SEASON 2015/16 | £3.95 THE POINTER INSIDE . Biddick & Barber - champions Gina sets the standard Pendleton trading two wheels for four legs Scenes from the Anglo/Irish Challenge UPDates fROm 14 AREAS PLUS news fixtures pony racing and more… Dabinett Moon (Claire Hart), Subaru restricted series final winner Outstanding Results In The Dock, winning the Members Race at the North LedburyPoint-to-Point, ridden by Will Telfer and Photograph by ES Photography trained by Tim Eades. TopSpec Racing Balancer Feed is designed nutritional to provide supp TopSpec Racehorse Cubes:- optimu ort for m s peed, and stamina recove pro ry rates.It •High energyformula including oats vides good protein quality •High quality protein to support to promot functio e m uscle muscle development andfunction n a nd repair and optimum , •Added soya oil to promote stamina vitamin levels of s, minerals •Only 19% starchtosupport probiotics and to healthydigestive function ultimate support perfo rmance. ® Contact Will Humphreys Multiple Award Winner for on 07909 521085 ‘Excellence in Nutritional Tel: 01845 565030 or Advice andCustomer CREATED WITHOUT COMPROMISE (062) 85401 (Ireland) by experienced equine nutritionists Service’ www.topspec.com Outstanding Results LOOKING back to look AHEAd Foals weaned – check; hound puppies walked – check; hay baled – check; horses wormed – check; teeth rasped – check; point-to-point subscription paid – check; hunters’ certificate lodged – check; entries made – check. Then let’s go point-to-pointing! Will Biddick’s British record of 68 winners last season would have been unthinkable 12 months ago – what trick does he have up his sleeve this time? Gina Andrews fought off competition for last season’s women’s title, and capped it with a brilliant victory in Stratford’s feature hunters’ chase – can she retain the championship? Joint-champion pointer Cock Of The Rock has gone to a new home, while Rosie’s Peacock has never left the farm he was born on – what lies ahead for the pair? Victoria Pendleton, Britain’s most successful woman Olympian, is changing two wheels for four legs to ride in point-to-points and hopefully in Cheltenham’s Foxhunter Chase. Will this elite athlete turn focussed determination and coaching into a winning formula in hunt racing? In this year’s Pointer magazine we reflect on all the above, and bring you updates on the sport’s revamped and upgraded website – www.pointtopoint.co.uk – national sponsorships, people who make the sport tick and plenty of other information to tee up the 2015/16 British point-to-point season. Enjoy . Carl Evans | Editor The editor, qualifying Sarah Dawson’s Qrackers, who is being aimed at Cottenham’s curtain raiser CONTENTS ADVERTISERS In The Dock, winning the Members Race at the North 4 - 5 Focus on Biddick 2 Top Spec LedburyPoint-to-Point, ridden by Will Telfer and Photograph by ES Photography 6 - 7 Go Gina 15 Harley Equestrian trained by Tim Eades. 8 - 9 News 16 Gibson Saddlers TopSpec 24 Porto Racing Racing 10 - 11 Cock Of The Rock & Rosie’s Peacock Balancer Feed 26 Jonathan Geake is 12 - 14 Pendleton power designed 27 Treehouse nutritional to provide supp 15 Spotted at the races Woodlands TopSpec Racehorse Cubes:- optimu ort for 29 m s peed, and stamina White Rose Saddlery recove 16 - 17 Secretaries’ insight 38 pro ry rates.It •High energyformula including oats vides good 39 Valley Equine protein quality 18 - 19 Anglo-Irish challenge •High quality protein to support to promot functio e m uscle 40 Connolly’s RED MILLS muscle development andfunction n a nd repair 20 - 23 PPORA and optimum , •Added soya oil to promote stamina vitamin levels of Champion trainer s, minerals 24 •Only 19% starchtosupport probiotics and to THE POINTER | Issue 6 healthydigestive function ultimate support 25 - 27 National sponsors per formance Publisher: Editor: Carl Evans . Pony racing 28 The Point-to-Point Authority Contributors: Viv Buckby, 29 Starting point 30a Shrivenham Hundred Sarah Pollard Business Park, Advertising: Becci Thompson 30 - 31 Point-to-Point Racing Company Majors Road, Watchfield, Tel: 01793 781990 Swindon, SN6 8TZ 32 - 35 News from 14 Areas Tel: 01793 781990 Design: Twitter: @point2pointauth Weatherbys Caroline Bray ® Contact Will Humphreys Meet the teams E-mail: [email protected] 36 - 37 Tel: 01933 440077 Multiple Award Winner for on 07909 521085 Skype: Point-to-point authority ‘Excellence in Nutritional 38 - 39 Fixture list Office hours: Tel: 01845 565030 or Mon – Fri 9am – 5pm Advice andCustomer CREATED WITHOUT COMPROMISE (062) 85401 (Ireland) Service’ by experienced equine nutritionists Cover photo of Dabinett Moon (Claire Hart) by Neale Blackburn www.chasdog.com www.topspec.com www.pointtopoint.co.uk 3 FOCUS ON WILL BIDDICK In 