Wetherby Racecourse work closely with the local community
Wetherby Town has had a long-standing relationship with the Racecourse and the Racecourse Executive recruit staff from the local area and use local suppliers whenever possible.
Wetherby Racecourse work closely with the local community
Wetherby Town has had a long-standing relationship with the Racecourse and the Racecourse Executive recruit staff from the local area and use local suppliers whenever possible.
Wetherby is an historical Market Town located on the River Wharfe and for centuries it has been an important crossing point and staging post along the A1 Great North Road being exactly equi-distant between London and Edinburgh.
Racing has been held in and around Wetherby since Roman days and its strong links to the community have been recognised in the Granite horse that now proudly jumps a serpentine limestone wall on the main roundabout connecting Wetherby with the A1 and Leeds. For the full story of the Wetherby Granite Horse please click this link
For information on local amenities and where to stay, please contact Wetherby Tourist Information Centre on 01937 583144
Or try Trip Advisor, which offers first-hand reviews, good about hotels, restaurants, and places of interest.
We pride ourselves on maintaining a good relationship with our local community and as well as our Community Card initiative for racedays, host many events at the Racecourse for local organisations and charities.
Our main gates are usually open Monday to Friday between the hours of 8.30am and 5.00pm and we accept that local residents will want to walk their dogs and/or exercise within our grassed car park areas.
However we would advise, that outside of these times you do not park vehicles within the Racecourse grounds, as the gates could be locked at any time.
Whilst on-site, please do not venture onto the racetrack or within any of the Enclosures and keep dogs under control at all times. It goes without saying that we would expect dog owners to pick up after their dogs.
In 2012 Wetherby Racecourse launched an initiative for members of the local community to enable them to obtain special discounts and attend an annual free raceday, by the issue of a ‘Community Card’ to be presented on attendance.
We have sadly taken the decision to suspend this initiative for the time being and are looking at a revised format for this scheme utilising online E-ticketing and membership.
This will not be implemented during the current 2021/22 season. Community Card holders are not required to retain their current ‘card’. Should we re-introduce the scheme any existing members will be re-contacted automatically via email.
In 2022 the Racecourse partnered up with WiSE as part of the Yorkshire Racing Beacon Programme.
WiSE offers services to improve the quality of life for over 60’s in Wetherby and surrounding villages including Befriending, Transport services and Social activities. Wetherby in Support of the Elderly (WiSE) is a registered charity organisation. WiSE aims to enable older people to live at home, whilst reducing social isolation. They also support those who care for older people in the community.
WiSE at the races
On Thursday 31st March WiSE joined us for a day at the races which was enjoyed by many local residents aged 60 to 89, including one resident who is partially sighted and enjoyed her first social outing in 7 years! Debbie Todd who is the activities co-ordinator for WiSE said “I just want to say a HUGE thank you to everyone involved with Wise’s day at the races. Please pass on my thanks to everyone involved, especially Adele – our friends found her knowledge really useful.”
We had some lovely feedback from our WiSE friends:
What does a day at the races mean to you?
We look forward to welcoming more local residents through WiSE back again in the near future.
The Wetherby Steeplechase Committee Ltd,
The Racecourse, York Road, Wetherby,
West Yorkshire, LS22 5EJ
Tel. 01937 582 035
Fax. 01937 588 021