Horse Death at Station?

[03_179]

Afternoon everyone,

I'm looking for information on an incident that occurred at one of the following stations between the years 1948 and 1970.
Hampstead Heath, London/Middlesex.
Kentish Town West, London/Middlesex
Broad Street, London.
Harpenden, Hertfordshire.
John O'Gaunt, Leicestershire.
Leicester, Leicestershire.
Cardington, Bedfordshire.
Ampthill, Bedfordshire.
Milton, Staffordshire.
Longport, Staffordshire.
Llandudno Junction

It involved a horse (race horse) that was being either put on or taken off of a train when it broke loose and ran on to the track where it was either badly injured or killed by a train.

Sorry for the vagueness only the person that related the story to me died a few years ago. I was trying to research the incident.
I have tried https://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/ but nothing showed up.

Thanks in advance.

 

[LYradial]

You might need to find a family historian with a sub. to British newspaper archives, it’s the type of event that may have been in the local newspaper.
do any of the possible locations have a racecourse or training stables nearby

 

[Gloster]

Possibly start from the other end: where could it have been going to or coming from. You will need to look into racecourses or training stables in the vicinity of the stations: I believe that there is a list of past and present racecourses (lost racecourses) somewhere on the Internet. I would think that for a racehorse it would be more likely to have occurred in a rural area.

 

[30907]

Why the random list of stations? Did the deceased work at them/live by them?

I would have thought Broad Street very unlikely and Leicester quite unlikely, give that linespeeds were low at both.

 

[03_179]

You might need to find a family historian with a sub. to British newspaper archives, it’s the type of event that may have been in the local newspaper.
do any of the possible locations have a racecourse or training stables nearby

I'll try one of the FH sites I know.

Possibly start from the other end: where could it have been going to or coming from. You will need to look into racecourses or training stables in the vicinity of the stations: I believe that there is a list of past and present racecourses (lost racecourses) somewhere on the Internet. I would think that for a racehorse it would be more likely to have occurred in a rural area.

I'm not into the Horse racing thing so Noy aware of current or old race courses/stables sadly.

Why the random list of stations? Did the deceased work at them/live by them?

I would have thought Broad Street very unlikely and Leicester quite unlikely, give that linespeeds were low at both.

The list is the stations her worked at various years

 

[Merle Haggard]

A hunter, rather than race-horse, seems more likely at John O'Gaunt.

Linespeeds are not as relevant as the inability of a slow moving coal train to stop quickly, i.m.o..

 

[03_179]

A hunter, rather than race-horse, seems more likely at John O'Gaunt.

Linespeeds are not as relevant as the inability of a slow moving coal train to stop quickly, i.m.o..

Thank you

 

[Gloster]

Yes, Leicestershire is hunting country and a good hunter was valuable or could be a steeplechaser.

There is a site ‘ Racecourses: Here today and gone tomorrow ‘ on greyhoundderby.com that appears to have attempted to list all racecourses. There are an awful lot of them, but dates are given on the index page so you can immediately ignore all those that don’t fit by year, which make up the overwhelming majority.

 

[Magdalia]

It involved a horse (race horse) that was being either put on or taken off of a train when it broke loose and ran on to the track where it was either badly injured or killed by a train.

A hunter, rather than race-horse, seems more likely at John O'Gaunt.

Horse racing over fences and hurdles isn't called National Hunt for nothing.

Leicestershire has lots of hunts, including the Belvoir, Cottesmore and Quorn.

Some horses are called hunter chasers, usually ridden by amateur jockeys, that are used on both hunts and steeplechase races (fences not hurdles).

John O'Gaunt, Leicestershire.
Leicester, Leicestershire.

Either of these could be a hunter chaser going to or from a National Hunt meeting.

 

[Merle Haggard]

snip

Leicestershire has lots of hunts, including the Belvoir, Cottesmore and Quorn.

Some horses are called hunter chasers, usually ridden by amateur jockeys, that are used on both hunts and steeplechase races (fences not hurdles).



snip

John O'Gaunt station was originally Twyford, after the nearest village, but to avoid confusion with others was renamed.
The new one chosen was that of a nearby fox-covert.

