Race card from Sevastopol Spring Meeting, 17 March 1856

Horse racing was a popular diversion in the Crimea and meetings were being organised as early as the spring of 1855. Major Nigel Kingscote of Lord Raglan's personal staff wrote to his father on 15 May 1855 about one such race:

'We had a great match yesterday between a horse of Paulett Somerset's and one of young Barnard's, both having beaten everything else - 12 stone each - 1 1/2 mile. We got most soundly beaten and as I stood a 3rd of the money it was a bore. I laid out the course and flatter myself it was a very good one, a deal of trouble for worse than nothing'.

Donated by Lieutenant-Colonel T Sutton