Earliest meeting: Wednesday 27th March 1839
Final meeting: Friday 1st April 1859
Driffield is a market town in the Yorkshire Wolds in the East Riding of Yorkshire. Originally there were two villages, Great Driffield and Little Driffield, which have now merged to form the market town. Close to the racing town of Malton and the racecourse town of Beverley, Driffield also staged races in the middle of the 19th century. The 4 mile course was located in Great Driffield, starting in Mr Dunning’s cow pasture and moving on to the Wold in a northerly direction parallel with the Scarborough road until reaching Kendall House, and finishing in Mr Moody’s grass field. Jockeys weighed out in the Nags Head for the first meeting on Wednesday 27th March 1839 when Peter Simple won the feature Driffield Chase. After a full day of racing an Ordinary was served at the Blue Bell Inn. At the meeting on Wednesday 30th March 1853 the course selected contained 28 leaps but was described as ‘not best suited for the task, given the small inclosure and tightness of the course’. The main race was restricted to hunters associated with Sir Tatton Sykes, Sir Clifford Constable or the Holderness Hounds and was won by Captain Reynard’s Bruce. Meetings continued for 20 years before a final card was staged on Friday 1st April 1859. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 1 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Captain Reynard, Mr Lamplugh |
| Principal Races |
Driffield Steeplechase, Driffield Sweepstakes |
27th March 1839 |
Driffield Steeplechase over 4 miles
1. Peter Simple owned by Mr Marris
2. Lady Gosling owned by Mr Nicholson
3. Diana owned by Mr Skipworth |
March 1840 |
Driffield Sweepstakes
1. Prickbelt owned by Mr Lamplugh
2. Kilhamite owned by Mr Nicholson
3. Rifleman owned by Mr Reynolds |
March 1842 |
Driffield Sweepstakes
1. The Romp owned by Mr Lamplugh
2. Unnamed horse by Sandbeck owned by Mr Baxter
3. Birthday owned by Mr Lamplugh |
| The final meeting took place on Friday 1st April 1859. |
| Course today |
A 4 mile course parallel with the Scarborough 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. |
| ORDER FORM |
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| Volume 1 North of Hatfield £19.99 + £4 postage |
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| Volume 2 South of Hatfield £14.99 + £3 postage |
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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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| Volumes 1 - 4 £54.96 + £5 postage |
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