SPORT ANCIENT AND MODERN 



The first ofBcial issue of the Racing Calendar 

 was in 1773, in which the Durham meeting 

 duly makes its appearance, to continue till 1 85 1, 

 when it lapses until 1854, reappearing in 1859 

 and in 1864, to contmue until its final disappear- 

 ance in 1887, when it shared the fate of the 

 score of minor race meetings that have become 

 extinguished of late years by gate money and big 

 prizes. The Smyddyhaughs are now the uni- 

 versity recreation ground, yet there must be many 

 who regret the dangerous little circular track, 

 and the quaint old stand where one poked one's 

 head out of a back window to catch a momentary 

 glimpse of the horses as they flashed by. It is 

 probable that Durham races would have succumbed 

 even before this date, but for the support of a 

 few of the influential north-country families — 

 Lambtons, Vyners, Shaftos, and others. The 

 actual cause of their extinction was the refusal 

 of the university authorities to renew the lease 

 of the race ground. The last meeting, extend- 

 ing over two days was held in July, 1887. 



Mention must also be made of the races 

 established in Lambton Park by Mr. John 

 George Lambton — afterwards first Earl of Dur- 

 ham. The inaugural meeting took place on 

 18 October, 1821.'° At first these races were 

 private ones, but were soon thrown open to the 

 public. The meeting, however, appears to have 

 been instituted on much the same lines as those 

 at Croxton Park and Hooton Park, where the 

 racing was chiefly confined to gentlemen riders 

 drawn from the influential patrons of the Turf 

 The second Earl of Wilton — in his day possibly 

 the finest gentleman rider in England, whether 

 on the flat or across country — and the late Duke 

 of Portland, an equally good horseman, were 

 among those who used to perform at Lambton. 

 The meeting was discontinued after a few years, 

 probably on account of Mr. Lambton's increased 

 devotion to politics. 



But one other flat-race meeting remains to be 

 noted, and it is even questionable whether it can 

 legitimately be regarded as belonging to Durham. 

 Although the town of Stockton is in this county, 

 its races, which I believe have existed more or 

 less intermittently for more than 150 years,'^ 

 were prior to 1839 run on 'The Carrs,' on the 



coach-house of an elderly maiden lady — to this day 

 happily ignorant of the outrage — selected as a spot 

 likely to be free from interference, whither the Dur- 

 ham bird was brought— in a paper bag ! — by its owner, 

 a bandy-legged little pitman. The contest was a 

 severe one, but the Pride of Durham decisively van- 

 quished its antagonist, and after an exhibition of 

 weak brandy and water was re-transferred to its paper 

 bag, ready, according to its master, to ' tak on ony 

 bord in England or Ireland at ony time.' 



'" Richardson, Loiral Historian s T^'^k Book. 



" Stockton meeting appears in the firsi official issue 

 of the Racing Calendar \n 1 77 3, but Heber notes its 

 existence in 1752, and there is reason to believe it 

 existed for a ew years prior to this date. 



Yorkshire side of the Tees. In that year, how- 

 ever they were removed to Tibberslev, near 

 Billingham in Durham, when the meeting 

 lasted for three days, during which time eleven 

 races were run, the added money being ^^125 ! 

 The races continued to be held at Tibbersley 

 until 1847, when the meeting lapsed for eight 

 years, and on its revival in 1855 ^^.s once more 

 transferred to Yorkshire. ^^ 



Organized steeplechasing is everywhere of 

 comparatively recent development, and the first 

 meeting in the county of Durham of which 

 record exists took place in 1846, at that hub of 

 Durham sport, Sedgefield," where steeplechases 

 have been held uninterruptedly ever since. It 

 would be interesting to know how many other 

 steeplechase meetings in England there are that 

 can claim greater longevity than this. The first 

 meeting took place over West Layton Farm, and 

 such good sportsmen as Mr. Baker of Elemore, 

 and Mr. Cookson of Neasham, ran horses at it. 

 The races were subsequently run over natural 

 courses at Hely House, Ryal Farm, Harpington 

 Hill, and Cote Nook, finally settling down per- 

 manently at their present home on the Sands 

 Hall Estate, a singularly appropriate venue, in 

 view of the owner's — Mr. R. Ord — close con- 

 nexion with both chase and turf, he being a 

 quondam Master of the South Durham Hounds, 

 and one of the actual official handicappers to the 

 Jockey Club. It is probable that the proximity 

 of Wynyard Park had much to do with the 

 institution of the Sedgefield Steeplechase Meet- 

 ing, and the present Marquess of Londonderry 

 has shown his sympathy with it in a very prac- 

 tical manner. Since 1893 he has presented 

 a challenge cup, and ^^25 added money to be 

 competed for by tenant farmers in the South 

 Durham Hunt. The cup has to be won three 

 years in succession on different horses to become 

 the absolute property of the holder, and it is 

 interesting to note that three cups have been 

 won outright by the late Mr. John Trenholm, 

 Mr. Stephenson of Crawley, and Mr. George 

 Menzies of Quarrington. 



The Sedgefield steeplechase course is a circular 

 left-handed one, about a mile and a half round, 

 and is exceedingly well laid out over gently 

 undulating ground. Until about ten years ago 

 it included a small proportion of plough, but 

 this is now laid away to grass, to the regret of 

 that alas ! small body of purists, who maintain 

 that steeplechasing should always attain as nearly 



'* I am indebted to the kindness of Mr. T. Hunter 

 of Stockton for most of the above information. Mr. 

 Hunter, who is now in his eighty-sixth year, has 

 attended Stockton races since he was eight years old. 



" Races took place in Hardwick Park two hundred 

 years ago. A book containing particulars of them 

 used to be in the possession of the late J. Coates, who 

 was private trainer for the late Marquis Talon at 

 Hardwick. 



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