Category Archives: Features

A Feature on an aspect of Point-To-Pointing in the Devon & Cornwall area

Features, Granville Taylor, Point-To-Point, Silverton

GRANVILLE’S REMINISCENCES – SILVERTON POINT-TO-POINT

With the new point-to-point season fast approaching, here is another personal reminiscence, this time from Silverton Hunt fixtures past to whet the appetite for exciting days soon to come.

Baily’s Hunting Directory records Silverton Huntinformation from 1863. The Master then was Mr T Webber who held that esteemed office until 1895. According to my records, the first point-to-pointheld by the Silverton was on 23 March 1923 at Newton St Cyres. They raced there from 1923 until 1929 when the fixture was transferred to Shobrookenear Crediton.

Shobrooke was a stiff Devon track, right-handed with some plough and a long, hard pull up to the finish. The Silverton meeting was held at that coursefrom 23 March 1929 until their last fixture there on 3 April 1971, with a break in the war years. It becamea joint meeting with the Tiverton in 1964.Their final combined meeting at Shobrooke in 1971 saw wins in the saddle for Fred Rawle and Grant Cann, but Martin Pipe could only finish runner up ridingFaberstown in the Members’. Mr Pipe went on to carve out a successful career as a trainer!

There was no Silverton fixture in 1972, but on 28 March 1973 the point-to-point went it alone and moved to the East Devon course at Hayes Barton, Clyst Honiton.

The next move was to Thorverton in 1978. I remember going there in 1985 for the final meeting at that course. Chris Down rode a double on Holcombe Lass and Macnab’s Quest, as did Philip Scholfield on Sandsprite and Harvest Hymn. Sara Luxton won the Ladies’ on Isotip, and Philip Rawlerode Dull Light to win the Men’s Open. These were the good old days for us race readers with never more than five or six races.

In 1986 yet another move took the Silverton to Haldon. I must confess that personally I never enjoyed point-to-point racing on the inside of Haldonracecourse, although I had a good view for race reading from the pigeon loft which was the judge’s box in the centre of the course.  I had been used to National Hunt racing at “Devon and Exeter” (who changed it to “Exeter”?). Admittedly some good point-to-point racing ensued at Haldon with generally decent fields, but there were some funny results including in 1992 when a long odds-onfavourite was beaten after a questionable ride. I remember the brilliant Proud Son winning on his debut the following year. He later went on to win the Horse and Hound Cup. In addition such good Ladies’ horses such as Khattaf and For A Lark did their stuff at Haldon over the years.

And so the fixture was taken on to Black Forest Lodge in 1997. There are plenty of good memories of the fixtures at Black Forest Lodge on the Earl of Devon’s land which was a proper point-to-point course with the benefit of quick draining soil. At the early season fixture horses came from Wales and the Midlands which led to competitive racing. My racereporting always saw me on the hill side overlooking the last fence where the whole action could be seenwith a good pair of binoculars. There was only a single occasion when fog descended which forced me to go down between the last fence and the penultimate to see anything of the action. 

As 18-year-old Rachael Blackmore trudged back after her fall from Cheekyrun   in the Silverton Open Maiden on 27 March 2010,  nobody would have dreamt that the young Irish novice jockey would eventually become the first female to ride the winner of the Grand National. This is a true story however and Devon owner/trainer Gordon Chambers readily recalled the occasion, “Yes, Rachael was just getting started. I bought two horses from Ireland from a pal of mine which were ready to run and part of the deal was he would bring them over and stay with me and see them run, and could he also bring over a young girl who had been riding out for him and if I thought she was good enough could she ride them over here. She was very keen and had not had many opportunities. Having watched her, I thought she was good enough !”

It was a shame that this popular viewing course,superbly prepared under  Clerk of the Course Norman Chanin, should be lost for good after the 2018 season. The intention for the Hunt to race at the new Dunsmore, Silverton course was thwarted by the pandemic, although the closely associated DunsmoreClub managed an initial meeting there in November 2019.

Let’s hope that Dunsmore proves a successful new home. The Club meeting this season is on Sunday 14 November. The new season opens on Saturday 30 October at Ottery St Mary with the East Devon fixture.

