Earliest meeting: October 1803
Final meeting: Tuesday 9th August 1870
The busy Staffordshire market town of Leek, on the River Churnet, lies 10 miles north-east of the city of Stoke on Trent and first held races in 1803. The ‘County History of Staffordshire’ records that racing took place on Leek Moor in October 1803. However, by 1834 the meetings had moved from the Moor and were being staged at the Birchall Dale Course. In 1841 races billed as North Staffordshire were being held on Highfield Park in Leek, when the meeting was deemed to be sufficiently important for results to be included in Baily's Racing Register. Although races continued at Birchall Dale, the two day meeting on Monday 5th and Tuesday 6th August 1867 returned to Highfield Park where the Highfield Stakes was won by Mr Windsor’s Nuneaton. This venue was used for a further three years until the final card under rules took place on Tuesday 9th August 1870. Races outside of rules were still being held at the Birchall Dale course in 1883, although the two day meeting on Monday 6th and Tuesday 7th August 1883, organised by the North Staffordshire Flat and Hurdles Committee, included pony and half-bred races..
Monday 18th to Tuesday 19th October 1841
The Leek Sweepstake over 3 miles and the distance
1. Rebecca owned by Mr Taylor
2. Oxton owned by Mr Frost
Co3.untry Lass owned by Mr Bates
4.Fraility owned by Mr Moss
5.Frank owned by Mr Langley
6. Unnamed mare by Tramp owned by Mr Hind
The Leek Hurdle over 2 miles
1. Woodbine owned by Mr Bennett
The Moorland Stakes over 2 miles
1. Catherina owned by Mr Barrow
2. Comical John owned by Mr Walmsley
3. Oxton owned by Mr Frost
4. Talebearer owned by Mr Johnson
The Leek Handicap Sweepstake over 2 miles
1. Frank owned by Mr Langley
2. Oxton owned by Mr Frost
3. Country Lass owned by Mr Bates
4. Talebearer owned by Mr Johnson
The Moorland Stakes - For ponies not exceeding 14 hands 2 inches high
The Churnet Valley Stakes - For horses of every description
The Licensed Victualler's Purse - For Half-bred Horses
The Birchall Stakes - For ponies not exceeding 14 hands
The North Staffordshire Hunt Hurdle Race - For horses of any description.
The Ladies' Purse Handicap - For ponies not exceeding 14 hands 2 inches high
The Tally Ho! Handicap - For Half-bred Horses
The North Staffordshire Handicap - For horses of every description
The Wall Grange Handicap - For ponies not exceeding 14 hands
The Tradesmen's Handicap Hurdle Race - For horses of every description.
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
