Earliest meeting: Thursday 21st June 1883
Final meeting: Saturday 27th August 1960
The earliest evidence of racing in the Devon town of Buckfastleigh was on Wallaford Down in the mid-1800s, but the course was a challenge to reach, deterring trainers from sending their horses and punters from attending. A new course at Dean Court Farm opened on Thursday 21st June 1883 on land leased to Mr Coulton by Lord Churston. The course, a tight circuit of little more than a mile with less than a two furlong run-in, was much more accessible than the previous course, being within 2 miles of Buckfastleigh Railway station. Within three years it had become a tradition for the meeting to be held on Whit Monday, and this continued to be so for 35 years until a second day was added after the end of the War. Meetings continued between 1921 and 1939, but the final meeting before the outbreak of the second World War was on Saturday 26th August 1939. After the War had ended meetings resumed, supported by the usual loyal crowd, and on Whit Monday 6th June 1949 the course celebrated a royal visitor when Princess Margaret was in attendance, along with 25000 others. The first three favourites, Paracutin, Piccaninny and Le Belle Anita, all won that day, so she must surely have backed a winner. Although a grandstand was built in 1950, within ten years racing under rules had ended. The estate owner, Lord Churston, decided to put his estate on the market, causing the final meeting to be staged on Saturday 27th August 1960. Although the new owners were prepared to lease their land for point to point meetings, the final curtain was brought down on these on Saturday 19th March 1977.
Monday 20th May 1907
Buckfastleigh Open Handicap Steeplechase over 2 ½ miles
1. Discovery, aged horse owned by Mr J C Allen-Jeffery’s
2. Prince Tuscan, aged horse owned by Mr Colwyn
3. Blue Crescent, aged horse owned by Mr J S Reed
Betting: 5/4 Discovery, 2/1 Prince Tuscan, 3/1 Blue Crescent
http://www.bbc.co.uk/devon/content/image_galleries/buckfastleigh_racecourse_gallery.shtml
Much of the information about this course has been found using internet research and is in the public domain. However, useful research sources have been:-
London Illustrated News
Racing Illustrated 1895-1899
The Sporting & Dramatic Illustrated
Northern Turf History Volumes 1-4 by J.Fairfax-Blakeborough
The Sporting Magazine
A Long Time Gone by Chris Pitt first published in 1996 ISBN 0 900599 89 8
Racing Calendars which were first published in 1727
