Kipling Coates Race course...

Yes! that road really is the oldest racecourse in England, the Annual Kiplincoates Derby was run for the 497th consecutive year on 17th March this year.
One very strange Quirk of the rules is that the rider that comes in second can get more prize money that the winner.
Now if that isn't truly "English" I don't know what is!
Here's a link to the history of the race
Kiplingcoates Derby

The winner receives the sum of £50. (However, sometimes it may prove advantageous to come second, as this rider is the lucky recipient of the sum of the entry fees.)
The rules also state that if the race is not run one year then it must never be run again.

During the harsh winter of 1947 no one was daring enough to take part and so one local farmer took it upon himself to lead a lone horse around the course, ensuring that the historic race would survive.[9] During the 2001 UK foot and mouth crisis the race was once again reduced to one horse and rider.
This is just in case anyone doubted the English are not a mad as they seem, they are!