James Baird

James Baird

1813 - 1896

The Grand Military meeting began in 1834 and was the idea of Mr J. F. Scott who, on leaving the 5th Dragoon Guards, presented a cup to be run for annually for horses belonging to officers of his old corps; each would carry 12st 7 lbs over a three-mile course. During the following seven runnings, Mr Scott’s cup was won by Captain King in 1835 and 1836. When, in 1841, he won it yet again, this time riding his own horse, the Irish-bred The Hind, the cup became his own property.

It was in that same year, 1841, that the Grand Military Gold Cup itself was first run. The three-day meeting took place near Northampton: the field run over some beautiful grazing ground about a mile and a half from the town towards Little Billing, the run-in being over rising ridge and furrow to the winning post placed near the mansion of Mr John Harvey Thursby. There were twenty-five fences.

Twenty runners started for the inaugural Grand Military Gold Cup, held on March 24, 1841. The winner was Carlow, ridden by his owner Captain Sir James G. Baird of the 10th Hussars. Carlow was by then fifteen or sixteen years old. Seven years later, on November 28, 1848, Carlow created history as the oldest horse ever to win a race under recognized rules, being either twenty-two or twenty-three when landing the Professional Steeplechase at Warwick, ridden by Captain Josey Little.

But back to Carlow’s 1841 Grand Military Gold Cup triumph. The Lonsdale Library’s volume ‘Steeplechasing’ describes it as “rather a simple affair to be termed a Grand Military Meeting,” whereas John Maunsell Richardson and Finch Mason’s ‘Gentlemen Riders Past and Present’ labels it “a most sporting affair from beginning to end,” but the race was the genesis of the one still held annually at Sandown Park in March.

The description of the race in Richardson and Mason’s book could hardly be more confusing, inasmuch as it initially refers to Sir James Baird’s horse by the name of Flies, then later changes it to Carlow.  

“At twenty minutes past four, Flies led off, followed by Hussar, down to the second field where they divided; Flies jumping into a bog and falling, twice refused a bullfinch, and Sir James Baird was knocked out of his saddle, but remounted and took the next two fences with only one foot in the stirrup.”

The report continues: “Hussar and Ulpho jumped the first brook together, whilst Baronet, Oliver Twist and Mystery jumped in. Both the leaders refused at the second water jump, Ulpho landing in the middle with his rider on his back, remained there until several others had jumped over him. He then scrambled out, fell head over heels at the next fence, staked himself, and his bridle coming off, he went away.

“Oliver Twist also lost his bridle. and many of the field fell in the water. Hussar made strong play in and out of the road, but on turning the flags made a wide sweep towards home, a few others taking the lower ground.” 

It is only here that the reports first mentions Carlow, running neck and neck with a horse named Creole to the wall. “After jumping the wall Sir James Baird turned to the right, and passing in the rear of Creole, took his line for the rails out of the last field but one. By this he gained a threefold advantage, for he obtained an easy jump, was straight for the winning flags, and secured a run in along the land. Mr Maddocks, riding Creole, on the other hand, continued his course, and this enabled Sir James to win by four or five lengths.”

Thus, it is Sir James Baird and Carlow, not Flies, that receive the credit for winning the inaugural running of the Grand Military Gold Cup

Sir James Gardiner Baird, born in 1813, died at his residence, Wester Lea, Murrayfield, Midlothian, on 6 January, 1896. He was 82.