Derby

 I believe this horse was originally manufactured by Automatic Toys Modena.  The earliest record I've found of the ATM version is in a Thomas's Leisure Group (British distributors) advert in The Coin Slot, dated February 1981, although I think the horse was in production in Italy by the late 1970s at the latest.


ATM Horse - Folly Farm Adventure Park, June 2019

Later, the horse was made by Falgas under the name of Caballo Derby.  The Falgas version appears to have been released in the early 1990s and was a very common British seaside attraction at that time.  At 20p a ride, he was larger horse who alternated between two motions; the typical rocking movement and a kind of bouncing up and down!  While rocking, he'd play the Bonanza theme tune.  While bounching, he'd whinny and make galloping noises!


Clacton-on-Sea, August 1996

The most notable difference between the ATM and Falgas versions is the writing on the saddle.  The ATM version has "Cogan" written on the saddle (no connection to the manufacturer Cogan to the best of my knowledge!), while the Falgas one had "Derby".  In fact, for many years my family called this horse "Terby" due to the stylised font!


Ernie Nichols Golden Sands Amusements, Seaton Carew, June 2017

Derby came in several colours - the original appears to have been the grey, but he was definitely sold in brown and black as well.  His saddle is molded onto his back, while the bridle and harness are painted on.  His reins were the only "real" part of his tack, made out of a rather flimsy material which would soon get damaged and be untidily re-tied.

Herne Bay, August 1997

The horse underwent a complete makeover in the early 21st century, with new molding for his mane, a garishly tie-dyed base, and equally garish colours for the horse.  Production of this final version ceased around 2012.