Report from The Four Burrow Hunt Point to Point at Trebudannon on Easter Monday 21^st April 2003. 

 

I am going to find it difficult to roust up enough good words to describe this meeting but it was really first class.  The amount of work put in by the Point to Point team was well rewarded with an excellent crowd, suitable weather and a bumper number of entries which resulted in sixty runners going to post.  Two paying entry gates this year provided extra car parking in the centre of the course of which over two hundred and seventy cars took advantage.  A really great atmosphere, super racing and success was about to come to well deserving supporters. 

 

The best complement I heard voiced from an ardent P to P supporter was that this was equal to - if not better than- Tehidy!

 

I was first to arrive but that's not unusual and very soon after walking the course which has had so much attention, I was joined by another hunt foot follower in young Lucy Higgins (and her mum) who brought me up to date with the amount of work 'the team' had put in recently to provide this lovely spectacle which was about to be raced on.  They told me that 'iggy' (Dad) had been putting water down for such a long time and he has probably spent more time with Rundle (Weldhen) this last week than he has with young Lucy.  Never mind Lucy I think I heard him say he'll take you somewhere different this week, in fact he could have said -'anywhere you like' but the way this young lady enjoyed her afternoon riding around in a trailer behind a quad, she has had a wonderful school holiday and doesn't want to go anywhere else!

 

Success!  Well done Reuben, you can stop patting the horse now - yes - the Chapman family's INDIAN RAIDER won.  Well done Sarah (Gaisford), four times in the frame including a winner on a six race card!  Well done Lucy (Gardner) for a winning double and unfortunately missed out on a treble.  Well done Andrew (Glassonbury) who increased his number of wins by 100 per cent and was the only one  who doesn't wear a skirt (not normally anyway!) to cross the line in front of all others - yes the only male winner of the day AND there was no ladies race.  Finally but certainly not the least successful was a first time winner for young Vanessa Shaw who won her very first race.  She has been trying so hard on Mum's horse and not quite getting there but now she has done it on none other than Mike Weir's lovely horse and did it by twelve lengths.  So very good of Mike to let her have this ride and didn't she repay him well!  (Come on Mum a first time winner for a new trainer is a MUST!)

 

Local competition was rife when the 'farmers' race went to post with nine runners.  Varying prices were available except for a constant two to one ON  for Ross Oliver's LETS FLY (Mandy Hand) who has been consistent this season and last, without actually just getting over the line first.  John Weldhen's HANDSOME HENRY (S Gaisford) has been knocking on the door and I know Mrs Chapman would love to win this race with their well bred INDIAN RAIDER (A Glassonbury) whose price along with everything else made me take a little from the tin and invest at the very good odds of fourteen to one.  It was good to see a couple of BALDUs on the track again and another horse of Ross Oliver was FURSON to be ridden by Miss S J Coffin - a name normally seen in other horsey spheres - was also taking some of the investors money.  The runners remained generally in a very tight pack but after one complete circuit it was INDIAN RAIDER that led the field with F Daniels's BRIT OF A BABE  (D Mills) in close attention with HANDOME HENRY bringing up the rear but still quite tightly packed.  At fence number nine INDIAN RAIDER still led but HANDOME HENRY now had made a move and was much closer to the leader. On going out into the country for the final time it was noticed that INDIAN RAIDER needed a reminder and that HANDSOME HENRY was leading alongside LETS FLY and INDIAN RAIDER was in third.  These three crept away from the pack and went down past the starting point and along the back straight in close order.  LETS FLY leading HANDOME HENRY and INDIAN RAIDER at the open ditch.  As was predicted, these three locally trained horses were about to fight it out to the finish to bring home the spoils.  Each owner, without being in ear shot of the other, during the last few weeks has acclaimed his animal by far the best - we are now about to prove it!  Head on view was the best for the final straight as they looked in line abreast coming towards me.  I ran to the winning line as it was certainly going to be settled just there.  Over the last the line abreast looked intact but possibly INDIAN RAIDER had his head in front and to the line the race would have to be won.  Mandy has probably forgotten more than Andrew knows about finishing while Sarah is certainly not short of how to do it - here they come.  A great race finish with INDIAN RAIDER a head to the good of LETS FLY  and HANSOME HENRY judged to have been a length back in third.  Whew! That was close but a great race by great competitors.  The tin is already with lid off and about to be replenished.  Great stuff!

