NORWICH RACECOURSE

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Earliest meeting: Saturday 15th April 1732
Final meeting: Tuesday 4th April 1876
The Norfolk county town of Norwich first registered racing in the vicinity of the city when John Cheny included the meeting in his Historical Races edition of 1732, the meeting taking place on 3 separate occasions between April and June. Over a century later a match took place extending from Thursday 29th March to Saturday 31st March 1838. The match was between the Third Dragoon Guards from Norwich Barracks and their ‘Brother Officers’ from the Ipswich Barracks on a course between the villages of Tivetshall and Shimpling. On the Saturday the one mile Match saw Mr Rodon ride Ibis to victory over Mr Rich’s Zohrab. By 1840 Baily's Racing Register was recording results from the Norfolk and Norwich two day meeting on Wednesday 9th and Thursday 10th September when held on Mousehold Heath. The Norfolk and Norwich Plate was won by Mr Turner’s Fitzambo, while the East Norfolk Members Plate went to Mr Sandiland’s Oswald. Races continued intermittently for a further 36 years until a final meeting on Tuesday 4th April 1876.

This racecourse is covered in Volume 1 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below.
Local Patrons Captain de Salis, Captain Ives, Mr Sandiland, Mr Turner
Principal Races Lightweight Stakes, Norfolk & Norwich Plate, East Norfolk and City Members Plate, Irish Royal Hussars 30 Guineas Plate

Saturday 15th April 1732
Norwich 10 Guineas Purse

1. DOBBIN, grey gelding owned by Mr Young
2. UNNAMED grey horse owned by Mr Dawson
2 ran
Monday 15th May 1732
Norwich 20 Guineas Purse

1. UNNAMED bay mare owned by Mr Legris
2. DOBBIN, grey gelding owned by Mr Young
2 ran
Monday 19th June 1732
Norwich 10 Guineas Purse

1. UNNAMED chestnut mare owned by Mr Catton
2. UNNAMED chestnut mare owned by Mr Wall
2 ran

Thursday 29th March 1838

Norwich v Ipswich Match
1. Sir Mark owned by Mr Dyson and ridden by Captain Dyson
2. Cramp owned by Mr Warner and ridden by Mr Warner
3. Barnaby owned by Mr Dyson and ridden by Mr Dyson

One Mile Match
1. Ibis owned by Mr Rodon and ridden by Mr Rodon
2. Zohrab owned by Mr Rich and ridden by Mr Dyson

Wednesday 9th to Thursday 10th September 1840

The Norfolk and Norwich Plate over 2 miles and a distance
1. Fitzambo owned by Mr Turner

The East Norfolk and City Members Plate over 2 miles and a distance
1. Oswald owned by Mr Sandiland
2. Daniel owned by Mr G.Hill
3. Bravo owned by Mr Davies

The Lightweight Stakes over a mile and the distance
1. Diana owned by Mr Bircham
2. Folly owned by Captain Ives
3. Luther owned by Mr Abel
4. Barnton owned by Captain de Salis

Thirty Guineas Handicap over a mile donated by the Royal Irish Hussars
1. Barnton owned by Captain de Salis
2. Powick owned by Mr Horner
3. Trim owned by Mr Bond
4. Bravo owned by Mr Davies

It is known that racing organised by the Norfolk & Norwich Hunt first took place in 1839, with a final meeting organised by the Hunt Committee on Wednesday 13th July 1842.Details of meetings were well recorded in the Norwich Weekly Times and Norwich Chronicle.
There was a further, final meeting on Tuesday 4th April 1876.

Course today Initially between Tivetshall and Shimpling, and then on Mousehold Heath.
If you have photos, postcards, racecards. badges, newspaper cuttings or book references about the old course, or can provide a photo of how the ground on which the old racecourse stood looks today, then email johnwslusar@gmail.com

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

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

Copies of the above books are only available by emailing johnwslusar@gmail.com stating your requirements, method of payment (cheque payable to W.Slusar) or Bank transfer, and the address where the book(s) should be sent.
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