Turpin's Ride To York

Turpin's Ride to York, formally stylized as The Royal Hippodrome Performance of Turpin's Ride to York and the Death of Black Bess -- is a legendary 19th century Equestrian melodrama written by Henry M Milner.  It dramatized the real life 1738 legend of English Highwayman Dick Turpin, who rode his mare, Black Bess, on the epic 200 mile escape from London to York. 

Equestrian Origin 

Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, it was a staple of travelling circuses, Hippodromes, and amphitheatres across UK including Leeds, Cambridge and Coventry. 

The performance was renowned for its thrilling acts of horsemanship performed in circular rings, including heart-pounding scenes like Turpin  leaping over a tollgate to avoid pursuing vigilantes. 

The play was captured in Thomas Hardy's classic novel Far From The Madding Crowd, where Sergeant Troy performs as Turpin at the Greenhill Sheep Fair. 

While travelling Hippodromes and 19th century equestrian melodramas are no longer found in the exact format, the legend remains a staple of British stage and pantomime like "Dick Turpin Rides Again at York's Grand Opera House." 

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