what it is advisable know to make sure an awesome time out

With the 2024/25 season underway, Horse & Hound is right here with a useful information to the game of point-to-point racing, which presents an entertaining time out within the contemporary air, watching match equine athletes collaborating in thrilling novice racing over fences. In case you’re planning to attend for the primary time, our helpful bluffer’s information to the game will enable you to grasp what’s going on…

Level-to-point racing: what it is advisable know

Level-to-point racing is steeplechasing for novice riders. The race days are run at native stage by a hunt or a recognised membership, beneath the jurisdiction of the Level-to-Level House owners and Riders Affiliation and the Level-to-Level Authority. The game is overseen by The Jockey Membership.

The game of point-to-point racing, or pointing as it’s also identified, dates again to 1836 when looking males used to race their horses from church steeple to church steeple — therefore the title “point-to-point”. The simple hyperlink between these two nation sports activities nonetheless exists over 250 years on – all the jockeys should be a member or subscriber of a hunt.

Some point-to-points embrace flat races for ponies, the place riders aged between 9 and 15 can expertise their first expertise as race riders. These ponies and their younger riders should have confirmed their competency earlier than being allowed to race.

An area point-to-point is invariably an attention-grabbing, sociable time out. Together with the joy of hotly contested racing and the chance of tax free betting, most conferences have commerce stands, a licensed bar, refreshments and a hound parade.

Information to point-to-point races

Most races are run over three miles with a minimal of 18 fences to be jumped. There are a number of longer races of as much as 4 miles and a few two-mile races for maidens.

A hunt members’ race is for horses certified with the hunt or hunts selling the assembly.

A maiden race is open to any horse which has by no means received a race at a point-to-point assembly or any race beneath the foundations of the Jockey Membership or different racing authority. A maiden horse means a maiden on the time of begin.

An intermediate race is open to any horse, which has not received any flat race (aside from a Nationwide Hunt flat race) beneath the foundations of the Jockey Membership or different racing authority or any “mens”, “girls”, “combined” open or Intermediate Race at a point-to-point assembly.

A confined race is for horses certified with the hunt or hunts selling the assembly and no more than 15 hunts truly adjoining it. If inadequate hunts adjoin, the closest neighbouring hunts should be included.

An open race is open to any horse and is both a “males’s” (to be ridden by male riders), “girls’” (to be ridden by feminine riders), or “combined” (to be ridden by both male or feminine riders), open steeplechase.

A Hunters’ Chase is a weight-for-age steeplechase beneath the Jockey Membership’s guidelines of racing confined to point-to-point horses and to novice riders and these are held beneath Guidelines.

The season is now underway and runs by till June. View the complete fixture record and learn how to purchase tickets.

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H&H options, racing and point-to-point editor

Gemma is an skilled journalist, having been a part of the H&H workforce since 2014, who’s keen about all equestrian sports activities, together with racing and point-to-pointing. She has loved using out for high trainers Nicky Henderson and Charlie Appleby and took half in a charity Flat race at in August 2018. Gemma’s reporting skills have taken her to quite a few five-star occasions round Britain and Europe, in addition to European championships.