Sculpture plans for Firbeck to celebrate classic horse race
A SOUTH Yorkshire village that helped give rise to one of Britain’s oldest horse races could soon see its heritage immortalised in steel.
Firbeck Parish Council has submitted plans to Rotherham Council for a new sculpture garden featuring two corten steel racehorses and jockeys in full stride. The installation would stand on a grass verge off Kidd Lane, near the former entrance to Park Hill, once home to Lieutenant Colonel Anthony St Leger, who founded the classic race that bears his name in 1776.
The proposed design shows the horses galloping past a stone wall towards a field known locally as Long Close, which folklore suggests was once used for informal races organised by St Leger himself. The garden would be planted with wildlife-friendly shrubs and bulbs to provide year-round colour.
The St Leger Stakes, held annually at Doncaster, is regarded as the world’s oldest classic flat race and marks the end of the British racing season. Firbeck’s connection to the event is already marked by a blue plaque and village sign, but supporters of the new artwork hope it will offer a more visible tribute to the area’s unique role in racing history.
If approved, the sculpture would become a permanent landmark linking the rural village to one of the sport’s most enduring traditions.