Earliest meeting: Thursday 21st March 1839
Final meeting: Wednesday 7th April 1847
The Central Devon town of Chudleigh, located between Exeter and Newton Abbot, is surrounded by beautiful countryside on the edge of Dartmoor close to the Iron Age Hill Fort of Castle Dyke. Its location between two important settlements enabled it to hold its own race meetings in the middle of the 19th century organised by the South Devon Hunt. The Steward for the first meeting on Thursday 21st March 1839 was Sir W Carew and the course, in the vicinity of Chudleigh, began in some fields before the runners faced their first high double bank fence which caused most of the runners trouble. They proceeded on to a fence with a four foot post rail to the right and then continued to run alongside the Chudleigh road and on to a series of arable fields and meadowland. The winner, after a tightly fought contest, was Mr T Carew’s Nell Gwynne who just got the better of Cock Robin. The final meeting was staged 8 years later on Wednesday 7th April 1847, and whilst no further racing under rules was staged, the town did hold pony races and greyhound races in the early 20th century. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 2 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
South Devon Hunt Group, Sir W Carew |
| Principal Races |
South Devon Hunt Steeplechase |
Thursday 21st March 1839
South Devon Hunt Steeplechase
1. Nell Gwynne, bay mare owned by Mr T Carew
2. Cock Robin, aged horse owned by Mr Gerrard
3. Wissendine, aged horse owned by Mr Davey |
The only recorded meeting took place on Wednesday 7th April 1847. |
| Course today |
Starting in fields on the outskirts of Chudleigh and running alongside the Chudleigh 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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