Ludlow Racecourse History
Ludlow 1935dw.JPG (28707 bytes)

Racing first took place in the Ludlow area in 1643 when matches were arranged between soldiers stationed at Ludlow Castle. The meetings were held at Bromfield, on the edge of Ludlow. However, the first evidence of racing in the Shropshire town of Ludlow was on Wednesday 27th August 1729, and meetings became widely reported after 1750. The Derby Mercury provided a detailed report of the meeting held on Tuesday 27th August 1751, with results shown below. However, even by 1796 horse races were merely a side show when cock fighting was the main attraction. Until the mid-19th century Flat racing was staged in Ludlow, but the first hurdle races took place in 1850, and almost twenty years later a steeplechase course was developed across the main hurdle course. Ludlow ceased offering Flat racing in 1868, only hosting National Hunt cards. The racecourse shares its facilities with the Golf Course, opening a new grandstand, built in the classic Edwardian style, in 1904. A milestone occurred in Ludlow’s history on Friday 24th October 1980 when Prince Charles rode Allibar to second place in the Amateur riders Handicap Chase. Currently the course hosts 18 fixtures annually.
Tuesday 27th August 1751
Ludlow 50 Guineas Purse

1. Star, bay horse owned by Mr Norris
2. Lady Legs, grey horse owned by Mr Greswood
3. Lancashire Witch, chestnut mare owned by Mr Cherington
4. Cartouch, chestnut horse owned by Lord Craven
5. Sultan, bay gelding owned by Mr Helyar
6. Hercules, chestnut gelding owned by Mr Brook

Victorian 1883 badge.JPG (54698 bytes)

Extremely rare badge issued by the Ludlow Club & Chester Race Course Company.

Ludlow 1936kt.JPG (30147 bytes)
Ludlow 1933.JPG (11969 bytes) Ludlow 1936z.JPG (20518 bytes)
Ludlow 1938dw.JPG (23057 bytes)

Ludlow continues to thrive today, whereas nearby Shrewsbury closed its gates for the final time in 1887.

The first recorded meeting in the Shropshire town of Shrewsbury was in 1718 when a Plate was contested at Kingsland. The previous year the Shrewsbury Mercers’ Company had set aside £5 for a 3 year period to purchase the Plate. Racing continued at Kingsland until 1724 when the course became enclosed, interrupting racing in the town. Racing returned in 1729 on a course in the Monkmoor area of the town, while a year later Baily’s Racing Register first provided detailed results from the races held in June when the important His Majesty’s 100 Guineas Plate was won by Tarran. Later the course was situated at Bicton Heath, about 2 miles west of the town centre, an oval with a circumference of a mile and 185 yards, and a straight run in of half a mile which had a slight incline before the final furlong. Shrewsbury races began to gain the reputation of being fixed, and the course was often infested with pickpockets, and it therefore came as no surprise when the final meeting took place on the Wednesday 19th October 1887. Ludlow 1941.JPG (13537 bytes)
Ludlow 1971s.JPG (11863 bytes)
Ludlow 1912.JPG (11584 bytes) Ludlow 1934.JPG (8836 bytes)
1912 Ladies 1934 Gents 1937 Gents 1939 Gents 1948 Gents
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1949 Gents 1953 Gents 1958 Gents 1968 Gents 1970 Gents
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1952 Ladies 1954 Ladies 1959 Ladies 1961 Ladies 1962 Ladies
Ludlow 1950re.JPG (7088 bytes) Ludlow 1951gt.JPG (27779 bytes) Ludlow 1955.JPG (5934 bytes) Ludlow 1956gt.JPG (28500 bytes) Ludlow 1959gt.JPG (30757 bytes)
1950 Gents 1951 Gents 1955 Ladies 1956 Gents 1959 Gents
Ludlow 1960gt.JPG (31053 bytes) Ludlow 1961gt.JPG (31463 bytes) Ludlow 1963s.JPG (7750 bytes) Ludlow 1966.JPG (12623 bytes) Ludlow 1972.JPG (14167 bytes)
1960 Gents 1961 Gents 1963 Gents 1966 Gents 1972 Gents
Ludlow 1963.JPG (27666 bytes) Ludlow 1964.JPG (7271 bytes) Ludlow 1965k.JPG (21388 bytes) Ludlow 1968JS.JPG (22818 bytes) Ludlow 1969.JPG (9498 bytes)
1963 Ladies 1964 Ladies 1965 Ladies 1968 Ladies 1969 Ladies
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1973 Gents 1974 Gents 1975 Gents 1976 Gents 1977 Gents
Ludlow 1978.JPG (13421 bytes) Ludlow 1979t.JPG (21612 bytes) Ludlow 1981.JPG (12453 bytes) Ludlow 1982.JPG (13725 bytes)
1978 Gents 1979 Gents 1980 Gents 1981 Gents 1982 Gents
Ludlow 1985.JPG (11702 bytes) Ludlow 1986.JPG (15198 bytes) Ludlow 1987z.JPG (27917 bytes)
1983 Gents 1984 Gents 1985 Gents 1986 Gents 1987 Gents
Ludlow 1988.JPG (13947 bytes) Ludlow 1989.JPG (9093 bytes) Ludlow 1990x.JPG (27893 bytes) Ludlow 1991.JPG (10650 bytes)
1988 Gents 1989 Gents 1990 Gents 1991 Gents 1992 Gents
Ludlow 1995.JPG (11846 bytes) Ludlow 1997.JPG (12401 bytes)
1993 Gents 1994 Gents 1995 Gents 1996 Gents 1997 Gents
Ludlow 2000.JPG (8291 bytes) Ludlow 2001.JPG (16266 bytes) Ludlow 2002.JPG (14162 bytes)
1998 Gents 1999 Gents 2000 Gents 2001 Gents 2002 Gents
Ludlow 2004.JPG (14735 bytes) Ludlow 2006.JPG (17715 bytes) Ludlow 2007re.JPG (40756 bytes)
2003 Gents 2004 Gents 2005 Gents 2006 Gents 2007 Gents
Ludlow 2008pk.JPG (37072 bytes)    
2008 Gents 2009 Gents 2010 Gents    
Visited the course on 23rd February 2011. It was a quaint, friendly, busy course and well worth a visit.
The rare handbills shown below are provided courtesy of the Robert Shaw collection.
The front cover/ principal races from this rare racecard are provided courtesy of the Robert Shaw collection.

ISBN 978-0-9957632-0-3

652 pages

774 former courses

ISBN 978-0-9957632-1-0

352 pages

400 former courses

ISBN 978-0-9957632-2-7

180 pages

140 former courses

ISBN 978-0-9957632-3-4

264 pages

235 former courses

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