Earliest meeting: Monday 22nd July 1839
Final meeting: Tuesday 18th August 1846
The tiny village of Hurstbourne Tarrant, in the Test Valley, is close to Andover in Hampshire. It was a much more important place in 1226 when it was dominated by a Cistercian nunnery. However, despite it being only a small village it did hold its own race meetings, beginning on Monday 22nd July 1839. The course was on ‘an extensive piece of green sward called the Common’ and was run in conjunction with an amusement fair. Entries were made at the George Inn and an Ordinary was served at the same venue after racing. The principal race was the Hurst Stakes contested over 1 ½ miles each year. At the meeting on Monday 25th July 1842 the feature Hurst Stakes was won by Mr Hune’s Variety. Meetings were held annually for the next 4 years until a final meeting on Tuesday 18th August 1846.
The inaugural meeting at Hurstbourne Tarrant was on Monday 22nd July 1839 when a committee organised the meeting on Hurstbourne Common, with Mr H Alexander acting as Judge and Mr Harry Church as Clerk of the Course. The attendance was both numerous and highly respectable, and they witnessed an opening race for ponies over a mile and a half which saw Mr Hodge’s Jenny Spinner defeat Mr Martin's Orenooko and Mr Payne's Myrtle.
Hurstbourne Tarrant £10 Sweepstake for Galloways over a mile and a half
1. CHIMBORAGO, chestnut horse owned by Mr North 1 1
2. BLOOMS, bay mare owned by Mr England 2 2
3. BRANDY NAN, bay mare owned by Mr Hall 3 3
4. CHANCE, bay mare owned by Mr Shephard 4 4
Hurstbourne Ladies Stakes for silver teapot and cream ewer
1. SPECIMEN, chestnut mare owned by Mr Saddler
2. YOUNG FORESTER, bay gelding owned by Mr Drew
3. BURBAGE, bay mare owned by Mr Cox
4. CZAR, bay horse owned by Mr Southby
The Produce 3-y-o Stakes over a mile
1. BEIRAM, grey filly owned by Mr Hilliard
The next year the meeting was moved to 20th July 1840 when a good crowd was once again in attendance, and continued in July on Monday 26th July 1841.
The 1841 meeting was held on Monday 26th July 1841 when an extended card comprised 6 races which drew a numerous and respectable crowd including Lord Huntingtower, Lord and Lady William Paget and Lord Ross.
Monday 26th July 1841
Galloway Stakes over a mile and a half
1. LITTLE JANE owned by Mr Batt and ridden by Watson
2. LITTLE CHANCE owned by Mr Watson and ridden by Hotham
3. MAID OF THE MILL owned by Mr Calley and ridden by Parsons
4. LOUISA owned by Mr Maton and ridden by A Lad
Hurst Stakes over a mile and a half
1. SPRIG owned by Mr Maton and ridden by Gulliver
2. PROFIT owned by Mr Hopkins and ridden by Hopkins
3. LITTLE CHANCE owned by Mr Maton and ridden by Hotham
Ladies Stakes over a mile and a half
1. BRISTOLIAN owned by Lord Huntingtower and ridden by Maslin
2. VIGENTI owned by Mr Hopkins and ridden by Hopkins
3. MAID OF THE MILL owned by Mr Calley and ridden by Parsons
Hurstbourne 5 Sovereigns Match
1. LITTLE FANNY owned by Mr Young and ridden by J Herbert
2. INDUSTRY owned by Mr Turtle and ridden by Evans
Sweepstakes of 12 Sovereigns over a mile and a half
1. BRISTOLIAN owned by Lord Huntingtower and ridden by Maslin
2. VIRGENTI owned and ridden by Mr Hopkins
Hurstbourne Handicap
1. MAID OF THE MILL owned by Mr Calley and ridden by Hotham
2. LITTLE CHANCE owned by Mr Maton and ridden by A Lad
3. LITTLE FANNY owned by Mr Young and ridden by J Herbert
4. FANNY owned by Mr Wolfe and ridden by E Wolfe
5. CORONATION owned and ridden by Mr H Wolfe
6. WELFARE owned and ridden by Mr Ferret
Monday 25th July 1842
Hurst Stakes over 1 ½ miles
1. Variety, 5 year old owned by Mr Hune
2. Forest Lass, 6 year old owned by Mr Hopkins
3. Village Lass, aged horse owned by Mr Hotham
The meeting in 1843 was staged on Monday 24th July with a card made up of 4 races.
Hurst Stakes for 30 shillings each
1. VIGINTI, black gelding owned by Mr Carlisle and ridden by Carlisle
2. THE EVENING STAR. 4-y-o owned by Mr Hewitt and ridden by Humby
3. JESSICA, bay mare owned by Mr R W England and ridden by King junior
4. LADY WAIST, chestnut filly owned by Mr Brind and ridden by King senior
Ladies Selling Stakes for £45
1. VICTOR, bay horse owned by Mr Hewitt
2. JIM CROW, grey gelding owned by Mr J Butler
3. JESSICA, bay mare owned by Mr R W england
Hurstbourne £60 Sweepstake
1. IMA, bay mare owned by Mr Hewitt
2. BONAPARTE, bay horse owned by Mr Humby
3. VICTOR, owned by Mr Carlisle
4. JIM CROW, owned by Mr J Butler
5. NORMA, owned by Mr Bayliss
6. PAUL CLIFFORD owned by Mr R W England
Hurstbourne Handicap
1. THE EVENING STAR owned by Mr Hewitt and ridden by Humby
2. JIM CROW owned by Mr J Butler
3. JESSICA owned by Mr R W England
4. LITTLE JANE owned by Mr Batt
5. MERRY LASS owned by Mr Price
In 1844 the meeting took place on 22nd July while the next year it was held on 21st July 1845. The very last meeting to be organised in the village was on Tuesday 18th August 1846, and despite the races being more attractive than normal, the crowd was significantly reduced owing to the inclement weather and the prevalence of harvest occupation. Maybe moving the meeting to August was not the best idea and was the likely reason for not organising future meetings.
I am grateful to Liam Dolan for providing details of the final meeting at Hurstbourne Tarrant which took place on Tuesday 18th August 1846.
Sweepstake of 2 sovereigns each with 10 added over 12 furlongs
1. PRETENDER, brown colt owned by Mr Brown and ridden by Drewe 1 4 1
2. THE LEG, bay horse owned by Mr Stollard 4 1 2
3. NUBIA, chestnut mare owned by Mr Tubb 2 2 wdr
4. SOMERSET owned by Mr W Killard 3 3 wdr
Hurst Stakes over a mile and a half
1. WITTICISM, bay filly owned by Mr I Sadler and ridden by Saddler
2. NUBIA, chestnut mare owned by Mr Tubb
3. PRETENDER, brown colt owned by Mr Brown
4. UNNAMED Horse
Tally-Ho Stakes over a mile and a half
1. WILD ROE, bay filly owned by Mr Treen
2. MESSENGER owned by Mr W Sadler
3. FATHER MATHEW owned by Mr Skelton
4. SECUTOR owned by Mr George Osbaldeston
5. SPARSHOLT owned by Mr King
This race required 4 heats before being settled, as the second heat resulted in a dead heat.
It is likely that the course was laid out on the Common especially for the races and did not exist as a course outside the day of the races. A map showing Hurstbourne Tarrant in the mid 1800s is shown below, although the Common is not marked on.
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