 

Next came The Countryside Alliance Confined Club Members' Race with eight going to post.  I had previously seen SEA SPIRIT (T Cave) in the box park and thought how good this mare looked and with her form it did not surprise me to see she was made favourite with a horse from Mr Retter's stable KARINGA CITY (S Gaisford) also being popular. Roma  Cook's HASTEN BAK is here at good odds and will want for nothing from the saddle with Lucy (Gardner) aboard and Sue Young on her SAINT JOSEPH who is about to be retired is also very popular.  It would be super if this thirteen year old stalwart and good servant could go out with a win.  It was not to be.  HASTEN BAK was soon sent to the front and continued in that position.  Others travelled on in different positions except for KARINGA CITY who whipped in for most of the first circuit.  At the ditch for the second time it was still HASTEN BAK but it was noticeable that the winning rider of the first race decided he would like to walk home from here and left Paul Tylor's MR RORY go back to the box area on his own. Out into the country for the final time saw SEA SPIRIT taking closer order and KARINGA CITY also getting into it.  On jumping the open ditch for the final time it was HASTEN BAK who led by about six lengths and continued in this vein until the winning line with SEA SPIRIT getting to within two lengths and KARINGA CITY just half a length back in third.  Ruth walked towards me with a very wide smile; it was more than obvious that the bag would be opened and a little deposit made.  Well done!  Nothing for me that time as I could not get an each way price and I was a little unsure so opted out of an investment.

 

On to the Hardy Carpets Open Maiden Race over two and half miles.  Eleven go to post. A rather uneasy favourite here in David Rogers's FOUR OF A KIND (S Gaisford) who stayed on well at a previous meeting when coming in second.  Other fancied runners were BROTHER JOSEPH  (R Darke), Lucy Gardner's GOING SOLO, and W Britton's JEMANNETTE(T Dennis) but I am going for Charlie Rush's PANTO PIXIE (A Glassonbury) at a sensible each way price and I know this bay mare  has been off with a cough and has now come back looking really well and has shown promise in the past.  They're off!  Well!  Lucy Gardner certainly knows what this horse of hers can do.  Up in the front from the off and kept a good distance away from any one who dare chases her.  At the ditch it was BROTHER JOSEPH and JEMANNETTE who was closest to her.  Lucy continued to go solo for the remainder of the race after fighting off a sustained attack from PANTOP PIXIE.  FOUR OF A KIND made up some ground but was still eight lengths back in second place when crossing the line and because the unlucky JEMANNETTE fell at the last I was able to collect on PANTO PIXIE as she passed the post in third place. This GOING SOLO is surely ready for three miles.  A little for the tin but I will need it all for the next race.

 

The Padstow Sea Sand Mixed Open Race.  Eight will go to post.  Flip flopping favourites in the investing arena. Charles Rush's KESTICK (T Cave) has the form but is stepping up two levels in class - is this too much I ask myself?  There is no ladies' race to enter this horse in and it is his local!  Roma Cook's COUNTY BASH is in great form and Lucy will have only mares weight to carry!  Then there is Jennifer (Congdon) who is back to ride her O SO BOSSY and another mare BELITLIR (Sue Young) will be there at the end for sure.  Mrs Bond's WESTCOUNTRYLAD is one of the few who has won on this course.  Competitive race to say the least but I am going all out for KESTICK as I am sure the trainer would not have declared this one as there is no going back to other levels if he wins.  Into the tin for some rustlers this time!  Ruth is doing the same!  COUNTY BASH, O SO BOSSY and STAR PATH were at the open ditch first on the second circuit with KESTICK and WESTCOUNTRY LAD  in close attention.  FINNIGANS LOT pulled up at this point. O SO BOSSY was prominent until pulling up before going out into the country for the final time.  Only five left in at this stage and a real race is ON!  COUNTY BASH took her jumps like a stag and took the lead down along the bottom straight followed by STAR PATH with KESTICK and BELITLIR close up.  With four fences to go it was COUNTY BASH leading KESTICK with the race pace now at flat out!  At the final ditch KESTICK had a length lead over COUNTY BASH with STAR PATH and BELITLIR no spent forces.  At the final fence KESTICK, who continued to jump well, had a couple of lengths lead over COUNTY BASH and was off to the line BUT flying up the outside was BELITLIR with Sue riding as though there was never going to be another Point to Point.  She failed to get there by half a length - so KESTICK did it, with BELITLIR half a length back in second and COUNTY BASH a further half length back in third.  STAR PATH was fourth.  One helluva good race - I would say that, wouldn't I?  But it was a true run race with a good time achieved by very keen young ladies.  The tin is nearly overflowing, I say nearly because I have kept some out for a special little investment in the next race.  They are all special but this one is very special. 

