Earliest meeting: Wednesday 26th March 1828
Final meeting: Wednesday 2nd April 1834
The village of Cottesmore is in the northern part of the county of Rutland and is most famous for its Hunt Group. The Cottesmore Hunt dates from 1740 when Sir William Lowther, the First Earl of Lonsdale, brought his pack of foxhounds to the village to begin a Hunt Group. Nearly a century later the interests of the group extended into horse racing when they organised a meeting on Wednesday 26th March 1828. At that meeting the opening Ranksborough Stakes was won by Mr Sumner’s Emma, and the Cottesmore Stakes by Clipsham. The next year a second meeting was organised by the Cottesmore Hunt Committee using Stamford racecourse on Monday 6th April 1829 when the Ranksborough Stakes was won by Twist, while the concluding Cottesmore Farmers’ Purse went to Mr Wilmot’s Hesperus. By the time of the final recorded meeting under rules on Wednesday 2nd April 1834 the races were taking place on Cottesmore Heath. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 1 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Sir G Noel, Mr Wortley, Mr Wilmot |
| Principal Races |
Cottesmore Stakes, Ranksborough Stakes, Cottesmore Farmers Purse |
Wednesday 26th March 1828
Cottesmore Stakes once round and the distance
1. Clipsham, chestnut mare owned by Mr Heathcote
2. Orion, bay gelding owned by Mr Baker
3. Minos, grey gelding owned by Sir G Noel |
Monday 6th April 1829 |
The Ranksborough Stakes over 2 miles
1. Twist owned by Mr Bird
2. Unnamed horse by Bradbury owned by Mr Weldon
The Cottesmore Stakes over a mile
1. Unnamed gelding by MacOrville owned by Mr Wortley
2. Unnamed filly by Fillo da Puta owned by Mr Doncaster
3. Caroline owned by Mr Heathcote
Cottesmore Farmers Purse over a mile
1. Hesperus owned by Mr Wilmot
2. Doubtful owned by Mr Sprigg |
| The final meeting took place on Monday 21st March 1831. |
| Course today |
The Hunt Group used a variety of locations including Stamford Racecourse and Cottesmore Heath. |
| 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. |
| ORDER FORM |
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