OCEAN CITY – If the first weekend was any indication, the operator of the horse and carriage rides in downtown Ocean City looks forward to a successful first season.

Randy Davis of R and B Ranch located in Salisbury first proposed horse and carriage rides on the Boardwalk in Ocean City last May and Mayor and City Council granted final approval in September.

Horse and carriage rides will run from Oct. 19 to April 14 on the weekends with the pick-up location near Thrashers French Fries in the Inlet.

A ribbon cutting ceremony was held at that location last Friday. The Ocean City Chamber of Commerce presented Davis with a marble plaque welcoming him to the community.

“It was a pretty big success, all day Friday, Saturday and Sunday,” Davis said of his first weekend providing the service in Ocean City.

Davis estimated that he provided at least 250-300 horse and carriage rides throughout the weekend. He also offers horse and carriage rides in Berlin and said on Friday and Sunday he probably gave three times as many rides in Ocean City as he would in Berlin, and on Saturday it was about 10 times as many.

Davis has a good feeling the remainder of the season will go well in Ocean City with his first weekend being better than he ever expected.

“There was an overwhelming welcoming effect from the city. All of their workers were very nice to me, exceptionally nice. There is no other way to describe it. Every one of them that were up there welcomed me and even the people who live in the area were welcoming me and thanking me for being there … I would really like to thank everybody, especially Ocean City,” Davis said.

Horse and carriage rides will be conducted in two routes. The general route would start in the Inlet Parking lot moving south to the South Tram Station where it will go west on South First Street. Once reaching Baltimore Ave., the carriage will head north along Baltimore Avenue until reaching Dorchester Street. It will then head east on Dorchester Street, cross the wooden Boardwalk onto the concrete portion of the boardwalk, and head south. When reaching the pier, it will head east along the tram lane, out and around the east end of the pier and then return to the point of origination at the Comfort Station. This route will run from Oct. 19 to April 14.

The holiday route will start at Sunset Park, head south on Philadelphia Avenue to South First Street. The carriage will than head east on South First Street until reaching the intersection of Baltimore Avenue where it will turn and head north, in the right lane, until reaching Somerset Street. It would then head west of Somerset Street until reaching Philadelphia Avenue where it would head south to the point of origination at Sunset Park. This route will run from Nov. 24 through mid-December.