Earliest meeting: May 1704
Final meeting: Monday 9th April 1883
The County Cavan town of Belturbet lies just 2 miles south of the border with Northern Ireland, between the counties of Cavan and Fermanagh. The town is steeped in history due to its prominent position on the River Erne, and when the Anglo-Norman invaders tried to overcome Cavan in the 13th century, Walter de Lacey built a castle on Turbet Island. Five centuries later Belturbet staged an annual race meeting from May 1704 organised and sponsored by the town council, although the first occasion results were listed in the ‘Historical List of Horse Races & Matches of 1758’ was from the meeting which took place on Monday 15th and Tuesday 16th May 1758. On the opening day the Sweepstakes was won by Mr Jones’s bay mare, defeating his own black horse and a chestnut owned by Mr Farris. The meeting concluded the next day with a Purse which went to Mr Green’s Piper. Races continued to be organised on a very regular basis until the late 19th century. On Saturday 30th April 1881 a 3 mile Open Handicap was held in the town, and two years later one of the last meetings to be staged was the Corporation Hunt race on Monday 9th April 1883. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 4 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Mr Montray, Mr Farris, Mr Blashford |
| Principal Races |
Belturbet Sweepstakes, Belturbet Purse |
15th May 1758 |
Belturbet Sweepstakes
1. Unnamed bay mare owned by Mr Jones
2. Unnamed chestnut mare owned by Mr Farris
3. Unnamed black horse owned by Mr Jones |
16th May 1758 |
Belturbet Purse
1. Piper, bay horse owned by Mr Green
2. Forester, bay horse owned by Mr Montray
3. Unnamed grey horse owned by Mr Blashford |
| The final meeting took place on Monday 9th April 1883. |
| Course today |
On common land on the edge of the town. |
| If you have photos, postcards, racecards. badges, newspaper cuttings or book references about the old course, or can provide a photo of how the ground on which the old racecourse stood looks today, then email johnwslusar@gmail.com |
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 |
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ISBN 978-0-9957632-0-3
652 pages
774 former courses |
ISBN 978-0-9957632-1-0
352 pages
400 former courses |
ISBN 978-0-9957632-2-7
180 pages
140 former courses |
ISBN 978-0-9957632-3-4
264 pages
235 former courses |
| Copies of the above books are only available by emailing johnwslusar@gmail.com stating your requirements, method of payment (cheque payable to W.Slusar) or Bank transfer, and the address where the book(s) should be sent. |
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| Volume 3 Wales & Scotland £9.99 + £3 postage |
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| Volume 4 Ireland £9.99 + £3 postage |
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