Earliest meeting: Tuesday 14th April 1868
Final meeting: Saturday 22nd April 1882
The village of Stodrig is located just 3 miles from Kelso and once held its own race meetings overseen by the United Border Hunt Committee. The race meetings, organised by the United Border Hunt, took place at a range of Scottish towns over a 22 year period. The earliest recorded meeting took place at Wark, near Cornhill, in 1860 and continued at this venue for the next 7 years except for 1866 when it was staged at Kimmerghame. The meeting then transferred to Stodrig, on farmland owned by His Grace the Duke and Duchess of Roxburghe and tenanted by Mr Usher, for the next 14 years. The inaugural meeting at this new course was on Tuesday 14th April 1868 when the opening Mosstroopers Mug was won by Sir William Elliot’s Barrister. The next year, on Friday 23rd April 1869, the meeting began with the Open Hunt Steeplechase over 3 miles in which Sir William Elliott’s Barrister, at the rewarding odds of 5/2, defeated the Evens favourite Marksman and Lord Eglinton’s well-fancied Kennet. The main race, the United Border Hunt Steeplechase over 3 miles, saw Mr R Calder’s Queen of the Fairies easily justify odds of 2/1 On, beating Kirkton and Alcemenia. The Tally-Ho Hunt Steeplechase, restricted to horses which had not been in a public training stable, was won by Mr C Cunningham’s Fiery Cross. Meetings continued annually with the final meeting taking place on Saturday 22nd April 1882. The principal race at the final meeting was the United Border Hunt Steeplechase over 3 ¼ miles. It was won by Gerons, owned by Mr C J Cunningham, who defeated Fidget and Sugarloaf. The meeting transferred to its final home, Kelso racecourse from 1883. |
Saturday 22nd April 1882
Mosstroopers Chase over 3 ¼ miles
1. Burleighs, aged horse owned by Mr J Mein
2. Reedness, aged horse owned by Mr C Langley
3. Colleen Rue, aged horse owned by Mr J Bell-Irving |
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 |
