Horse racing (sic) - This is usually alleged to be a match between Charles II and Henry Jermyn at Newmarket in 1684, but this is improbable by virtue of the date, the terrain and the gypsy encampment. It is surely one of the thousands of unrecorded local events - regular meetings or impromptu matches - which grew enormously between 1660 and 1740. The horses were hunters or Galloways, the riders their owners or grooms, the raceground any convenient piece of common, and the prize a measure of oats or barley. The History of Horse Racing by Roger Longrigg, page 50. *** Local Caption ***