GRANVILLE TAYLOR

Acknowledgments:

Hunter Chasers & Point-to-Pointers, Sale & MacKenzie ,various years

.Baily’s Hunting Directory

The Continuing Story of Point-to-Point Racing, Michael Williams

Mr Michael Kutapan – Point to Point History & Research( Jumping For Fun web site)

The Pointer (David Coulton

Footnote:

A big gelding called Native Trail won a division of the Silverton Adjacent Hunts’ Maiden in 1983 with Jimmy Frost in the saddle. 

The unbeaten top rated two-year-old of 2021, Native Trail, won the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket last week to become favourite for next year’s Derby. It looks as though Godolphin has stolen the name.

Features, Granville Taylor, Point-To-Point, Tiverton

GRANVILLE’S REMINISCENCES: TIVERTON FOXHOUNDS POINT-TO-POINT

To whet the appetite for the rapidly approaching newpoint-to-point season, I am pleased to add anotherreminiscence from the Devon & Cornwall area to the collection I wrote during the first COVID lockdown .

The original set of reminiscences was designed as aseries solely in lieu of local meetings lost in the midst of website COVID restrictions from March until June 2020, hence a number of hunts were not covered. One of those not covered was the Tiverton Foxhounds, which has now found a regular home at Chipley Park. It was not always so, since the meeting has had several venues over the years.

For those interested in the history of the Tiverton Foxhounds point-to-point, it stretches back well over a century. The early Foxhounds fixtures in the late 19th century were shared together with Sir John Amory’s Staghounds and Sir John Amory’s Harriers

Joint fixtures with the Staghounds continued until the first world war (1914) at such locations as Peadhill ,Tiverton and Holmead. No further fixtures were held after that war until 1921. 

The re-start on 9th April 1921 saw a combined meeting between the Tiverton Hunt and the Tiverton Staghounds at Peadhill.  This combination transferred their point-to-point to Pileywell, near Tiverton, in 1924 and continued at that venue until the last meeting before the second world war on 22ndApril 1939. The Devon Yeomanry joined the combined hunts meeting in 1935 and 1936. Roderick Heathcoat-Amory (Sir Ian’s son) rode his own horse Lightning to win the 1937 Members’ race at Pileywell    

The Tiverton Foxhounds held their first independent fixture on 12th April 1947 (after snow had covered the whole country that winter). Cullompton was the venue and remained so until it closed after the fixture held on 6th April 1957. I don’t have many facts about the course at Cullompton. 

They raced at at Shobrooke from 1958 until 1963. Shobrooke was a very stiff, undulating course with some drop fences and plough thrown in for good measure. It was right-handed with a long hard pull up to the finish .

No meetings were held after 1963 until 22nd April 1972, when Halberton Court became the new venueuntil it was closed in 1982. This is where I come in if you will forgive a few personal anecdotes because I was there on March 7th 1981 in a press capacity (my goodness was it really 40 years ago). I remember the day mostly because I had to be towed off the track in deep mud, very kindly by the point-to-point secretary .

I had to resort to the form book to recall that Robert Chanin rode the Hunt race winner on Trig Point, beating Grant Cann on the favourite Spider Legs.The evergreen gelding Devon Spirit and Keith Pookwon the Adjacent Hunts’, just one of that gallantgelding’s six victories that season at the age of 16.Wiener Chic and Sue Reynard beat Moonstep (Pip Fisher) and Gay Express (Biddy Peck) in the Ladies’,and Lucky Friday, won the Open under his owner/trainer Andrew Congdon from the Torrington Farmers’

I do remember that the going was really heavy that day and True Member with Kevin Bishop in the saddle beat a big field in the Restricted. Some well known local riders figured in the last which was the Adjacent Hunts Maiden (whatever happened to Adjacent Maidens?). Honey Jump relished the deep ground under Martyn Keenor to beat Fabulous Spirit (George Turner) and Sandsprite (Philip Scholfield) in a very slowly run race. 

