, I guess !!!!

Howie's next outing, away from the Atspeed Stadium of course, will be for the Mascot Grand National - the big event of the mascot calendar - on Sunday 7th October at Huntingdon. You can read more about it here

A video of the Fontwell egg and spoon race can be viewed here

There is a selection of photgraphs from the day on the Bognor Regis Town forum here