Yorkshire's 500-year-old horse race the Kiplingcotes Derby could be cancelled due to coronavirus

The trustees of the Kiplingcotes Derby, which has been contested in the Yorkshire Wolds since 1519, will make a decision early next week on whether the 501st edition of the race can go ahead.

It could be in jeopardy if the government decide to ban large public gatherings, including sports events, to contain the spread of coronavirus. In 2019, over 1,500 spectators turned out for the 500th anniversary race, including descendants of the Derby's 16th-century founders the Witty brothers, who had travelled from Canada. The average attendance is between 500-600 people..

The race has only been cancelled three times in its entire history - and all were in living memory. In 1947, it was called off due to huge snow drifts during one of the harshest winters on record, and in 2001 it was halted due to the foot and mouth disease outbreak. In 2018, severe damage to the course by off-roaders led to it being 'walked' by a single rider to maintain the tradition.

It still went ahead in 1666 - the last year there was a major outbreak of bubonic plague in England - and in 1918 and 1919, when the country was ravaged by the Spanish flu pandemic.

"At the moment, it is still going ahead, but it is up in the air and we don't know what will happen," said trustee Claire Waring, who took over the role from her long-serving father Guy Stephenson last year.

"We usually get at least 500, and last year there were 1,500 at the winning post. We'll play it by ear. If there is a ban on public events, then Stephen Crawford will ride the course, as he did in 2018."

The traditions of the Derby - one of the most eccentric races in the equestrian calendar - dictate that if no rider participates, then it cannot be held the following year. A steward has contested the race as a lone rider on the three occasions it has been cancelled to ensure it can continue in future - Claire's great-uncle Fred Stephenson was the jockey in 1947, and Stephen Crawford performed the role in 2001 and 2018.

"This race has been through everything. People do travel from all over to compete - we've got a man coming from Oxfordshire. People can't enter in advance, only on the day, so it will be difficult to let them know if it is cancelled. Hopefully people will use their common sense.

"The course is in decent condition despite the recent wet weather."

The Kiplingcotes Derby is unique - it's a chase across the flatlands of East Yorkshire that's been called 'the Brigadoon of racing' because the course reverts to farmland after the race is run until the next year.

Any rider or horse can contest it, and former racehorses can often be seen alongside working hunters, ponies and even Clydesdales. It's always held on the third Thursday of March at 11am.

What is the course?

It's four miles across tracks and fields, beginning from the former Kiplingcotes Station site in Etton, near Market Weighton. It finishes at Londesborough Wold Farm. A clerk is paid 25p annually for maintaining the route.

Who can ride?

The delightfully eccentric competition has few rules. Horses of any age can be ridden and the oldest jockey was 74. Former racehorses are often entered under fake names - a practice that's accepted as a quirk of the Derby. Any type of mount can take part, from ponies to shire horses. Many of the jockeys are recreational riders from the local area who simply fancy their chances, and outsiders have been known to win. The names of the riders are not declared until the day of the race - there are no advance entries, you just muster at the starting post on the day.

Can you place bets?

Yes - but there's only one bookie. Because Chris Johnson doesn't know anything about the horses until race day, he has to estimate their condition and pedigree before calculating his odds.

What's the prize?

The winner receives the Kiplingcotes Derby plate and £50. But come second and you could be quids in - traditionally the runner-up receives the remainder of the entry fees, which sometimes exceed the prize fund.

Some other facts

- Horses have been known to die during the tough race. In 1997, the winning mare, Sunny, collapsed and died immediately after finishing. The runner-up, Burt, also died moments after the finish in 2002.

- It's been called 'the Brigadoon of racing' because the course will not be used again until the following year. Brigadoon is a mythical Scottish village that only appears for one day every 100 years.

- The Witty brothers were present at the first race in 1519 and their descendants were still riding in it in the mid-19th century. In 2019, Wittys from Canada attended the 500th anniversary event on their ancestors' land.