Ride Champion the horse at Rehoboth Beach's Funland, inspired by a Hollywood star

A wistful trip back in time costs only a quarter in Rehoboth Beach. Consider it the deal of the century.

Drop a coin into a metal slot at the Funland and saddle up Champion, a vintage, coin-operated kiddie ride at the amusement park on the milelong boardwalk.

The 71-year-old mechanical horse has taken generations of youngsters on a ride to a nostalgic era when a singing cowboy in a white hat was a hero whose code of honor and kindly deeds included helping people in distress; never going back on your word; and being gentle with children, the elderly and animals.

"Today's fun at yesterday's prices" is what the Fasnacht family, the owners of Funland for the last 61 years, have said about the rides at the old-school amusement center that welcomes between 250,000 and 350,000 guests each season from Mother's Day weekend to the Sunday after Labor Day.

Champion, steeped in history that perhaps only those of certain age might remember, is probably Funland's least expensive and most low-key ride.

But the stand-alone horse, parked in the shade on the sidewalk at Delaware Avenue and the boardwalk, next to public restrooms, is not even listed among the almost 20 rides at Funland that have been operating since 1962.

It is not one of the 30 carousel horses on the Merry-Go-Round that survived the powerful Ash Wednesday nor'easter of 1962 that devastated the entire eastern seacoast.

And it's not as well known as other Funland kiddie rides like the fire engines, one of the amusement center's oldest rides that date back to the 1940s.

Nor does it get the attention of the Haunted Mansion, the creepy "dark ride" that's been scaring visitors since 1980.

Hold your horses. That doesn't mean Champion is ignored. Plenty of people say "howdy!'' to the horse.

While the other kiddie rides don't start operating until 1 p.m., children 50 pounds and under can be lifted onto Champion's saddle as soon as Funland's doors open at 10 a.m. It's not often there isn't a boy or girl sitting astride the cream-colored, vintage horse.

The appeal of time travel can be hard to resist for big kids, too. Adults and teens sometimes try to ride Champion, but, "whoa, partner!" the 4-foot-tall horse is for children only. Funland staff members ask them, kindly, to please dismount.

Not all children love the ride. Some begin to cry as soon as a quarter is fed into the slot and Champion begins his rocking gallop. Others wave their hands above their head like rodeo riders and laugh out loud as Champion trots to a finish.

In an era filled with sophisticated technology, the ride, which lasts about 46 seconds, harkens back to simpler times. It's not known how long Champion has been a part of Funland. A message left Wednesday with the amusement park was not immediately returned.

Coin-operated kiddie rides first began appearing outside grocery, drug, and five-and-dime stores, candy shops, and in shopping centers in the late 1940s and early 1950s. They were put into place to lure children and adults into stores.

Cowboys were heroes of the day then and Ride The Champion, the official name of the ride, was modeled and named after Champion, the Wonder Horse, the dashing companion of "singing cowboy" Gene Autry.

Autry, a film and TV star and rodeo performer from the 1930s through the 1950s, today is now probably best remembered for crooning Christmas songs like "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer," "Frosty the Snowman" and "Here Comes Santa Claus."

Autry actually owned three horses named Champion. The original horse appeared in more than 50 Autry films and was known for tricks like playing dead, nodding yes and no, and untying knots.

The last Champion, a light sorrel with four white stockings and a bleached mane and tail, was so popular, he appeared on 91 episodes of "The Gene Autry TV Show" between 1950 and 1955 and even had his own 26-episode television show, "The Adventures of Champion," in 1955 and 1956. The lyrics to the theme song said Champion ran "like a streak of lightning flashing cross the sky."

Autry, who retired from TV in the 1950s, became a wealthy business tycoon and, according to Forbes magazine, was worth $320 million at the time of his 1998 death.

Ride the Champion was produced by Bally Manufacturing Co. in 1952 to take advantage of Champion's popularity. The company, now defunct, also made more than 800 other coin-operated rides including rocket ships, flying saucers, boats and cars.

Champion is a reinforced plastic horse, "as strong as steel," according to a 1950s Bally advertisement. It was made to resemble a realistic "Western" steed.

The attention to detail is impressive. Champion is tacked up with a richly ornamented leather saddle, bridle, martingale, box top stirrups and bit. Horseshoes are painted on the hooves.

Funland's Champion is in surprisingly good condition given it has celebrated 71 birthdays. The ride, set on retractable casters, is safe from inclement weather and it can be wheeled inside at closing time.

The body of the horse is still solid and strong, although there are worn spots under its eyes where thousands of children have rested their hands. A few slight cracks appear at the top of one of the forelimbs.

Champion was touted as "the greatest money-maker in the entire amusement industry!" a bit of hyperbole from Bally Manufacturing Co. advertisements in the 1950s. The cost to ride was initially 10 cents, but many of the remaining horses were reconfigured to accept quarters or can be set to play for free.

"Who carries dimes anymore?" said one restorer of the ride that was "built to last."

Finding a Ride the Champion now at a store or shopping center is about as rare as a public phone booth. Today, some websites list restored rides for collectors at more than $15,000 and as much as $23,000, depending on the condition. Some of the highest-end restorations even play snippets of Rossini's "William Tell Overture."

Champion isn't riding off into the sunset anytime soon at Funland because it fits in so well with the back-in-the-day amusement park themes of peace, love, and fun.

"Some things never change and people like it that way," said a Funland employee, who wouldn't give his name, about Champion's continued popularity. "The world's going too fast now."

Just as Champion, the Wonder Horse, once did.

Contact Patricia Talorico at ptalorico@delawareonline.com and follow her on Twitter @pattytalorico.

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This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Singing cowboy Gene Autry inspired kiddie ride at Rehoboth's Funland.