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After weeks of trials and tribulations with Sky, Sentanta, Indian call centres, my apartment management company and disbelieving engineers, I’ve finally have Racing UK enabled as part of my Sky package.  :)
To soak test the system to ensure no other issues I am watching this channel continually. This morning I tuned into a program which featured Point-To-Point racing I was quite taken with the level of attendance and events that seemed to be professionally organised. The program mentioned that one p-2-p meeting this upcoming easter weekend can expect attendance of up to 15,000 people. :o
Don’t know much about the area of national hunt so what’s the point? Am I missing out on something?
Point to Poiunt racing is the backbone of under rules racing…I train a few, last year i had 2 horses, 1 won 3 on the bounce and the other was placed a few times….majority of the top chasers come from the pointing field…and it gives the unpaid jockeys a chance of getting a few winners….and lots of the top jockeys and a few trainers started in pointing
for info of pointing in your local area look at http://www.jumpingforfun.co.uk
In East Anglia we run 20 meetings, running every weekend from 31st December to 7th May. In other areas the season runs until mid-June.
Pointing is very relaxed with no dress code kids/dogs are encouraged.
Loads of people use them to host picnics etc.
Most people just support their own hunt but plenty of enthusiasts go racing every week in their area and often venture further away for the novelty of seeing new tracks, horses and connections.
You will be guaranteed to see six 3 mile steeplechases and often more if extra races carded. All horses get a run because races will be divided on the day if too many turn up and go over the safety factors.
The form is available in the racecards or you can subscribe to the annual bible – Mackenzie and Harris – with biogs of all the horses. The Weekender has a results pull out and has entries and stories about the pointing scence. Horse and Hound also does big features on the results of each meeting.
In East Anglia this weekend we’ve got Cottenham (nr Cambridge) on Saturday where the small fields have caused the organisers to drop the admission to 5 pounds each inc. a racecard. On Monday we have Marks Tey, nr Colchester, where you’ll pay 9 pounds – kids free at all meetings.
You’ll often see young horses on the way up or well known horses on the way down. All riders at amateurs, although plenty of the organisers do a professional job.
You’ll get totes and plenty of bookies although often laying very over round books – especially at Easter where they take advantage of the big crowds of once a year punters.
Some meetings will also include pony racing where you can see the star riders of the future cutting their teeth over about half a mile on the flat.
point to pointing also hosts the best named track in the world.
The Pigeons.
the Irish point to pointing site is a cracker too with pictures from each meeting and can be a good place to see the up and coming young chasers and to catch on to the good things early.
Can’t argue with any of the above, and whilst you’re bound to get the odd isolated example of poor organisation (the debacle at Didmarton last year), poor jockeyship (Patrick Millington) and horses not fit for purpose, the 230+ meetings crammed into the six-month season – all run by enthusiastic amateurs – basically offer good, honest, affordable grass-roots fare.
I’m off to Dingley and Hackwood Park this weekend, was at Ystradowen last, and I’m far from done for the season.
Jumping for fun? Hell yes!
Jeremy<br>(graysonscolumn)<br>
(Edited by graysonscolumn at 10:30 pm on April 6, 2007)
The patron saint of lower-grade fare. A gently critical friend of point-to-pointing. Kindness is a political act.
Tweseldown in Church Crookham, Hants was a lovely day out. We haven’t been for a few years and I understood it was under threat of closure. Anyone know if it is still going?
Still there, Nor1, and with three meetings this year. Mackenzie and Harris write;
Looked to have a very bleak future in ’02, but now back under new (and enthusiastic) management, and its future seems secure. Its renaissance owes much to the enthusiasm of Steven Astaire: long may it continue to thrive.
It is one of very, very few pointing courses which retain a water jump. Tragically, it was at that obstacle that former dual Told Gold Trophy winner Geos lost his life earlier in the winter, but that was simply a terrible accident rather than anything inherently wrong with horse, obstacle, course or ground.
Jeremy<br>(graysonscolumn)<br>
The patron saint of lower-grade fare. A gently critical friend of point-to-pointing. Kindness is a political act.
I shall be at Lockinge on Monday, no runners tho, having a day out with fellow racing friends….
Thanks for the responses.. Looks like I’ll need to take in a point-to-point fixture soon to join in the fun. :biggrin:
Flagg Moor today. Unique opening race, a proper "point to point", where the runners started in a field in the next village. Horses could take their own line back to the racecourse and had to jump stone walls on the way.
Total pandemonium but a great spectacle.
Rest of the card was very poor due to the ground – two races with two runners and a walkover in the fifth.
I went to Paxford easter monday, cracking day out, for atmosphere and general revelry there aren;t many racecourses with as good an atmosphere… I’ve only been a few times but they’re generally well run with everything there you would expect of a racecourse.
One tip I would give is that if your going to go on your own yuo’ll be paying £15 min, take people with you and it reduces the cost as they charge per car then normally extra on top per passenger but normally a fiver.. depends where you go though (I think?!)
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