A HISTORY OF DORSET 



RACING 



As far as modern racing is concerned Dorset 

 has none, although some good racehorses are bred 

 within its borders, and there is an excellent 

 training stable near Bland ford. In olden days 

 races were held annually at Blandford, where the 

 old racecourse still exists, and also at Sherborne 

 and Weymouth. Blandford races were held on 

 the downs in the parish of Tarrant Monkton, 

 and date back to very early times in the history 

 of racing. 



The races, however, have been discontinued since 

 1843, having gradually dwindled into unimportance. 

 Some curious items are preserved respecting them in 

 the time of James I, when public races were estab- 

 lished in many parts of the kingdom, although it is 

 not improbable that in this town horse-racing may 

 date from a much earlier period. They appear to 

 have been encouraged by the town authorities, who 

 provided an entertainment during the week of their 

 continuance, besides engaging 'players' for the further 

 amusement of the company, who were probably ac- 

 customed to attend these races perioJically, as an 

 established scene of festivity and amusement.' 



As far back as 1603 there is a record of races 

 at Blandford, and the following account of moneys 

 expended is of interest : — 



Blandford Races, 1603. 



John Cleves, Town Steward or Chamberlain 



of the Borough. 



82 16 3 

 Received for the play, six nights £\l js. 

 There is also a long list of noblemen and 

 gentry who attended the races in their coaches 

 and six, among whom are mentioned Lord 

 Milton of Milton Abbey, Lord Shaftesbury of 

 St. Giles, Lord Arundel of VVardour Castle, Mr. 

 Sturt of Crichel, Mr. Willett of Merley House, 

 Mr. Portman of Bryanston, Mr. Weld of Lul- 

 worth Castle. Other early Dorset patrons of the 

 turf were Humphrey Sturt, esq., Henry William 

 Berkeley Portman, esq., Francis Seymour, esq., 



' Hutchins, Hist, ef Dorset. 



and Thomas Erie-Drax, esq., as appears by the 

 list of subscribers in 1757 to an old book on 

 racing by Reginald Heber, entitled The His- 

 torical List of Horse Matches run and of Plates 

 and Prizes run for in Great Britain and Ireland. 

 It is interesting to note that owing to the 

 length of the races, the weight carried, and the 

 several heats run by the same horse in a day, the 

 racing of those days was a very diflPerent matter 

 from that of our times. 



1777- 

 Blandford, Dorsetshire. 

 On Tuesday, 22nd of July, ^50 for 4 yr. olds, 

 colts 8 St. 7 lb., fillies 8 st. 4 lb., winner of one plate 

 this year to carry 3 lb., of more 5 lb. extra. 

 2 mile heats. 

 Mr. Tombs' ch. f. Cornish Lady by 



Prophet, I plate i — i 



Mr. Parke's b.c. Brlskin .... 2 — 2 

 At starting 2 to i on Briskin. 



On Wednesday the 23rd, £(,0 given by the 

 Memben for the County for 5 yr. olds 8 st. 7 lb., 

 for 6 yr. olds 9 st., and aged 9 st. 7 lb. Winners of 

 £10 plates this year to carry 4 lb. extra, of King's 

 Plates since the 5 th of April, 10 lb. extra. 

 4 mile heats. 

 Mr. Hibberd's b.h. Omnium, 



5 yr. old 2 — I — I 



Mr. Bowles' b.h. Codrus, 6 yr. 



old, 2 plates i — 2 — 2 



These horses must have run 12 miles in heats. 

 In 1816, on Tuesday, 29 July, we have the 

 record of a Maiden Plate of ^^50 run off in four 

 mile heats. 



Mr. Tate's ch. h. Lismahago by 



Acacia, 9 st. 10 lb. ... 2 — i — i 

 Mr. Wilson's b.c. Wooton, 4 yrs. 



8 St. 2 lb I — 2 — 2 



In August 18 1 2, a race was run at Sherborne, 

 with the following result : — 



/50 for all ages. Heats thrice round. 

 Mr. Farquharson's Wood Daemon 



by Lop, aged, 9 st 1 — i 



Mr. Williami' ch. g. Picaroon, aged, 



8 St. 1 1 lb 3 — 2 



Mr. Radclyffe's Small Hopes, 6 yrs., 



9 St. 4 lb 2 — 3 



One of the most interesting points of the old 

 Blandford racecourse is Telegraph Hill, where 

 used to stand the Semaphore, with which mes- 

 sages could be sent to London almost as quickly 

 as an electric message gets there now. It was 

 one of a series of semaphore signal stations on 

 the high hills between Blandford and London, 

 each taking up the message and passing it on. 



Both Blandford and Weymouth held races for 

 king's and queen's cups. 

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