Unbridled Passion...
Discover the Heart of Horse Racing

In 1878, a racing committee was established by local sports enthusiasts and businessmen, led by Mr. Henry Crossley, a well-known stationer, printer, and founder of The Wetherby News.

The committee quickly realised that to fund the development of racing, they needed to make the meetings more commercially viable.  In 1884, they introduced a sixpence entry for the popular side, a decision that nearly led to riot, as admission had previously been free!

After an unsuccesful attempt to purchase land at the Ings, the committee began searching for a new location for Wetherby Races. They found a new site on land once farmed by Henry Crossley and owned by Capt Montagu of Ingmanthorpe Hall, a landmark still visible from the Racecourse today.

The final meeting at the Ings took place on April 8, 1890 with the main race won by Mr Lycett Green’s Riston ridden by Mr. Wilmot-Smith.  The trio would repeat this success at the first meeting  at the new course on Easter Monday, 1891.

While initially basic, the race meetings thrived, and development began soon after, with a Grandstand (Bramham) and Weighing Room in place by 1906.   However progress stalled during World War I.  Between 1919 & 1920 it was decided to refresh the organising committee, leading to the formation of the Wetherby Steeplechase Committee Ltd. The original committee members-Messrs Crossley, Atkinson & Long-were joined by Captain Montagu and Mr Wilmot-Smith.  Mr Rowland Francis Meyrick was appointed Clerk of the Course, a position he would retain until 1947.

The new Committee focused on expanding the facilities,  and Henry Crossley played a key role in securing the construction of a railway station, behind the course which was a major advantage!  The station opened in 1924 and the Committee even covered travel expenses to bring horses in by train.  Special trains ‘Racecourse Specials’ transported thousands of racegoers from Leeds., leading to a boom in attendance with over 40,000 reported attendees to some meetings.  Unfortunately, the station closed in 1959.

In 1953 the Committee secured the freehold of the Racecourse and continued to invest in development, including construction of a new stable block on the site, as previously horses were stabled near the town.   The first Grandstand was completed in 1967.

Over the years, the Wetherby Steeplechase Committee has continued to enhance the Racecourse facilities, adding the Weighing Room and Parade Ring redevelopment, the Wetherby Millennium Grandstand, The Bramham Hall redevelopment, and the Millennium West development, which replaced the 1967 Grandstand.

The latest development was the construction of the new turnstile entrance, which included changes to the ingress roadways and construction of a lit footpath to the coachpark, this was completed in 2021.  In 2025-2026, work will start on upgrades and additions to the Weighing Room facilities.