Earliest meeting: Tuesday 17th October 1865
Final meeting: Tuesday 19th October 1869
The small village of Burley-in Wharfdale in West Yorkshire lies 14 kilometres from Bradford and 23 kilometres from Leeds. In the middle of the 19th century, despite being small, it held its own race meetings which coincided with the annual feast celebrations. At one stage part of that celebration was for villagers to make a giant plum pudding which was brought to the Malt Shovel Inn to be enjoyed by all village members. The inaugural race meeting was held on Tuesday 17th October 1865 on a course near to the turnpike with the Otley road. The principal race on Tuesday 19th October 1869, the final day of racing in the village, was the Wharfedale Handicap Stakes which was won by Militiaman in 1869. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 1 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Lieutenant Knowles, Mr George Rhodes (Secretary) |
| Principal Races |
Wharfedale Handicap, Stewards Cup, Wharfedale Grand Hurdle |
Tuesday 19th October 1869
Wharfedale Handicap
1. Militiaman, 6 year old owned by Mr J Batty
2. Rose, bay mare owned by Mr Webster
3. Russian Bear, bay horse owned by Mr Marchant |
| The final meeting took place on Tuesday 19th October 1869. |
| Course today |
In fields near the turnpike on the Otley road. |
| 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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