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photo Geoff Cheetham
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Trotting has been a favourite
pastime in Wales since the 1800s but at that time Welsh cobs were
exclusively used for racing. After World War I many American Standardbred
horses were imported into Great Britain. The picture opposite
shows Setaba a British bred horse under 14 hands (140 cms). He
was the British record holder in the 1920s. The picture is taken
at Manchester which had one of the few hard tracks in the country. The
driver, George Dodd was a frequent visitor to Wales.
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Guy West (pictured
opposite) was one of the many American Standardbreds imported into
Great Britain after the second World War. A lovely chestnut not
only raced very successfully but he also produced a dynasty of race horses
to follow on. Stallions like him were used on both imported and
locally bred mares, this heralded the transition from the cob racing
prior to the War into the exclusively Standardbred racing of today. It
was these spectacular horses which became the peoples' favourites as the
crowds flocked to see them.
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photo Gwynne Higgins
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© W&BC Trotting History Club
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