Glorious Goodwood – A History

It was the third Duke of Richmond who commence horse racing at Goodwood. He did so out of obligation to the officers of the Sussex Militia, of which he was the Colonel, rather than any kind of love for the sport. For many years the officers had held their annual races in nearby Petworth Park, courtesy of the Earl of Egremont, but when that nobleman did not renew the invitation in 1801, the Duke of Richmond came to their rescue by laying out a course on that part of the Goodwood Estate known as The Harroway.

So pleased was the Duke with the popularity of that first two-day meeting that he organised a three-day meeting under Jockey Club Rules the following year. On the first day he won with a horse called Cedar, but on the third day Cedar was beaten by Trumpator, owned by the Prince of Wales, later King George IV. To accommodate the more distinguished guests the Duke had a small wooden stand erected. The first Duke of Richmond, was an illegitimate son of Charles II and Louise de Keroualle, Duchess of Portsmouth. His grandson, the founder of the Goodwood meeting, was a man of taste and considerable talent. He was one of the earliest patrons of George Stubbs, who painted views of the Goodwood Estate at the beginning of his career, and as Master General of the Ordinance, commissioned the first ordnance survey maps, still in use today.