Final report for the 2004 Point to Point Season.
Its over once more
but what a lovely season it has been.
The weather has been extremely kind and the 'Barbers' have only been out
on a couple of occasions and just sensible warm clothing is all that has been
necessary.
Everyone reading
our reports will be aware that Ruth and I, as in previous years, have enjoyed
our pointing season immensely and witnessed it coming to an end at Umberleigh
in a delightful atmosphere and with beautiful weather and with some regret but
it wont be long before hunting starts and we will see it all commence again.
Our thanks , and I
am sure we speak for all followers of this great sport, go out again to the
volunteers who have made this a wonderful season and provided much required
funds for the many hunts. A lot of
unpaid hours go in to the making of a good point to point course and this year
we have seen racing over well built jumps, good grass cover and 'goings' that
have been achieved only by real hard work.
Thank you again.
The standard of
racing has been of the best and some horses have gone on to National Hunt
racing, some have had a go at Hunter chasing and others will be coming back
next year with renewed endeavour to achieve a win in a maiden.
The novice jockeys
have had a taste of the sport and are now keener than ever to make a name for
themselves. The regulars are still
regulars and will no doubt continue to be so.
Those who are amongst the top in this sport continue to provide the
competition that is necessary to encourage others and to produce the spectacle
that this sport is.
Owners and
trainers are the life and soul of this sport and the sales catalogues tell me
that very few are giving up or intend to do so in the future. The absence of 'Pipe' runners will be
welcomed by some but the support that has been given to our sport by this
trainer is second to none and has enabled a Westcountry rider to emerge as
Champion.
The tin and the
bag are now emptied and put away for a while.
Their contents have fluctuated throughout this season, from rock bottom
to overflowing and we are not going to try and work out which level was
obtained at the end. As far as we are
concerned WE WERE WINNERS all the way.
We have enjoyed ourselves amongst friends every weekend whilst attending
forty one meetings, where else but at a point to point meeting could you do
that?
The web site will
be left open during the break but some pages maybe updated both in design and
content as new material becomes available.
If there is any change you would like to see please let me know and we
will oblige if we can. Up to now it has
had over twenty-five thousand pages viewed since we started in January and we are so pleased about
that. Thank you to all who emailed us
and to Lee and all the Secretaries for their assistance in providing details,
sometimes when under great strain.
My final
note: Will car park attendants (bless
them all!) please appreciate a small fact.
Those that arrive early do so to get a viewing position THEY like! (THEY being the one who has just paid his
hard earned cash!) Not necessarily where you wish them to go but where they
want to go. Please let them park,(in
lines that you have set up if you like!) and YOU park the remainder around
them. It really is so easy! Who ever decided that the majority of
spectators at Bratton Down wanted to face the paddock and be broadside to the
course needs to spend an hour or two with his head at right angles to the
remainder of his body and see if he likes waking up next day and has to walk across
the yard like a crab!
Oh! one more
point. Hopefully some of our spectators
will be new to the sport and if a course layout is on the outside/inside of the
front/back cover of the race card they will not have to ask the question as to
where the start is etc.
This report is
very much like previous ones but what more can we say but THANK YOU ALL!
That's it folks
and as my mother said, just like last year :
'This is not a
dress rehearsal you know, get out and enjoy it!'
Fred and Ruth