Tir Prince raceway, part of the Tir Prince leisure complex in Towyn, near Rhyl, on the north Wales coast. Tir Prince’s founder, Billy Williams, ‘became interested in Harness Racing in the 1950s whilst working at Pontins in Prestatyn where there was a track. He loved it so much that one day he went to the races in his Ford Cortina, swapped it for a horse and walked home with the horse!’

In 1990, Billy bought a piece of derelict land and work began on building a hard racetrack. However, soon after the track was built, it was badly damaged by a storm that breached the sea wall at Towyn. The track was rebuilt and officially opened later that year.

In 2015, Billy’s son Adam, who had taken over the business from his father, celebrated the racetrack’s silver jubilee. To mark the occasion, a harness race using only grey horses was organised. Adam Williams decided: ‘what better way to celebrate the track’s Silver Jubilee than with a field full of silver horses pacing like ghosts through the night under the floodlights of Tir Prince?’

Sources: Daily Post article entitled ‘Kinmel Bay Tir Prince track celebrates 25th anniversary with unique race of grey horses,’ published 17th July 2015 and the official Tir Prince website

M. Ryder, RCAHMW, 8th April 2020