Earliest meeting: Wednesday 26th March 1845
Final meeting: Friday 27th September 1884
The Worcestershire town of Kidderminster lies in the Wyre Forest about 17 miles south west of Birmingham and just 15 miles from Worcester. It was mentioned in the 1086 Domesday Book when known as Chedeminstre. Races first took place in the town on a steeplechase course at Hoo Farm, with card and results shown below, while in 1848 a meeting billed as Kidderminster Hurdle Races was staged, with the feature Sweepstake won by the affectionately named Light-of-other-days owned by Mr Mole. The 1849 meeting was Stewarded by Hon.George Lygon and staged at Spring Grove, Stone Village 1 ½ miles from the centre. By 1851 the races were well established, the meeting on Tuesday 20th February opening with the Worcestershire Hunt Stakes which went to ION owned by Mr Walker, defeating Major Clowes’s Matilda. Later in the day the feature Tradesmen’s Cup was won by Victress. Racing continued to be well-supported for 35 years until a final meeting on Friday 27th September 1884. Although the next year races were staged on Friday 29th May 1885, the card consisted of pony and Galloway races.
I am grateful to Roy Hirons for the very rare racecard shown below which provides evidence that steeplechases were taking place in the town, at Hoo Farm, as early as 1845.
On Wednesday 26th March 1845 a Steeplechase meeting was staged at Hoo Farm which created a huge amount of excitement amongst the sight-seeing and holiday-making crowds of Kidderminster and its surrounding villages. The meeting was meant to start with The Cup race, but a dispute arose because a rule stipulated that only horses owned by gentlemen in the neighbourhood should be allowed to run, and 3 of the 12 entries were owned by Mr W Crowther from Aston Somerville, Gloucestershire. The Stewards decided that he was eligible to run horses, so 8 of the other entrants withdrew in protest, leaving the 3 horses owned by Mr Crowther, Camilla, Ca Sa and Coeur De Lion, to race against Mr Blakeway's Cinderella. Mr Crowther duly won and was presented with the Cup by Mr Roberts.
Town of Kidderminster Handicap Sweepstakes 50 Guineas added
1. VELOCITY, bay mare owned by Mr Vevers and ridden by Kemp
2. BRITISH YEOMAN, bay gelding owned by Mr Anderwood and ridden by Anderwood
3. JEWEL, chestnut gelding owned by Mr Jex and ridden by Mason
4. ALBERT, bay gelding owned by Captain A Williams and ridden by Parker
5. TOM, chestnut gelding owned by Mr Smith
6. ROSEBUD, chestnut mare owned by Mr Puleston
7. TANTALUS, bay gelding owned by Mr Melville
8. CORA, chestnut mare owned by Mr Barnett
9. PERFECTION, bay gelding owned by Mr S Beasley
10. FORESTER, bay gelding owned by Mr Harris
Kidderminster Steeplechase Sweepstake with 15 Guineas added
1. SHAKESPEARE, bay gelding woned by Mr Rose and ridden by Bradley
2. NOTTINGHAM, bay gelding owned and trained by Mr G Vivian
3. THE HERMIT, bay gelding owned by Mr H Chellingworth
4. THE MONK, black horse owned by Mr Puleston
5. KITTY, grey mare owned by Mr Corser
6. CINDERELLA, chestnut mare owned by Mr Blakeway
7. MAN FRIDAY, bay gelding owned by Mr Wadlow
Tuesday 20th February 1851
Kidderminster Tradesmen’s Cup
1. Victress, bay mare owned by Mr E Davenport
2. Doctor Husband, bay gelding owned by Mr A Talbot
3. Cowslip, chestnut mare owned by Mr Vaughan
The final meeting took place on Friday 27th September 1884.
One and a half miles from the town centre at Spring Grove, Stone Village.
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