 

[mattdickinson]

Afternoon everyone,

I'm looking for information on an incident that occurred at one of the following stations between the years 1948 and 1970.
Hampstead Heath, London/Middlesex.
Kentish Town West, London/Middlesex
Broad Street, London.
Harpenden, Hertfordshire.
John O'Gaunt, Leicestershire.
Leicester, Leicestershire.
Cardington, Bedfordshire.
Ampthill, Bedfordshire.
Milton, Staffordshire.
Longport, Staffordshire.
Llandudno Junction

It involved a horse (race horse) that was being either put on or taken off of a train when it broke loose and ran on to the track where it was either badly injured or killed by a train.

Sorry for the vagueness only the person that related the story to me died a few years ago. I was trying to research the incident.
I have tried https://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/ but nothing showed up.

Thanks in advance.

It's unlikely to be Kentish Town West as it's a inner city station on a viaduct

 

[stuving]

Searching the British Newspaper Archive is by text - so you have to guess a suitable series of words."Racehorse killed by train", and "injured" and "struck" too, come up with nothing that matches at any date. If you just use "horse" you get more, but still nothing that matches. Most of those are at level crossings or stray onto the line, of course. So unless you have some very specific wording to search for, or could narrow down the dates, it doesn't really look feasible.

 

[etr221]

Horse Boxes (and Prize Cattle Vans) were a separate class of traffic, accomodation for which was noted in the RCH handbook of stations: I have struck out below those that did not provide it, as per the 1956 edition. Note that it listed three Leicester Stations that did.

Hampstead Heath, London/Middlesex.
Kentish Town West, London/Middlesex
Broad Street, London.
Harpenden, Hertfordshire.
John O'Gaunt, Leicestershire.
Leicester, Leicestershire. <- which? - Braunston Gate, Central, London Road could all accommodate Horse Boxes
Cardington, Bedfordshire.
Ampthill, Bedfordshire.
Milton, Staffordshire.
Longport, Staffordshire.
Llandudno Junction

When did BR get out of the horse traffic business?

 

[Gloster]

When did BR get out of the horse traffic business?

The mass withdrawal of horse boxes took place in 1971 and 1972, but the traffic had been pretty moribund for some years.

 

[oldman]

In the newspaper section of findmypast.co.uk there are several index entries to a case involving a racehorse called Hornsey which bolted while being loaded into a horsebox at Ampthill, Beds. It collided with a bus and was put down. The owner sued the railway but lost. The incident was in 1948, the lawsuit in 1949.

(I don't have access to the text of the articles, just the index which is fragmentary and a bit garbled.)

::

 

[stuving]

Thanks to @oldman for this. The one report of the incident is quite short (Ampthill & District News; Tuesday 16 March 1948):

HORSE SHOT AFTER CRASHING INTO STATION BUS

A racehorse named "Hornsey", belonging to Mr. W. S. Farrar, of Hill Foot Farm, Pulloxhill, was being loaded into a horse-box alongside the platform at Ampthill railway station on Saturday for conveyance to Wye, Kent, when it slipped its halter and dashed into the roadway. The horse then crashed into the front of Mr. R. Vale's bus.

The front of the bus was severely damaged, but, fortunately, neither the driver nor any of the passengers were injured. The horse sustained a broken back and a fractured skull, and had to be shot.


"Hornsey", which was to have raced this week, was a six-year-old and was valued at more than 200 guineas.

There are more about the court case in June 1949, in which Farrar sued the (shiny new) British Railways Executive. I can't find the result of the case reported, but I did find that Farrar's barrister was called Mr. Mark D. Van Oss, which is rather cute.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

The incident was in 1948, the lawsuit in 1949.

The horse that came to a sorry end was apparently the half brother of the 1948 Grand National winner (Sheila's Cottage) and was said in the court case to have been valued at some £350.

 

[Gloster]

Wye had a racecourse alongside the station until 1974. Although a fairly small operation, it seems to have attracted some quite good horses from time to time.

 

[03_179]

In the newspaper section of findmypast.co.uk there are several index entries to a case involving a racehorse called Hornsey which bolted while being loaded into a horsebox at Ampthill, Beds. It collided with a bus and was put down. The owner sued the railway but lost. The incident was in 1948, the lawsuit in 1949.

