White Horse Soapbox Derby “bigger and better than ever”

Thousands of people descended on Westbury last weekend for the town’s biggest-ever White Horse Soapbox Derby — a day of high-speed thrills, creative engineering and crowd-pleasing entertainment. 

The event, held on Saturday 17th May, featured 18 teams with custom-built carts and their daring drivers hurtling down the steepest and most winding soapbox track in the country near the White Horse.  

Designs included a custom ambulance from South Western Ambulance Service, Santa’s sleigh by team ‘Slaying IT’, and a tank from team Landmarc. Local entries came from Maristow Chiropractic, Honeystone, Studio Ink, and Matravers School – who worked with Westbury Shed and WH Kemp to build their cart and finished 5th.  

The winning team was Acceleramus, who raced a sleek, shark-inspired blue cart and posted the fastest time at 37.2 seconds. Team Savage came second in 37.5 seconds, followed by Acme Racing in 40.4 seconds. 

Alongside the downhill action, live music from Stone Cold Hustle and Brakelight, plus DJ sets from Griff, Biggie Tallz and Fly Fox, kept crowds entertained. 

Art stalls, food vendors, STEM activity zone and charity groups – such as Wiltshire Air Ambulance and Westbury Area Network – also kept visitors busy between races. 

At 2pm, everyone’s eyes turned to the skies as the Red Devils parachute regiment appeared above the White Horse. The display team unfurled a Union Jack and released red flares as they floated down.  

Westbury mayor, Cllr Jane Russ, said this year’s derby was “bigger and better than ever.” 

She said, “What a grand day we had of it! I spoke to all the stall holders and they were delighted by the response from the public. The best moment for me was standing on stage with the Red Devils, what a handsome bunch they are!” 

After landing, Corporal Stephen Handley of the Red Devils said, “It was so good. We’re based in Netheravon near Amesbury, but I’d never actually been to Westbury until today. 

“I didn’t have a proper look at the White Horse on my way down as I was focused on the job, so I’ll have to come back. 

“It’s been a great atmosphere – we’ve been on stage with the mayor and got the chance to walk through the crowds and speak with people about what we do.” 

Westbury Town Council’s event manager, Ryan Child, has promised improvements to transport for next year’s event, after some attendees faced long waits for buses to and from the event. 

He said, “In four years the Soapbox has grown from a few thousand people at the White Horse Equestrian Centre into the most anticipated event in Wiltshire on top of one of the county’s most iconic landmarks. More people than ever attended this year, with more stalls, better soapboxes, entertainment on the ground, down the hill and in the air. 

“Improvements on transport alongside partner organisations need to be made and they will be.” 

He added, “If you look around Westbury now you can see orchards being planted, play areas being built and families moving to the town. 

“The Soapbox, Chilli Fest, Brunches and other events are part of that evolution and we’re excited to work with colleagues, local businesses and the people of the town to keep forging ahead.”