GIDDY UP BOARD GAME

Abstract

The invention provides an equestrian board and dice game in which the winner successfully navigates a horse around a race track and the winner is the first horse to reach the finish line. Appropriate for children and adults, the Giddy Up is created for two or more players, approximately ages six and older. Designed to be played on any flat surface, this game is comprised of a playing board, a pair of six-sided dice, and horse playing pieces

Description

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

This patent application claims priority under 35 USC 119 (a) (1) from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/462,150 filed Jan. 28, 2011, of common inventorship herewith entitled, “Giddy Up Board Game.”

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention pertains to the field of board games, and more specifically to the field of horse racing board games.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The prior art has put forth several designs for horse racing board games. Among these are:

U.S. Pat. No. 4,986,546 to Frederick A. Cerulla describes a horse racing board game with a pivoting planar board that contains a series of six straightly aligned racing tracks.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,729,568 to Janet D. Welsh describes a horse racing board game with a plurality of parallel racing tracks in a straight line to the finish line.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,665 to Harry W Rickabaugh describes a horse racing board game which fully simulates the race track experience with an oval race course, horses, infield area, money, betting tickets, chips, and chance and odd cards.

None of these prior art references describe the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple and improved board game of the horse racing experience.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective front view of the present invention showing the game logo, the horse race track, playing pieces and a pair of six-sided dice uniquely designed for this board game.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the game board of the present invention,

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

More than two thousand years ago, man discovered that an animal from the Equus order was good for carrying man's burdens and lightening his load. Following this discovery was the idea that these fast creatures can race one another and entertain humans in the process. Humans started breeding horses to run faster and longer distances. Since royalty and nobility financed breeding race horses, horse racing Is referred to as the Sport of Kings. The Roman Empire was obsessed with the sport, and the early Olympic games featured horse racing. In current times, a popular racing event known as the Triple Crown is a combination of three famous races including the Kentucky Derby, the Belmont Stakes and the Preakness Stakes

The present invention, hereinafter referred to as the GIDDY UP, is an equestrian board and dice game in which the winner successfully navigates a horse around a racing track and the winner is the first horse to reach the finish line. Appropriate for children and adults, the Giddy Up is created for two or more players, approximately ages six and older. Designed to be played on any flat surface, this game is comprised of a playing board, a pair of six-sided dice, and horse playing pieces. The board itself features an oval track, divided into seven rows with twenty segments in each row. The oval track contains a starting gate as well as a finish line. The dice are marked with distinct numbers to determine a players movement. The first die contains the legends +1, −1, +1, +2, −2, +2, on each of its six sides. The companion die features the legends +1, +2, +3, +4, −4, and “Start Over”, on each of its six sides. To start a game of Giddy Up, a player rolls the first die with the lower odds. This roll can get the horse past the fourth segment, or the first turn on the track. After this first roll, the next player can roil either die and moves their horse accordingly. Selecting which die to roll provides the player with a strategy plan to play it safe with lower odds or take a risk with higher odds. Play continues in this fashion as horses pull ahead or lag behind based on the roll of the die. The horse that reaches the finish line first is declared the winner. Simply designed, the entire Giddy Up game Is packaged in an attractive cardboard box.

The Giddy Up can be enjoyed by children as well as adults. Horse enthusiasts will appreciate the equestrian theme game and the good natured fun it provides. Containing minimal components, this unique game will be packaged in a compact box set, providing easy storage as well as transport. The combination of the equestrian theme and the excitement of the rolling of the dice will make this novel invention a popular board game. The Giddy Up is a cleverly designed product invention that offers players a fun and exciting game of luck and strategy. Both simple and challenging, this entertaining and social game effectively fosters camaraderie and competition at an affordable price.

Although this invention has been described with respect to specific embodiments, it is not intended to be limited thereto and various modifications which will become apparent to the person of ordinary skill in the art are intended to fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as described herein taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.

Claims

1. A horse racing board game, comprising: an equestrian board, dice and horse playing pieces, wherein the players navigate a horse playing piece around an oval racing track printed on the board and the winner is the first horse to reach the finish line, wherein the oval track is divided into seven rows with twenty segments in each row, and further wherein the oval track contains a starting gate as well as a finish line.

2. The game of claim 1 wherein the dice comprise a pair of six-sided dice, wherein the dice are marked with distinct numbers to determine a player's movement, wherein the faces of the first die show the markings. +1, −1, +1, +2, −2, +2. on each of its six sides, and wherein the second die show the markings +1, +2, +3, +4, −4. and “Start Over”, on each of its six sides.

3. The game of claim 2 wherein play of the game starts when a player rolls the first die, then the player moves their horse playing piece according to the marking on the die, then, the next player can roll either die and moves their horse playing piece according to the marking on the die, then another plays by rolling either die and moving their horse playing piece according to the markings on the die, play continues until one horse playing place reaches the finish line, and is declared the winner.