Earliest meeting: Wednesday 18th May 1881
Final meeting: Thursday 24th May 1894
The Suffolk Yeomanry was formed in 1794 as a voluntary cavalry force, but prior to the Boer War the force was raised again under the name of the Loyal Suffolk Hussars. They organised their own race meetings under rules towards the end of the 1800s, with the first meeting taking place in 1881. The meetings were well attended and racing continued for the next 13 years. A meeting certainly took place on Wednesday 18th May 1881 when the South Yeomanry Challenge Cup was won by Wild Georgie, ridden by Sir Claude Champion De Crespigny. In his book ‘Forty years of a Sportsman’s Life’ he wrote about his victory but claimed it was the second successive time he had won the Cup and therefore was allowed to keep it. If this is so then maybe the first Suffolk Yeomanry meeting was held in 1880?! The next year the meeting took place on Saturday 13th May 1882 on Rushbrooke Park, while 3 years later the meeting had moved to Ickworth Park when staged on Friday 29th May 1885. The principal race at the meeting was the Loyal Suffolk Hussars Officers’ Challenge Cup which went to Colonel Blake’s St George. Racing continued annually for the next 7 years until a final meeting on Thursday 24th May 1894.
Friday 29th May 1885
Loyal Suffolk Hussars Officers’ Challenge Cup over 2 miles and 8 flights
1. St George, aged horse owned by Colonel Blake
2. Bertram, aged horse owned by Lieut. Coope
3. Lady Carr, aged mare owned by Major Greene
4. Mild Charley, aged horse owned by Lieut. J W Laruach
Betting: Evens Bartram, 3/1 Mild Charley, 6/1 St George, 8/1 Lady Carr
The final meeting took place on Thursday 24th May 1894.
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
