SPORT ANCIENT AND MODERN 



An event that roused great local enthusiasm 

 was the annual race for a cup, value 50, pre- 

 sented by the members for the borough for com- 

 petition among the members of the Rufford and 

 South Nottinghamshire hunts. Year after year 

 such well-known figures as the Earl of Harring- 

 ton, Captain (now Colonel) Rolleston, Mr. (now 

 Sir) John Robinson, Mr. W. J. Ford, Mr. C. 

 Hibbert and Mr. J. Williamson (father of the 

 professional, George Williamson), turned out in 

 friendly rivalry in this event. Mr. Williamson 

 rode the winner on no less than seven occasions. 



Looking back over the race of famous jockeys 

 who have been associated with the old Notting- 

 ham meetings we find the name of Flatman, 

 Frank Butler, Tom Aldcroft, Charlton, Jemmy 

 Lye, Cartwright, Ashmall, Chaloner, Osborne, 

 George Fordham, Harry Custance, S. Rogers, 

 T. Cannon, sen., J. Snowden, Luke Snowden, 

 the two Grimshaws, Charles Wood and Fred 

 Archer. 



The conditions surrounding racing at unin- 

 closed meetings in the old days on the Forest 

 were in many respects vastly different from those 

 of to-day. Cabs were permitted to pass over 

 the course, to get to the grand stand, until one 

 day J. Grimshaw was dashed into by one of 

 these vehicles, and badly injured ; then things 

 were altered. Dogs were, of course, an ever- 

 present nuisance, and at one time a decree was 

 issued that any of these animals found on the 

 course would be destroyed. On one occasion 

 when J. Fagan was riding Pampas Grass, a 

 collie ran between the animal's legs, horse and 

 rider being thrown and injured, while the dog 

 was killed on the spot. 



All things, however, have an end, and in 

 1890 the race meetings held almost uninter- 

 ruptedly for 20O years and more on the pictur- 

 esque grounds of Nottingham Forest ceased to 

 exist. For some years the fixture had shown 

 unmistakable symptoms that it was declining. 

 The inadequate character of the course, which 

 some irreverent scribe likened to a circus 

 inclosure, had become painfully apparent, while 

 Nottingham could not compete with the more 

 valuable prizes offered at Derby and Leicester, 

 the result being seen in small fields, and animals 

 of an ordinary plating character. It was there- 

 fore a blessing in disguise when the fiat was 

 issued, that there was to be no more horse-racing 

 under the aegis of the corporation. 



Thwarted of the enjoyment of the national 

 pastime within the borough boundary, local 

 sportsmen went just outside and secured an ideal 

 course at Colwick Park, on the banks of the 

 Trent, where racing has since been pursued 

 under more modern conditions, and amid 

 charming surroundings. The Colwick Racing 

 and Sporting Company, Ltd., was formed, and 

 an excellent course, with grand stand and every 

 accommodation, laid out. The full course, a 



mile and a half in length, with easy turns, 

 adjoins the straight mile rather more than half a 

 mile from home, and is splendidly adapted for its 

 purpose. The last race-meeting was held on the 

 Forest on 29 and 30 September 1890, the last 

 race the Cotgrave Gorse Plate of 80 sovs. for 

 hunters being won by Mr. T. Tyler's Sir 

 Hamilton, ridden by A. Nightingall. The first 

 meeting at Colwick Park took place on 19 and 

 2O August 1892. Although it occurred in the 

 middle of a general election, and had to contenc 

 with the potent attractions of grouse shooting, 

 there was an excellent company, among those 

 present being Lord Rosslyn, Sir George Chet- 

 wynd, Lord Newark, Major and Lady Eleanor 

 Wickham, Major Egerton, General Duncombe, 

 and Mr. R. Fitzhugh, the mayor of Nottingham. 

 Six events were placed on the card for decision, 

 and altogether forty-five horses turned out. The 

 owners represented included the Duke of Port- 

 land, Lord Hastings, Lord Randolph Churchill, 

 Mr. Abington, Mr. Blundell Maple, Mr. H. 

 McCalmont, Lord Zetland, and Mr. D. Cooper, 

 and among the jockeys were M. Cannon, J. 

 Watts, F. Rickaby, C. Loates, O. Madden, W. 

 Bradford, and S. Chaloner. To Fred Rickaby, on 

 Mr. Sibary's Delaval, fell the honour of winning 

 the first event on the new course, defeating M. 

 Cannon on Mr. Abington's Halsbury ; but the 

 race of the day was the Welbeck Abbey Plate of 

 500 sovs., the same amount as the Old Notting- 

 hamshire Handicap. Thirteen runners turned 

 out, and the winner was found in Mr. H. 

 McCalmont's Whisperer, which beat all the 

 favourites. The successful jockey was Chaloner, 

 who secured three successive wins. The second 

 day was a Saturday, and there was an enormous 

 attendance, estimated at between 25,000 and 

 30,000 people. The great race of the day was 

 the Nottinghamshire Handicap, which had been 

 increased to 1,000 sovs., run over a straight mile, 

 and this was won by Mr. Blundell Maple's 

 Golden Garter, which defeated a field of eleven, 

 including the favourite, Breach, belonging to 

 Lord Hastings. A most exciting finish was 

 witnessed between Halma and Scottish Maiden 

 in the Robin Hood Plate, which resulted in a 

 dead heat, the stakes being divided. Over 

 ^3,500 were offered at this inaugural meeting, 

 which altogether was an unqualified success. 

 Instead of four days' racing in the year, it 

 was decided to have fourteen, and this has 

 since been increased to sixteen, but the patron- 

 age accorded has not been sufficient to justify 

 the continuance of the Nottinghamshire Handi- 

 cap at I,OOO sovs., and now it stands at 

 500 sovs. Practically all the leading owners 

 have from time to time competed at Colwick 

 Park. Under the management of the Ford 

 family the races maintain their popularity, and, 

 if few ' stars ' are attracted, the class of horses 

 engaged is of a fairly high standard. 



393 



