Over the winter, I came across a story about steeplechase races happening in Ottawa in the 1860s. I was even more shocked to find out they were happening across future Westboro/Highland Park/McKellar Park! The Thomson and Aylen families would loan out their farmland after fall harvest, and allowed for the creation of multiple courses on which horses would race, filled with jumps and obstacles. These competitions brought in some of the top steeplechase competitors from Ontario and Quebec, and became almost like a fall carnival for Nepean Township folks.
Digging through old newspapers led me to discovering some interesting stories, including two interviews done 70 years later with reminiscences from witnesses who saw it all first hand. Incredible stuff.
You can find the full article at the Kitchissippi Times, where this story ran as my March "Early Days" column.
https://kitchissippi.com/2024/03/08/early-days-when-steeplechase-races-were-the-rage-in-westboro/
From the Canadian Illustrated News, October 10, 1863 shows a similar event happening in Hamilton, Ontario, impressively drawn by one of the magazine's artists:
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