Earliest meeting: Thursday 12th August 1756
Final meeting: Tuesday 10th July 1764
The beautiful countryside of the Burton Wolds area, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, encompasses Burton Agnes, Burton Constable and many nearby villages and hamlets. Burton Agnes Hall is an Elizabethan Manor House, and nearby is Burton Agnes Manor House which dates back to the Norman times. The Burton’s lie close to the main road linking Driffield and Bridlington, and the Wolds once held their own races in the mid-1700s. These were first thought worthy of inclusion in the ‘Historical List of Horse Races and Matches’ of 1756, when they were referred to as the ‘Burton Woulds’, taking place on the Wolds on Thursday 12th August 1756. In the feature event it took three heats before Mr Smith’s chosen 5 year old got the better of Mr Hardy’s horse. The next occasion when races were recorded in the area was a meeting over a 5 day period starting on Friday 6th July and finishing on Tuesday 10th July 1764. It was an unusual meeting because Captain Maynard and Mr Bethell rode a match on the Friday, which Captain Maynard won on Paddy, and then 5 days later they had a rematch over the same course with the same horses and, as it happened, the same result. Although no further meetings were billed as Burton Wolds, racing did take place at Burton Constable between 1837 and 1851. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 1 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Mr Hardy, Mr Smith |
| Principal Races |
Burton Woulds (sic) 5 year old Stakes (Best of 3 heats) |
12th August 1756 |
Burton Woulds (sic) 5 year old Stakes (Best of 3 heats)
1. Unnamed horse owned by Mr Hardy
2. Unnamed horse owned by Mr Smith |
6th July 1764 |
Burton Wolds Match over 2 miles
1. Paddy, bay gelding owned by Captain Maynard
2. Unnamed chestnut gelding owned by Mr Bethell |
10th July 1764 |
Burton Wolds Rematch over 2 miles
1. Paddy, bay gelding owned by Captain Maynard
2. Unnamed chestnut gelding owned by Mr Bethell |
| The final meeting took place on Tuesday 10th July 1764. |
| Course today |
On Burton Wolds between Burton Agnes and Burton Constable. |
| 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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