Cottenham
Cottenham Racecourse
### Cottenham Racecourse

Horse riding is relatively popular in the parish, with numerous maintained bridleways and riding clubs. A racecourse lies directly to the east of the village at Mason's Pasture off Beach Road. The University of Cambridge horse racing clubs have been riding at Mason's Pasture since the late 18th century. The [National Hunt Chase](/wiki/National_Hunt_Chase_Challenge_Cup "National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup"), now held at the [Cheltenham Festival](/wiki/Cheltenham_Festival "Cheltenham Festival"), was staged there in 1870 and 1877\.Stevens, Peter, History of the National Hunt Chase 1860–2010\.  A permanent course was laid out in the 1880s and the land bought by the parish in 1918, with the grandstand rebuilt in 1923\. The racecourse was used for three [point\-to\-point](/wiki/Point_to_point_%28steeplechase%29 "Point to point (steeplechase)") race meetings each year, usually in January, February and March, until its closure in 2020\.


Who bought the land for the permanent course in 1918?