Not quite the end of the day because there was still time for Grant Cann and Oliver Carter to inform “the press” – me- that Grant was about to announce hisretirement from the saddle (perhaps because he was beaten on the Hunt race jolly) . Fortunately I took their tale that day with a pinch of salt and ignored it. Grant’s eventual retirement was forced upon him four years later when a freak accident ended his excellent career with a total of 217 point-to-point winners behind him.

That turned out to be the last ever meeting at Halberton Court, and the point-to-point was abandoned the next season. In 1983 a new era began at Bishop’s Court, Ottery St Mary, where divisions of the Men’s Open, Ladies’ Open and Adjacent Maiden meant a nine-race card. Winning riders that day included Jimmy Frost on Flying Camel (“more camel than flying”, relates the form book), Polly Curling, Janine Mills, nee Evans, (riding one of my favourite horses of all time Silver Ransome), Stuart Kittow, Peter Hobbs and the aforementioned Grant Cann

The Tiverton said goodbye to Ottery after the 1987 season, moving to Stallenge Thorne near Milvertonfor a Wednesday afternoon  fixture the following year. What a shame these popular, well attended weekday point-to-point meetings do not figure in the modern fixture list. The Tiverton Foxhounds spent 12years at that excellent track on farmland hosted by Ken and Caroline Nicholas. Sadly Ken passed away recently.

I remember Stallenge Thorne as a demanding left handed track with good fences and reasonable viewing. One of the best pointers to win there would have been Earthmover who won the Ladies’ Open under Polly Curling prior to going on to two Cheltenham Foxhunter victories.

Modern day West country point-to-point followerswill be familiar with Chipley Park, near Wellington,and handy for the M5 ,which has hosted the fixture since 2000. Chipley is a right handed course with a steady incline to the finish up a dog leg home straight which favours staying types, and seems to attract big fields. Several Welsh trained and Midland based runners turn up every year and after race schooling seems to attract a cast of thousands. It is a very fair, good viewing course, but the bend at the bottom of the track can get boggy in wet weather. The 2021 meeting was lost to the COVID lockdown. 

The Chipley Park date for the diary this season is Sunday 23rd January 2022, meanwhile we look forward to welcoming back point-to-pointing at Ottery St Mary on Saturday 30th October with the East Devon meeting.

GRANVILLE TAYLOR

Acknowledgments:

Hunter Chasers & Point-to-Pointers, Sale & MacKenzie ,various years

The Point-to-Point Calendar 1937-38, Arthur W Coaten

The Continuing Story of Point-to-Point Racing, Michael Williams

Mr Michael Kutapan – Point to Point History & Research( Jumping For Fun web site)

The Pointer (David Coulton)

2020-21 Season, Features, Point-To-Point, Point-To-Point Authority, Update

PPA: POINTING TO PAUSE AGAIN, Weatherbys Point-to-Point, Weatherbys Point-to-Point

In the light of the Prime Minister’s Announcement, we of course are calling a pause to the point to point season from today.  Whilst I know that many of you would have liked to press on, and indeed the sport remains inherently safe, we cannot claim that we are acting in a vacuum.  The national situation is worsening, and that means amongst other things that the availability of medical assets is no longer assured.  Even if those could be guaranteed, there is the likelihood of waits at hospitals for injured jockeys, and racing having to be stopped due to lack of ambulances on course. 

We also have to take into account the workload put upon the volunteers who run the meetings, the level of which may not be apparent to many of you.  We are hugely grateful for their willingness to take on the enormous amount of work and stress that they have gone through to try to put on the meetings so far, and the occasional cancellation has not been due to lack of effort.  However, this has reached intolerable levels over the past few weeks, and cannot continue.

Instead, we have decided to go for a clean break with the hope of restarting on weekend February 20/21, based on the government Tier Review on February 10.  This will at least allow you to plan with some surety.  Please do keep the faith.  Whilst there are several dynamics currently working against the country, these will play out, whilst others, such as vaccination programmes and the weather, will move in our favour.  As such we believe that we can still have a good season all things being equal.   To put things in perspective that will leave 19 racing weekends until the end of the season during which over two thirds of the normal fixture list would normally run.

Rest assured that we are doing everything possible to ensure our sport will be in a great space to get going again in a safe and secure manner, which is acceptable to us all.  Please keep checking the website for further updates.