(I don't have access to the text of the articles, just the index which is fragmentary and a bit garbled.)

::

Thanks to @oldman for this. The one report of the incident is quite short (Ampthill & District News; Tuesday 16 March 1948):


There are more about the court case in June 1949, in which Farrar sued the (shiny new) British Railways Executive. I can't find the result of the case reported, but I did find that Farrar's barrister was called Mr. Mark D. Van Oss, which is rather cute.

I went to bed last night (early as I'm getting old) and woke to this and the same info on a Family History forum I use.

I have found a report of a racehorse not being boxed properly in March 1948 but hit by a bus at Ampthill, in the Bedfordshire Times and Independent 10 Feb 1950. The railway Executive were being sued and only mentions Frederick William Farrar as he owned the horse; Exec. found to have not been negligent.

Adding just in case helps/eliminates another station.

Thanks to all that helped.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 29 Jul 2025 ==

OK so the Family History forum have managed to glean more info for those of you that are interested..
Thanks again one and all.

Anyway, here is the article from 1950 together with a report of the original incident in 1948.


Friday 10 February 1950: Bedfordshire Times and Independent
Quote

TRAINER LOSES ACTION
Railway Executive Not Negligent
An action in which a racehorse dealer and trainer sued the Railway Executive for the loss of a race-horse which had to be destroyed after breaking loose from a horse-box at Ampthill was decided by Mr. Justice Slade in the King's Bench Division on Tuesday. The Judge gave judgment in a claim for damages brought by Mr. Frederick William Farrar, of Hillfoot Farm, Pullox-hill. After the horse broke loose while being put in the horse-box to be taken to a race meeting in March 1948. it bolted from the station yard and collided with a bus. The horse, Hornsey, was valued by Mr. Farrar at £350. The Railway Executive denied negligence and pleaded that if there was liability it was limited to £100 under railway contracts. Mr. Justice Slade, deciding the matter in favour of the Railway Executive, said that he was satisfied that Mr. Farrar was told that the horse should be boxed by 6.30 p.m. and Mr. Farrar arrived between 7 and 7.5 p.m.

EFFICIENT HEADSTALL
The Judge accepted the evidence of the Stationmaster that he made it clear to Mr. Farrar that he had "left things very late." Mr. Farrar admitted that he look on the job of controlling the boxing of the horse himself. "I am satisfied that the head-stall provided by the railway company in the box was perfectly capable of making the race-horse absolutely secure" declared the Judge. The escape of the horse from the horse box to the yard was due entirely to Mr. Farrar, who only buckled the head-stall to a position which enabled the horse to escape. Mr. Justice Slade said the Railway Executive had satisfied him that they did not fail to take proper steps to prevent the horse escaping. They only failed to secure the horse through the neglect of Mr. Farrar himself. The Railway Executive were not guilty of negligence in leaving the gate to the station yard open. The action failed, and there must be judgment for the Railway Executive with costs.

Tuesday 16 March 1948: Ampthill & District News
Quote

HORSE SHOT AFTER CRASHING INTO STATION BUS
A racehorse named "Hornsey", belonging to Mr. W. S. Farrar, of Hill Foot Farm, Pulloxhill, was being loaded into a horse-box alongside the platform at Ampthill railway station on Saturday for conveyance to Wye, Kent, when it slipped its halter and dashed into the roadway. The horse then, crashed into the front of Mr. R. Vale's bus.

The front of the bus was severely damaged, but, fortunately, neither the driver nor any of the passengers were injured. The horse sustained a broken back and a fractured skull. and had to be shot.

"Hornsey" which was to have raced this week, was a six-year-old and was valued at more than 200 guineas.

 

[midland1]

Why the random list of stations? Did the deceased work at them/live by them?

I would have thought Broad Street very unlikely and Leicester quite unlikely, give that linespeeds were low at both.

Which Leicester station, could it be the GNR station as John-O'Gaunt is there.

 

[Royston Vasey]

There are more about the court case in June 1949, in which Farrar sued the (shiny new) British Railways Executive. I can't find the result of the case reported, but I did find that Farrar's barrister was called Mr. Mark D. Van Oss, which is rather cute

And ironically the case only happened because someone missed the van marked horse