A HISTORY OF SUSSEX 



the first fixture being on 26 October. It was 

 well patronized by owners of greyhounds and 

 the general public, being very convenient for 

 spectators, who could view all the running from 

 the stands (the inclosure being also a race-course). 



After a time interest in inclosed coursing 

 gradually died away, and although a number of 

 valuable stakes were offered, attendances fell off, 

 until eventually coursing was abandoned at 

 Plumpton in 1889. 



After a lapse of thirteen years it was re-estab- 

 lished, a meeting being held on 3 January, 1902. 

 The ground is the property of Mr. W. Hodgkin- 

 son, of Ashurst, Plumpton. The extent of the 

 inclosure is about 150 acres, and the Station 

 field, in which the coursing takes place, is 

 55 acres. About half of the number of the 

 hares coursed are bred on the estate, the others 

 coming from Norfolk ; these are crossed with 

 Hungarian hares every two years. The club 

 consists of about fifty members, and is governed 

 by a committee. There are usually about three 

 meetings in the season, the first being early in 

 September, when the Produce Stakes are run, 

 one in December, one in March or April, when 

 stakes for saplings are added to the programme. 

 In the season 1906-7, the Sussex County Club 

 held their Boxing Day meeting, by permission, 



on this ground. Great attention is paid to the 

 ground, which always carries good herbage, con- 

 sequently coursing can be held as early as Sep- 

 tember, and as late as April, even in frosty 

 weather, without ill effects to the dogs. The 

 facilities for coursing when other lands are frost- 

 bound renders Plumpton a very popular place 

 for running trials ; many Waterloo Cup candi- 

 dates are put through their facings here. At the 

 last club meeting for saplings when only buck 

 hares were run, out of thirty courses only two 

 hares were killed. The ground is on a gentle 

 upward slope from the slipper's screen to the 

 escape ; this gives the hares an advantage, and 

 also tries the speed and stamina of the grey- 

 hounds. 



Mr. Hodgkinson writes : 



I renewed coursing at Plumpton on the proposition 

 of the late Mr. T. Graham, the celebrated and suc- 

 cessful Cumberland courser, who always said it was 

 the best trial ground in England, the trials always 

 being of a uniform character without unduly distress- 

 ing the dogs. 



There is no doubt the sport is gaining ground 

 in this county ; there are more owners of grey- 

 hounds than in previous years, and their number 

 continues to increase. 



RACING 



Racing has been popular in Sussex since the 

 early days of George II, and although few if 

 any records exist earlier than 1727, there can 

 be little doubt that race meetings of a kind 

 were held here and there in the county as far 

 back as the reign of Queen Anne, or even earlier. 

 Lewes is the first Sussex meeting of which the 

 old Racing Calendars contain mention. 



In 1727 Lord Halifax's Sampson walked over 

 for His Majesty's Plate of 100 guineas at Lewes. 

 Races for King's Plate in those days were run in 

 four-mile heats, the weight carried being 12 St. 



There were three days' racing at Lewes in 

 I729- 1 On 7 August Mr. Henley's Thunder- 

 bolt walked over for the King's Plate. On 

 the 8th a 20 plate for Galloways was 

 won by Mr. Trower's Sweetlips. On 9 Au- 

 gust a plate of 50 guineas was won by Mr. 

 Fleetwood's Fair Play, with Sir Robert Fagg's 

 Alexander second and Sir William Gage's Plow- 

 man third. For many years Lewes races under- 

 went little alteration in value of stakes or character 



not sport, the hares having no chance to save their 

 lives. On the inclosed system she has the run of a 

 hundred or two of acres, and has learned the way to 

 safety. The proportion of kills in a day's inclosed 

 coursing is often less than at an open meeting. 



1 John Cheny, Historical List of 'Horse Matches run, and 

 of all Plates and Prizes in England and IV ales. 



of sport. The King's Guineas sometimes pro- 

 duced a contest, sometimes only a ' walk over.' 

 Usually a race for a ^50 plate was the only other 

 event at the meeting. Occasionally a match took 

 place. Thus in 1760 the Duke of Richmond's 

 Muley Ishmael, carrying 8 St., beat Sir M. Fether- 

 ston's Sally, carrying 8 St. 7 lb., for 200 guineas, 

 while the duke paid forfeit in another match to 

 the same owner. In 1765 the meeting, which 

 had long been a two-day fixture, was extended to 

 three days again, the events consisting of the 

 King's Guineas on the first day, and a 50 

 plate on each of the other days of racing. In 

 1770 the Duke of Richmond gave a 50 plate 

 for horses bred in Sussex, weight for age. There 

 were seven starters, and Sir Frederick Poole's 

 Sharpshins was the winner. The races attracted 

 many of the prominent racing men of the period, 

 1727-75. Among those who ran horses were 

 the Dukes of Richmond and Bolton, the Earl of 

 Essex, Lords Craven, Portmore, and Ossory, Sir 

 Arthur Hazelrigg, Sir John Shelley, Sir Michael 

 Newton, and Messrs. Cowper, Martindale, 

 Holbech, Curzon, and Vernon. As Brighton 

 became fashionable, there was a great exodus of 

 visitors and townsfolk from that place to Lewes 

 on race days. This was especially noticeable from 

 about the year 1760. Local interest is evidenced 

 by the fact that in 1774 a ' Brighthelmstone 



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