Welcome to http://www.pointtopoint.co.uk – The Official Home of Point-to-Pointing. We bring you the latest entries, results and fixtures for the season.
— Read on www.pointtopoint.co.uk/news_articles/pointing-to-pause-again

Axe Vale, Features, Granville Taylor, Point-To-Point, Stafford Cross

THE AXE VALE POINT-TO-POINT – AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY

ACTION FROM THE FIRST MEETING IN 1947. The horse and jockey are not known.

POINT-TO-POINT enthusiasts, especially from the West Country, are promised an enjoyable read in this delightful new book by Jacquie McCullough with contributions from Granville Taylor.

The history of the Axe Vale point-to-point, from the first meeting on 24th April 1947, is thoughtfully covered, illustrated by more than 200 photographs, mostly previously unpublished.

From 1947, Axe Vale meetings took place on undulating farm land “across the road” (A 3052). The move to the presentcourse at Stafford Cross took place in 1965. The writer weaves stories in chronological order throughout each decadefrom that first fixture.

As intimated in the foreword by Ross Wilmington, MFH, Axe Vale Point-to-Point Chairman, “I am confident that this book will take a treasured place in very many homes and makes a fine tribute to all the individuals involved with the meeting since its inception back in 1947.”

All profits from the sales of the book will go to the Axe Vale Hunt point-to-point.

This privately published book at a cost of £19.99 plus £2.20 P & P has a limited print run, so early ordering is recommended. Copies can be ordered by sending an email to axep2p.book@gmail.com when BACS details will be provided.

2020-21 Season, Bishops Court, Devon & Cornwall Point to Point Association, East Devon, Features, Granville Taylor, Point-To-Point

Cornelius Lysaght TO LEAD DEVON & CORNWALL LIVE STREAM PRESENTATION TEAM

Cornelius Lysaght
Cornelius Lysaght

Internationally known horse racing broadcaster Cornelius Lysaght will head up the Devon & Cornwall live streaming presenting team when the 2020/2021 point-to-point season gets under way with the East Devon races at Ottery St Mary on Saturday 24th October, writes Granville Taylor.

With the meeting set to take place behind closed doors (BCD), the Devon & Cornwall area organisers work during the extended close season looks to have paid off. Anticipating the likelihood of racing BCD, the committee have used part of a £10.000 grant from Totnes and Bridgetown Racing Company Ltd to purchase live streaming equipment, and the area, with the approval of the British Horseracing Authority and the Point-to-Point Authority, is set to be the first in the UK to broadcast all their 25 meetings in the area for the coming season.

Announcing the initiative, Frank Yeo, Area Chairman said, “It is hoped this new venture will be able to bring the atmosphere and excitement of point-to-point racing to everyone at home. We are delighted that Cornelius Lysaght, with nearly 30 years experience as BBC Racing Correspondent, will be the lead presenter.”

The live streaming programme will include coverage of all the races, plus pre-race and post-race information, interviews and analysis. The long established West Country Videos team will be operating two cameras at each meeting.

Frank Yeo added, “We are very grateful to all those who have helped us get this off the ground, especially Totnes and Bridgetown Races Company Ltd, whose generous £10.000 will also boost race sponsorship in these difficult times.”

corneliusracing.com

https://www.facebook.com/PointingDC/events/?ref=page_internal

2020-21 Season, Course, Devon & Cornwall Point to Point Association, Features, Fixture, Point-To-Point, Races

Financial Support packaged Launched for Devon & Cornwall Point-To-Points

Totnes and Bridgetown Races Co. Ltd. is delighted to announce the launch of a special £10,000 financial support package to kick-start the 2020/2021 Point to Point season in the Devon and Cornwall area. 

The Company has long been associated with support for Westcountry Point to Pointing, and for next season the funding will be provided in addition to their existing sponsorship of four Hunter Chases and four Open races; including the prestigious Area Classic at Buckfastleigh, ‘The Westcountry Champion Chase’, with a purse of £1000.

The aim of the new support is to underpin Devon and Cornwall Point to Pointing at this difficult time, following the disappointment of the early abandonment of racing in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A real consequence of this loss was the individual financial hardship with so many rural jobs reliant upon a successful horseracing industry. In addition the Hunts’ and Point to Point Committees faced unprecedented losses of their income derived from Point to Point meetings.

