Earliest meeting: Wednesday 12th April 1882
Final meeting: Wednesday 12th April 1882
Whilst it is known that racing took place at Chelmsford in Essex in the mid 1700s, the first occasion that races were organised by the Essex Hunt Committee was in 1808 when the Chelmsford racecourse at Galleywood was used as the venue. This arrangement lasted for 4 years before there was a considerable lapse in the Essex Hunts meetings. The Essex Hunt Committee was then reinvigorated to organise further race meetings in 1876 when a new venue at Rundells was chosen on land owned by James Scruby. The meeting on 12th April 1882 was held at Rundells, although there is some thought that it was moved to Harlow Bush just for one year. A racecard of the meeting clearly indicates Rundells was the venue unless, at the last minute, it was transferred. However, there were occasions when the steeplechase part of the meeting was run on a separate course to the point to point races, and this might have been the case in 1882. After ditching Rundells as their chosen venue the committee deemed that a course at High Roothing Bury should be used for the 1898 meeting. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 2 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Mr H Loftus-Arkwright, Sir Henry Selwin-Ibbetson, Mr Robert Lockwood |
| Principal Races |
Essex Hunt Welter Cup, Essex United Hunt Cup, Essex Open Hunters Plate, Essex Farmers Plate |
Wednesday 12th April 1882
Essex Red Coat Steeplechase over 3 ½ miles
1. Templar, brown gelding owned by Mr Water
2. Desdichado, brown gelding owned by Sir Henry Selwin-Ibbetson
3. Multim in Parvo, brown gelding owned by Sir Henry Selwin-Ibbetson |
| The final meeting took place on Wednesday 12th April 1882. |
| Course today |
A nomadic group making use of a number of racecourses.
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| 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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