The oldest horse race in the world, the Kiplingcotes Derby is kept alive by a field of two

Two riders kept the legendary Kiplingcotes Derby alive this week as they took on the four-mile flat route at a more gentle pace than usual.
John Thirsk weighs in to keep the tradition of the Kiplingcotes Derby alive. The race was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Only the fourth time in its 500 year old tradition it has run without a full card.John Thirsk weighs in to keep the tradition of the Kiplingcotes Derby alive. The race was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Only the fourth time in its 500 year old tradition it has run without a full card.
John Thirsk weighs in to keep the tradition of the Kiplingcotes Derby alive. The race was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Only the fourth time in its 500 year old tradition it has run without a full card.

Four times winner, John Thirsk and Stephen Crawford gave their mounts, Harry and Ferkin, an easy canter and even walked parts of the course which runs from the former Kiplingcotes Station, in Etton, near Market Weighton, to Londesborough Wold Farm.

A tradition as ancient as the race itself, which dates back to 1519, stipulates the race must be run every year or cancelled forever.

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This year was only the fourth time in 501 years the race, which is always run on the third Thursday in March, has gone ahead without a full card.

It was overseen by clerk of the course, Sue Hillaby, who was there to perform the formal reading of the rules.

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