The Devon and Cornwall Point to Point Secretaries Association has worked extremely hard in conjunction with Totnes and Bridgetown Races Co Ltd director George Welch to produce a plan utilising the extra £10,000 to best effect. Race sponsorship has always been the Company’s core area of support, and again this will form the bulk of the new assistance with additional sponsorship of 12 x £500 races, spread right across the Devon and Cornwall area. Furthermore every Point to Point fixture will receive a grant to help offset the cost of providing contactless card readers for entrance gates, an additional requirement for racing in the ‘post covid’ environment.

 Finally, the support will extend to purchasing technical equipment to enable the provision of live streaming of racing through social media. This is an initiative which the area organisation is keen to explore with great potential to broaden the sports accessibility, marketing and even revenue earning for the future.

 The Devon & Cornwall Point-to-Point Secretaries Association Chairman Frank Yeo said, “On behalf of our 25 horse racing fixtures in Devon & Cornwall, we are fortunate to have this invaluable sponsorship from the Totnes and Bridgetown Races Company at this very challenging time during and post Covid 19. Our own Association and the Races Company has helped to create the opportunity to maintain the sponsorship of Open races for 12 fixtures and provide the option of using contactless card readers instead of cash. The Races Company foresight and financial support has also allowed the Area to develop live streaming of all the race meetings to be accessed by older and Covid-vulnerable racegoers direct to their mobile phone or TV, plus our sport access to many potentially new racing enthusiasts through social media and present our exciting sport to a much wider audience.”

Looking ahead to next season, plans are in place to run the inaugural Totnes and Bridgetown Point to Point at popular Flete Park, after last season’s plans were thwarted by the health crisis; this will be made possible by the generous support of the Flete Estate and the hard work of the Dartmoor Hunt Point to Point Committee. The Company’s share of the profits from the meeting will be donated in their entirety to the Devon and Cornwall Point to Point Area providing sustainable ongoing financial support year upon year.

Totnes and Bridgetown races can trace its history back to the 1780’s. The original Race Committee was superseded by the formation of a Limited Company in 1928, and although the last Totnes and Bridgetown race meeting took place at Totnes in 1938, the company continues to offer its generous support to this day.

Features, Granville Taylor, Point-To-Point, Reports, Torrington Farmers, Umberleigh

GRANVILLE’S REMINISCENCES – TORRINGTON FARMERS

“The roar of the race-course died behind them, in front were their fates, they rode to find them….”

John Masefield, 1878 – 1967, poet laureate from 1930 – 1967

So that’s it then. A point-to-point season of two halves. It all started well in Devon & Cornwall with the opening of the new Dunsmore course on November 17th 2019. However after some exciting racing the final whistle was blown at Buckfastleigh in mid March, culminating in the loss of 15 area fixtures and of course the remainder of the British season.

This is the last of my personal reminiscences of days gone by, albeit presented as a rather tepid substitute for some of the lost meetings in the Devon & Cornwall area. The Torrington Farmers Hunt has traditionally brought down the curtain at their course at Chapelton Barton, Umberleigh for many years. My first visit to the course was in 1977 when the country was celebrating the Queen’s Silver Jubilee. Here are my comments on one of the early Umberleigh meetings:-

