So you wanna jump point-to-point?

What’s the story?
Our video clip follows businessman David Brace as he trains his horses in point-to-point near Bridgend and then goes on to the Chepstow Races.

So what exactly is point-to-point?
In a nutshell, point-to-pointing is steeplechasing for amateurs. It’s a very popular sport, with over 200 fixtures taking place each year. Most of the races are run over 3 miles with a minimum of 18 fences.

When you say ‘amateurs’, you mean nobody gets paid for it?
Basically, the trainers and jockeys are unpaid. Prize money ranges from £120 to £21,000, the top prize at Cheltenham’s Foxhunter Chase - the F.A. Cup Final of the Point-to-Point season.

So point-to-pointing is only for the rich?
Not at all. As a Point-to-point racehorse owner, you can buy your own horse for as little as £1,000-£2,000. Many owners are part of a syndicate. In other words, a group of mates put in a couple of hundred quid and you’re racehorse owners.

But don’t you have to train them as well?
Yes, you do – and stable them, and feed them. You can train your own horses, but most point-to-point racehorse owners hire a trainer for between £100-£150 a week in fees.

So is it expensive?
No more expensive than, say, taking up golf, or buying a season ticket for your local football club.

So can any old nag take part in a point-to-point?
As long as they have been registered at birth with Weatherbys’ (the Kennel Club of the UK horse world), and have a passport showing all their details, then you can apply for a Hunter Certificate to render the horse eligible to race. See Links for more details.

How about jockeys?
If you yourself want to ride point-to-point, you must first of all be an amateur rider, and more importantly you will need to be the holder of a Riders’ Qualification Certificate, as issued by the Jockey Club. See Links for details.

Can I make a career out of point-to-point? There’s not really enough money in point-to-point itself to make a career. However, many riders and trainers who get their first taste of racing in point-to-point go on to join the professional racehorse circuit.

Where do I go to find out about a career in horse racing?
Horse & Hound Online (see Links) has an excellent careers and education section, offering advice on Grooms Certificates to NVQ’s in Racehourse Care & Management to MSc’s in Equine Studies.