Ludlow Cancels Third Jumps Meeting as Drought Damage Lingers
Ludlow racecourse has cancelled its third jumps meeting in a row this season, because the ground is too hard for racing. BBC Sport reported the latest decision on 28 October.
The problem goes back to the summer. The months before the cancellations were the driest since 1976, and the track has not recovered. Hard ground, the going in racing terms, is dangerous for horses, who can jar their legs and feet when they land over hurdles and fences. Racecourses often pull meetings when the ground is too firm to race on safely.
Ludlow's first scheduled meeting of the season, on 15 October, was moved to Worcester, which is 35 miles away. The Ludlow fixture on 7 October had already been abandoned. Worcester staged an extra meeting that day to replace it. The Farmers meeting, set for 5 November, has now also been called off.
The damage goes deeper than a dry spell. Grass has died in some key areas of the course. Reseeding those patches needs a mix of rain and sunshine to take, so the turf cannot be fixed in a hurry. Simon Sherwood, the managing director of Ludlow Racecourse, is working through that problem with the track.
Sherwood knows the course well. He took over as clerk of the course, the official who runs the track and its fixtures, from Bob Davies in 2019. He is also a former jockey. He rode Desert Orchid to victory in the 1989 Cheltenham Gold Cup, one of the best-loved wins in jump racing.
Ludlow's next planned meeting is on Monday 23 November. Whether it goes ahead will depend on the ground at that point.
Other tracks have struggled too. Fakenham cancelled its meeting on Friday 16 October after failing to recover from the drought, according to the Racing Post.
For the people who look after the horses, the cancellations mean fewer runs and fewer chances to earn prize money. Trainers and owners must plan around the dates that are left. Stable staff also face days of changed routines, with horses kept in work at home rather than travelling to race.
Racing relies on good ground, and the weather is not something anyone can order. For now, Ludlow's fate rests on rain, sunshine and a patch of grass that has to grow back.