10th June 1978 – Going Hard

HUNT

1 Black Ace (Andrew Congdon)
2 Courageous Kate (Penny Ogden)
3 High Brooks (A Milton)
3 ran; 2l; dist; 5m 18s SP 7-4

OPEN

1 Zingarella (Eddie Whettam)
2 Cefn Solomon (Paul Hamer)
3 Last Gesture (Richard Mann)
10 ran; 1/2l; 4l; 5m 4s SP 14-1

LADIES OPEN

1 Oakey Coakey (Jenny Hembrow)
2 Torrid (Miss A Allard)
3 Money Penny (Katie Halswell)
9 ran; neck; 2l; 5m 2s SP 5-4 fav

RESTRICTED OPEN

1 Lady Maxine (Ron Treloggen)
2 Petit Homme (Robert Alner)
3 Running Rose (R Hicks)
10 ran; 10l; dist; 5m 2s SP 6-4

ADJACENT HUNTS

1 Moorland Venture (Sue Reynard)
2 Mistic Code (Penny Ogden)
3 Zauditu (Martin Keenor)
3 ran; 8l; 1l; 5m 11s SP 4-5 fav

ADJACENT HUNTS MAIDEN

1 Kensal (Mike Williams)
2 Royal Bella (Stuart Kittow)
3 Golden Flyer (Jimmy Frost)
4 ran; 4l; 7l; 5m 14s SP 4-1

The Hunt race winner Black Ace improved steadily throughout the season. He ran on well here and survived a mistake at the last A tiny gelding by the Schweppes Gold Trophy winner Rosyth, Black Ace gave his owner / rider Andrew Congdon a lot of fun over the years. His daughter Jenny was to follow in his footsteps in this race in later years

Cefn Soloman, in the colours of popular Welsh owner Dilwyn Thomas, was all the rage for the Open after his recent solid effort in a Stratford hunter chase. He was out jumped at the last by the winner Zingarella and had to settle for the runner up spot despite rallying near the post. Eddie Whettam was a very good rider and his family owned mount Zingarella was a useful pointer who found the ground and short trip ideal.

Oakey Cokey owed his solitary win of the season in the Ladies’ to Jenny Hembrow’s jockeyship. Taunton based Jenny was one of the most stylish riders in those days and won this with a sharp race winning move on the blinkered gelding on the final circuit.

The grey mare Lady Maxine enjoyed a profitable season and was scoring for the third time in the Restricted under Ron Treloggen. As a brood mare in due course Lady Maxine produced another pointing winner called Maxine’s Lass. Runner up Petit Homme was a fair pointer in the same Newman colours which can still be seen today, but he was ill at ease on the hard ground.

The consistent mare Moorland Venture was odds on and made all for Sue Reynard in the Adjacents’ before Kensal (Mike Williams) upset the favourite Royal Bella in the Maiden after Misty Express had fallen three out. Kensal was owned by Maurice Maude, one of my press colleagues in those days, and of course the father of Chris Maude. I seem to recall that Maurice told me that Kensal was from the family of 1950 Grand National winner Freebooter, but the memory is less sharp than it was and Maurice passed on many years ago.

From a historical point of view, the Torrington Farmers raced at Cranford St Giles from 1950 until the final meeting there on 27th April 1960. Their 1961 fixture was lost due to foot and mouth disease, and the fixture moved to Horwood, near Bideford the next year, where a succession of late April evening meetings took place throughout the 1960’s. I would think that Horwood was the shortest point-to-point track in the country with times regularly under five minutes.

The 1970 meeting was held at Crimp, Morwenstone, but on 28th April 1971 the long association with Chapelton Barton, Umberleigh began with an evening meeting. Mike Trickey rode the first winner on Barber’s Piece and other successful riders on that night were Chris Popham, Carol Handel, Tony Hartnoll and Charles Micklem.

A significant event happened in 1975 when after a postponement from April 15th the meeting was re-arranged to become the final meeting of the season (on 7th June). At that meeting four times lady champion jockey Sue Aston rode a double on Perfidia and Golden Scot, beating seven pounds overweight Robert Waley-Cohen into second place in the Adjacent Restricted. Sue Aston was an exceptional talent, light years ahead of her time.

From that time in 1975 the Torrington Farmers has retained the June date, with end of season festivities becoming the norm. If I remember correctly, when I first went to Umberleigh the start was near the top of the steep hill on the far side and there was usually some arable ground. The race times in those days suggest that the course length was about two and a half miles. The midsummer date naturally brings variations in ground conditions, mainly very dry, but occasionally very soft. In later years the course has been aggravated when necessary to ease the going. To be honest, it is not the best viewing course and to get a fair view you have to move around the top of the hill, rather like at the old Tweseldown course. The atmosphere is however second to none and it makes you wish the season could go on.