2014/15 the four-time Fuller’s Brewery men’s champion smashed the record for most wins by a British rider in one season 4 firm ground in spring, also aided his While landing the Fuller’s record run. BIDDICK’s reCord-BREAking Brewery men’s championship for No less important was his fitness SEAson BREAKDOWN and durability to avoid injuries, and a fourth time in 2014/15, rider his ability in the saddle. There are Wins 68 Will Biddick set a British record other riders who might have broken Places 40 (25 2nds, 15 3rds) the record given the firepower at Falls 7 Biddick’s disposal, but would they for most wins in a season. Unseats 2 have ridden 68 winners? Pulled up 16 Percentage of first three places74% Rides 146 (topped the busiest riders’ list) Strike rate (pt-to-pt) 47% Hunters’ chase wins 4 Wins for Jack Barber’s stable 47 Lifetime wins in pt-to-pt 258 Total wins (including under Rules) 304 First victory of 2014/15: Aerial, mens’ open 13/12/14 at Larkhill (Hursley Hambledon); Owners – Tony Hayward & Barry Fulton; Trainer – Jack Barber; SP – 4/6F (fourth ride of the His 68 victories was 14 more than season) that achieved by brothers Oliver Ride to equal the record (56): Kostaquarta, and Thomas Greenall in 2008 No less important was his fitness confined at Weston & Banwell 13/05/15; and 2009 respectively, a margin Owners - J Barber, P Burley, Mrs S Burley & which seems improbable even now, and durability to avoid injuries Mrs S Barber; Trainer – Jack Barber, SP – 10/11F months after it was achieved. He Ride to set new record: Bernshaw, restricted had made no secret of his ambition at Bratton Down (Dulverton Farmers) 17/05/15; to break the Greenalls’ score, but TRacking the men’s reCord Owner – R Wright; Trainer – Claire Hitch, SP – 9/2 admitted it was unlikely unless a For winners in A seASON rival pushed him to the final day. New record set on: Queens Bay in the mens’ 1947 Wilfred How 14 open at Bratton Down 07/06/15 (Tiverton Instead he took the title by a very Staghounds). Owners - Robert & Lucy Dickinson; Trainer – Jack Barber; SP – 5/2. wide margin – runner-up John 1949 Guy Cunard 20 Mathias reached a score of 32 – Five-timers in 2014/15 1964 Guy Cunard 22 cruising upsides the record score Kingston St Mary 06/04/15, Taunton Vale (Judge John Deed - open maiden 2m4f; at Cothelstone a month before 1966 David Tatlow 25 Ghizao - confined;Chapoturgeon – mixed the season’s end and setting a new open; Siege Of Troy – restricted; Soul Native – mark at Bratton Down the following 1971 Bob Davies 29 intermediate); weekend. The winners kept coming Bratton Down 17/05/15, Dulverton Farmers and he established the new record 1977 David Turner 29 (Bugsie Malone - open maiden; Otis Tarda – on Queens Bay at the penultimate intermediate; Whataknight – club members 1978 John Bryan 32 conditions; Bernshaw – Restricted; Queens Bay meeting of the season. - TBA mares’ race) Biddick, who rode his first winner 1988 Philip Scholfield 37 Trainers he rode for in 2014/15: Jack Barber, in April 2004, has been helped A. W. Berry, Teresa Clark, Keith Cumings, 1997 Julian Pritchard 37 Nikki Frost, Pauline Geering, Sarah Gould, by the introduction of pre- Claire Hitch, Tom Malone, Marie McGuinness, Christmas racing, and since he 1999 Julian Pritchard 43 Michael Miller, Heidi Tinkler, Mike Weir. rides predominantly in the Devon & 250th pt-to-pt win: Otis Tarda, Intermediate Cornwall and Wessex areas he has 2004 Ashley Farrant 54 at Bratton Down (Dulverton Farmers) 17/05/15; the chance to compete at early- and Owned and trained by A W Berry; SP – 10/1 late-season fixtures. 2008 Oliver Greenall 56 300th career win (incl under Rules): Torn Asunder at Stratford (2m1f Technicair Air The biggest factor in his record- 2009 Thomas Greenall 56 Conditioning & Ventilation Engineers Hunters’ breaking run was the form of Chase) May 29th; Owner – Mr R. P. Davies- Cooke; Trainer – Gary Hanmer; SP – 16/1 Jack Barber’s Somerset-based 2015 Will Biddick 68 stable – Biddick achieved 47 wins Current position in pt-to-pt all-time riders’ list: for that yard alone – while helpful (Polly Curling set the bar higher with ninth (of those ahead only Phil York still riding) weather, with little frost, snow or 40 winners in 1995, a record that still Stats by Viv Buckby waterlogging, and not too much stands for women riders) www.pointtopoint.co.uk 5 GOBritain’s GINA! women’s champion is set for the off I’m as keen as ever, and very excited about the new season. I’m in no hurry for babies – I’m only 23! 6 ION MP A CH HE T F Two moments from last season REFLECTIONS O pinpointed Gina Andrews’ place One of my favourite rides last as one of the best point-to-point season was on Fair Ask for Gary Hanmer in a maiden at Dingley – riders of her generation.