Horncastle Cycling Club was formed in June 1883, the club's headquarters was at the Greyhound Inn on East Street and membership cost four shillings per annum. The first rule of the club reads "In all Club runs and tours the captain or his deputy shall lead, the Bugler by his side to receive orders, and the sub-captain or his deputy shall ride in the rear and look after stragglers (if any), and inform his captain by signal if it be necessary to ‘stop' or ‘easy' for them." The local landowner Edward Stanhope MP was club President by 1890.
The first bicycle race at the Wong was on August 27th 1890 when Horncastle CC held an evening meeting on a grass track, in front of a crowd numbering around 200. There was a one mile handicap with eleven contestants, which needed two heats. The scratch man RW Clark was victorious and was awarded a gold medal. Clark rode a cushion-tyred** safety for which he was penalised by 50 yards. There was also a slow bicycle race.
The August Bank Holiday Fete included bicycle racing from August 7th 1893, this was a one mile bicycle handicap race which was run in two heats, the final winner was JG Brader of Heningby. There were 5,000 spectators and the meeting finished with a fireworks display by Pain's of London. The August Bank Holiday meeting was an annual affair and was held until 1909, with bicycle races over half and one mile and retained its good attendance.
Horncastle CC held their sports meeting on Whit Monday, May 25th 1896 on a grass track five laps to the mile. There were two bicycle handicap races over 1 and 1½ miles and a cigarette and umbrella race.^^
The Horncastle Sports held on August 2nd 1897 included four bicycle races - a one mile local handicap, half mile and one mile open handicaps and a bicycle blindfold race. In the blindfold race (which took place with one rider at a time, thankfully) each competitor had to ride to a marked point, the rider nearest to this point was the winner.
Horncastle Conservative Club held a sports meeting on Whit Monday June 12th 1905. There was a half mile under 16s bicycle race and two open handicap races over 1 and 1½ miles. After the sports, there was a gathering in Mr Morton's garden at the Elms where there was dancing to the Town Band and songs from a troupe of masked minstrels.
The annual August Bank Holiday Fete was re-named the Rural Fete and on August 1st 1910, as well as the usual half and one mile open handicap bicycle races there was a one mile novices handicap and a one mile handicap for members of the Revesby Cycling Association.++ The Weigall Cup was donated by the local MP, Sir William Weigall, the cup was competed for annually in a one mile bicycle race at the sports. The Rural Fete was very well supported and continued until 1914.
Horncastle CC was still active in 1924, but faded away some time after. The club was briefly re-started in 1945. The Wong is still used for sport and recreation and is the home of Horncastle tennis, bowls, cricket, hockey clubs and Horncastle Town FC still play there.
** Cushion tyres were introduced in the 1880s as an alternative to solid rubber tyres and provided a smoother ride. The cushion tyre was made of fairly hard, hollow rubber with a hole running through the centre of the tyre cross section, like a hose. This allowed some flexing of the tyre, so made the ride more comfortable. Cushion tyres were superseded when pneumatic tyres became fairly cheap
^^ The race was described as "Machines to be laid on ground 30 yards distant, competitors to race to same, wheel to mark, light cigarette, open umbrella, to be carried over left shoulder, and ride the course. Winner to be competitor first past the post with cigarette alight and umbrella right side out."
++ The Revesby Cycling Association was a group of East Lincolnshire clubs from around the village of Revesby. The association was most active from the 1890s until the First World War, when it had 200 members.
