Earliest Meeting: Tuesday 31st October 1738
Final Meeting: Wednesday 10th October 1739
The small Yorkshire village of Askrigg is in the Wensleydale district of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. It can boast a rich history, being mentioned in the Domesday Book when known as Ascric. It is located in Upper Wensleydale, some 5 miles to the east of Hawes and about 12 miles west of Leyburn. In the early part of the 18th century the village held race meetings, beginning with a 2 day meeting on Tuesday 31st October and Wednesday 1st November 1738. Such was the success of the meeting that a follow-up 2 day meeting was held the next year from 9th to 10th October 1739. The meetings were advertised in the Newcastle Courant, with extracts shown below, although the same newspaper did not include results from either meeting.
The newspaper extracts given below are shown courtesy of the Newcastle Courant and British Library Online.
Much of the information about this course has been found using internet research and is in the public domain. However, useful research sources have been:-
London Illustrated News
Racing Illustrated 1895-1899
The Sporting & Dramatic Illustrated
Northern Turf History Volumes 1-4 by J.Fairfax-Blakeborough
The Sporting Magazine
A Long Time Gone by Chris Pitt first published in 1996 ISBN 0 900599 89 8
Racing Calendars which were first published in 1727
