Your Chance to shape your Sport

Competitors and followers of point-to-pointing in Britain are being encouraged to float suggestions about the make-up of races to its stakeholders.

Peter Wright, chief executive of the Point-to-Point Authority, has distributed two discussion papers which focus on the types of races available to fixtures organisers, but which have a wider bearing. Opportunities for all is the theme of his search, one which takes place as the sport bids to retain, and hopefully increase, the number of horses registered to race.

When there were some 4,400 registered pointers at the turn of the millennium, meetings did not have to be imaginative in the conditions of races, yet could expect a large number of entries. Today, with roughly half as many horses eligible to run, carefully-considered conditions can make a meaningful difference to the entries and runners a fixture attracts, and there are other factors which did not exist 20 years ago.

At that time four-year-olds were not allowed to race, and point-to-point Flat races were unimagined. Ten such Flat races are currently being held across the season, plus three under Rules, proving so popular they are often run in two or three divisions.

They have also boosted the number of entries for other races on the same card, because trainers who enter a horse for a Flat race will make other entries on the same card. This could impact on fixtures held the same weekend.

Another new and growing element within the sport, albeit small in percentage terms, has been the way in which commercially-minded operators are racing four-year-olds in points with a view to selling them on once their ability has been demonstrated. Such horses may only stay in the sport for one race, and may have cost tens of thousands of euros, which can deter owners of lesser horses from taking them on. They do not always win, but perceptions matter.

Should owners of such horses pay the sport a percentage of the price they fetch at auction, or should the sport limit their opportunities by introducing conditions? Wright is keen to encourage all, and seeks feedback for the most practical and popular solutions.

His discussion papers focuses on races, which leads to horses and people, to crowd sizes and sponsorship, and the all-important word of mouth or social media comment.

Point-to-pointing thrived through simplicity, through access to everyone who wanted to race for fun, regardless of ability. Wright is concerned that too many conditions may have led to over-complication, which is confusing to newcomers.

You can have your say by emailing info@p2pa.co.uk.