EXPERIENCE YORKSHIRE RACING
No other region in the UK is as passionate about horse racing as Yorkshire. The county is synonymous with the sport of kings, with no fewer than nine top class courses - more than any other region in the UK - holding over 170 meetings each year and home to numerous winning stables including Middleham, Malton and Richmond.
Horse Racing can trace its very roots in Yorkshire, a Roman encampment in Wetherby (where a racecourse can still be found today), local horses were matched against Arabian horses brought to England by the Roman Emperor Severus Septimus. There are records of Roman gatherings in various open spaces around the city of York, particularly in the Forest of Galtres, but also Acomb Moor and even on the frozen River Ouse
North Yorkshire has always been at the heart of modern horse racing, as it played a key role in the development of thoroughbreds. Imported, fast Arabian stallions were bred with strong local mares which had tremendous stamina. Some of the horses that resulted from this breeding programme were destined to become stars. Gimcrack, was particularly prized in York, and is still honoured annually in the city by the Gimcrack Club.
Whatever style of racing you prefer, you'll be spoilt for choice in Yorkshire, with six flat racing courses at York, Beverley, Pontefract, Redcar, Ripon and Thirsk, a specialist National Hunt course at Wetherby, and dual courses offering monthly racing either on the flat or over jumps at Catterick in the north and Doncaster in the south.
Famous racing festivals staged in Yorkshire include the Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor meeting and the St Leger at Doncaster - the oldest classic horse race in the world.