Earliest meeting: Friday 26th April 1861
Final meeting: Friday 26th April 1861
Little Barford, on the east bank of the River Ouse, is in Bedfordshire but lies close to the border with Cambridgeshire, and is adjacent to St Neots. The village boasts its own Manor House and is better known today for its Power Station, but back in 1861 it hosted a race meeting. Neighbouring St Neots had held races from 1839, even holding a meeting a week before the Little Barford meeting which took place on Friday 26th April 1861. The 3 ½ mile course was located close to the Great Northern Railway line on the estate of Mr H Alington, the card beginning with the Volunteers’ Steeplechase over 3 miles which was won by Mr J Jenkin’s Express beating Valentine and Hasty. The feature race was the Open Hunt Chase which went to the estate owner’s Willoughby. There are no records of further meetings being held in the village.

Little Barford Open Steeplechase, Volunteers’ Steeplechase

Friday 26th April 1861
Open Hunt Steeplechase over 3 ½ miles
1. Willoughby, bay gelding owned by Mr H Alington
2. Black Rose, black mare owned by Mr George Jackson
3. The Czar, chestnut gelding owned by Mr W Julian

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

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