Carlisle Racecourse is a

thoroughbred horse racing Thoroughbred racing is a sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter known as National Hunt racing in ...

venue located in the village of Blackwell just outside

Carlisle Carlisle ( , ; from xcb, Caer Luel) is a city that lies within the Northern English county of Cumbria, south of the Scottish border at the confluence of the rivers Eden, Caldew and Petteril. It is the administrative centre of the City ...

Cumbria Cumbria ( ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in North West England, bordering Scotland. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local government, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

. The course has been on its present site since 1904, when it moved there from the area known as The Swifts close to the centre of Carlisle. The course is 1 mile and 4 furlongs (2.41 km) in circumference, right-handed, and hosts

flat racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...

in the summer and

National Hunt racing In horse racing in the United Kingdom, France and Republic of Ireland, National Hunt racing requires horses to jump fences and ditches. National Hunt racing in the UK is informally known as "jumps" and is divided into two major distinct branches: ...

over the winter months. The last half mile is up a steep incline. The going can get very heavy in the winter. History was made on 2 July 1929 when the newly formed Totalisator Board operated their pool betting system for the first time on a British racecourse at Carlisle. Carlisle is home to the Carlisle Bell, one of the oldest horse races in existence. Held annually at Carlisle Racecourse in June alongside the Cumberland Plate, the race is run over 7 furlongs and 173 yards, and although the Bell is presented ceremoniously to the winner, it is actually kept in the nearby Carlisle Guildhall Museum. The Carlisle Bell has only twice been amended – with it being run in Thirsk in 2001, and cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Carlisle also had a King's Plate – a race for 5-year-old horses in 3-mile heats – instigated by

George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Br ...

in 1763. The Carlisle Gold Bell is inscribed with ‘The sweftes horse thes bel to take for mi lade Daker sake’, which translates to modern day English as ‘The swiftest horse may claim this bell in Lady Dacre’s name’. It continues to be given away as a prize for an annual race even today, making it one of the UK's oldest, and most prestigious, races.

Notable races

;Other races * Cumberland Chase * Cumberland Plate * Graduation Chase

References

External links

Carlisle Racecourse (Official website)Course guide on GG.COMCourse guide on At The Races
Horse racing venues in England Sports venues in Cumbria Carlisle, Cumbria Sports venues completed in 1904 {{England-horseracing-venue-stub