what it’s worthwhile to know to make sure an excellent 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 affords an entertaining time out within the contemporary air, watching match equine athletes participating in thrilling beginner racing over fences. Should you’re planning to attend for the primary time, our helpful bluffer’s information to the game will make it easier to to know what’s going on…

Level-to-point racing: what it’s worthwhile to know

Level-to-point racing is steeplechasing for beginner riders. The race days are run at native stage by a hunt or a recognised membership, underneath the jurisdiction of the Level-to-Level Homeowners 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 additionally it is recognized, dates again to 1836 when looking males used to race their horses from church steeple to church steeple — therefore the identify “point-to-point”. The plain hyperlink between these two nation sports activities nonetheless exists over 250 years on – all the jockeys need to 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.

A neighborhood point-to-point is invariably an fascinating, sociable time out. Together with the thrill 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 just a few 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 gained a race at a point-to-point assembly or any race underneath 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 gained any flat race (apart from a Nationwide Hunt flat race) underneath the foundations of the Jockey Membership or different racing authority or any “mens”, “girls”, “blended” 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 really adjoining it. If inadequate hunts adjoin, the closest neighbouring hunts have to 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 “blended” (to be ridden by both male or feminine riders), open steeplechase.

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

The season is now underway and runs by means of till June. View the complete fixture listing and learn the way 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 staff since 2014, who’s keen about all equestrian sports activities, together with racing and point-to-pointing. She has loved driving out for prime trainers Nicky Henderson and Charlie Appleby and took half in a charity Flat race at in August 2018. Gemma’s reporting abilities have taken her to quite a few five-star occasions round Britain and Europe, in addition to European championships.