03/10/2026
Following on from our recent post about the Sheffield races, we thought we’d share a few of the stories recorded in the 1989 article about the meetings.
Written and compiled by Kathy Matfin, the article gathered memories from people who had attended the old Sheffield race meetings, including some wonderfully colourful stories from both on and off the track.
During the Depression, local rider Gerry Byron reportedly rode his horse from Wesley Vale to Sheffield to save money. His horse, Grey Dawn, went on to win the 1932 Sheffield Cup. The article also records that Grey Dawn had come from a travelling circus and was by the same sire as the famous racehorse Phar Lap.
Joe Mason remembered a trotter called Caravan, which raced four times in the same day. It apparently wasn’t having much success, but saved its best effort for the fourth race.
There’s also the story of a visitor who stayed at the local hotel with his horse before Race Day. Some local lads reportedly borrowed the horse during the night to attend a function in West Kentish, returning it to the stable just before dawn. The owner was left wondering why his horse performed so poorly the following day.
Joe Mason also recalled one race day involving five fights and six protests!
Source: Kathy Matfin, “Picnic Race Day Meetings at Sheffield”, The Kentish Times, July 1989, held in the Kentish Museum collection.
