"British Racing and Racecourses" 1971 Halpenny, m.r.

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HALPENNY, M.R.

[254] pp.

Holmes & Sons

1971

9 1/4" x 6 1/4"

British Racing and Racecourses published in 1971 … Read more HALPENNY, M.R.

[254] pp.

Holmes & Sons

1971

9 1/4" x 6 1/4"

British Racing and Racecourses published in 1971 with a first print run of 10,000, was written by the female equestrian writer, Marion Rose Halpenny, and was the first book with general all round racecourse information, precise definitions of terms used to describe track surfaces, with plans of all racecourses that had broken completely new ground.

Ground breaking
The book, that was a major five-year project, was at its time, ground breaking, not only in that it was the first book to have ever been compiled listing all the racecourse of Great Britain along with a plan of each, but that it had been done by a woman on her own, which in the racing world, especially the Jockey Club, was still very much male dominated and opposed in many areas to the introduction of women into the sport, let alone writing about it, but it was the first gazetteer of its kind for British racing.

Royal letters
The book was well received by both the Queen and especially the Queen Mother, who both wrote letters expressing their pleasure at receiving copies. The Queen mother's letter showed she had read it and enjoyed it greatly. See less