 

The Consols Oils Restricted Open Race will see 12 go to post.  I watched the way Tabitha Cave rode her TINDER BOX at Cothelstone and was impressed  by the finish so I will invest on this one, this is my special investment!  It is the clear favourite but the odds are still at evens so I will wait until nearer the off in case they get better. Mark Treneer's IT WORKED, M Panner and S Carpenter's COOMBE CHORUS (R Darke) and Sue Young on her LIRKIMALONG were all fancied but only to come second to TINDER-BOX .  Michael Miller is riding The Ansells's NEVERADULLMOMENT as his usual pilot , Ian (Hambley),  is not feeling too well and Les Jefford is onboard the Chanin's ROYAL RUMOUR whilst The Three to One Club has Tim Dennis up on their CHANGE and Sarah Gaisford is riding Mr Blank's BENGAL BULLET.  The price on TINDER BOX is not altering.  It was at this time that a friend who has travelled down from the Honiton area for this meeting decided to get into conversation with me and expressed his doubts about some of the runners, one of which was TINDER BOX and the more he conversed the more my special investment did not seem such a special thing after all.  It was then that we spied a man who carried a considerable amount of investment material heading towards the arena.  This man should know what to do with it!  I apologise to those I knocked over as I trundled behind 'knowledgeable man' in my quest for details of the investment by this gentleman.  Having got the details and watched the price being rubbed from that board I grabbed the next board before it was possible for even the speediest of  bookies to take the good price away, that is fast with a capital F!  They may call it 'insider trading' but I call it 'common sense'. The price I obtained was eight to one and the lovely horse BENGAL BULLET admirably ridden by Sarah (Gaisford) went on to win without giving me one moment of worry. NEVERADULLMOMENT came flying up the straight to grab second place (twenty five to one could be obtained about him!)  but had left it a little late as my concern was home and dry by two lengths.  TINDER BOX was three lengths back in third and LIRKIMALONG was fourth.  I will back TINDER BOX next time!

 

The Barclays Open Maiden Race for Eight Years old and over saw twelve go to post with Lucy Gardner (again!) being very popular on Paul Tylor's MENANTOL along with Richard Darke on TRIBAL LORD.  Rame Fell's  SOLAR SWING (Liam Heard) and K Redwood's BUTLER DID IT (L Jefford) took a little money but big prices were available about the rest.  I don't know what the riding instructions were from Mike Weir to Vannessa (Shaw) but if it was something like - go out and win it! then she took these instructions very seriously and did just that.  Mike's TENINAROW was in the lead over the second fence, six or seven lengths over  BUTLER DID IT at the third fence, going out into the country for the first time it was still TENINAROW by about six lengths from the BUTLER DID IT.  WARNING BOARD (A Glassonbury)  and MENANTOL were back in third and fourth place at this stage.  On reaching the open for the second time the second placed horse had changed and it was now TIERNA'S RESPECT (W White) but TENINAROW was still going away from the field with about a twenty length lead.  Out into the country with another change of second placed horse in WARNING BOARD but the gap was still eight or nine lengths from the leader TENINAROW with Vanessa looking quite comfortable.  The commentator reported that the lead was being cut down all the time but it was not a very noticeable 'cut down' and TENINAROW continued to gallop like the hounds might be getting away - I did say 'might be'  - no chance - ON and ON relentlessly. The BUTLER DID IT attempted to haul this leader back but was unable to do so and at the final ditch Vanessa was twenty lengths to the good of all followers.  It appeared that she had not found hounds yet and ON and ON went TENINAROW.  With two to jump the distance was at least twenty lengths.  At the last fence of the afternoon this horse jumped it like a good chaser should and went on to give this young lady her very first winner in a very grand style.  Well done!  A good race followed for the other positions and BUTLER DID IT came home two lengths to the good of CHARMINSKY  and MISS ILLUSTRIOUS was back in fourth place.  The time for that race was a very sensible six minutes twelve seconds but I wonder how long it felt to Vanessa.

 

The afternoon concluded with a presentation of a challenge cup known as The Ward Cornwall Cup given in memory of Bruce Warren by Pam Warren and will be given annually to the rider with the most points at the Four Burrow Meeting and this year it was won by - young Lucy Gardner.  Well done Lucy!

 

A very profitable day out for both bag and tin but also a good day for this hunt and this venue.  Long may it continue.

 

Next week there is only one meeting in the Cornwall, Devon and Wessex area and that is at Stafford Cross for the Axe Vale meeting on Sunday BUT there is the Berkeley meeting at Woodford on Saturday 26 April so BE THERE!

 

My mother taught me: JUSTICE

"One day you'll have kids and I hope they all turn out just like you"

 

Fred and Ruth