It would take a book to describe the happenings in the past 49 years. Some of the random highlights include a ten-race card in 1983, the year when the course was lengthened to three miles, featuring wins for Cheekio Ora (ridden by four times champion Peter Greenall) and Frevolity (Janine Mills); a Gordon Edwards treble in 1984; a Polly Curling treble in 1993. The little gelding Tijuca gained five Hunt race wins up to 1993. You might be sure that I backed him on another occasion when he unseated with the race at his mercy.

A lot of horses came from far afield over the years to run at the finale and quite a few Umberleigh fixtures decided the National and Area jockeys’ awards. In 2002 Evan Williams took champion jockey status when his Open win on Bonny Boy was enough to take the title from Julian Pritchard by 38 to 37. I remember that year well because when we arrived at the local pub that night, the Rising Sun, the Welsh boys were still singing and had eaten all the food. We ended up with bags of crisps to accompany champagne. It rained all the way home.

I remember chatting in the changing tent with Peter Greenall on the day he retired, not knowing that his sons Oliver and Tom would pick up champion jockey titles in future years. They were all quite regular visitors to Umberleigh, followed in due course by Jake. Quite a family dynasty.
Polly Gundry, who won the Ladies’ title eight times, and the late Richard Woollacott, who won the Men’s title in 2010 were also successful at the course, but young Michael Heard stole the headlines with a treble in the first three races in 2011.

Recent champions Will Biddick and Gina Andrews farmed the titles in very recent years and it was good to see them in action at Umberleigh. Local riders Darren Edwards, Jo Supple and Millie Wonnacott all won area titles in the past few years and celebrated in style at the track.

We look forward to a fantastic double celebration at Umberleigh in June 2021 – 50 years since the beginning of racing there and hopefully the end of the dreadful virus. It should be quite a party.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:

  • Hunter Chasers & Point-to-Pointers, various years
  • The Pointer
  • Sporting Life
  • Sporting Chronicle
  • Michael Kutapan – Point-to-point History & Research, Jumping For Fun website
Bratton Down, Features, Granville Taylor, Point-To-Point, Reports, Results, Tiverton Staghounds

GRANVILLE’S REMINISCENCES – TIVERTON STAGHOUNDS

“Over 1000 feet above sea level with grand view of Exmoor,but grazed by sheep with resulting hazards for unsuspecting racegoers and falling riders”

MacKenzie and Harris – Hunter Chasers & Point-to-Pointers

Despite the sheep droppings this is a grand point-to-point course, well suited on moorland turf for late season fixtures. The Tiverton Staghounds point-to-point would have been the penultimate fixture this season in the Devon & Cornwall area. For well known reasons this has not happened, so I am delving into the history books again to unearth some action from the past.

My first personal recollection of this hunt’s point-to-points was in 1980 when they raced at Bishopsleigh (40 years ago – seems like yesterday). The move to Bratton Down took place in 1988, but the point-to-point had taken place at many different locations going back well over a century
So in place of my usual race report for this week we go back to April 1991:-

TIVERTON STAGHOUNDS AT BRATTON DOWN 27th April 1991

Going; Good to firm

HUNT

1 Sell Up (Richard White)
2 Cricklewood Chris (Stuart Kittow)
6 ran; only two finished; won by a distance; 7m 1s; SP 5-1

OPEN

1 Ballyeden (Philip Scolfield)
2 Connate (Justin Farthing)
3 Another Lucas (Ian Widdicombe)
12 ran; 2l; 6l; 6m 9s; SP 5-1

LADIES OPEN

1 Thrales (Polly Curling)
2 Fandango Boy (Linda Blackford)
3 Tijuca (Mandy Turner)
6 ran; short head; 2l; 6m 9s; SP 4-7 fav

ADJACENT HUNTS

1 The Doormaker (Polly Curling)
2 Life Peerage (Steven Slade)
3 Archie’s Nephew (Justin Farthing)
12 ran; 2l; 1l; 6m 9s; SP 11-4

RESTRICED OPEN

1 Just Joshua (Alison Handel)
2 Master Tuesday (Chris Down)
3 Seal Prince (Justin Farthing)
18 ran; 1l; 1/2l; 6m 10s; SP 25-1

ADJACENT HUNTS MAIDEN

1 Happy Padre (Vivienne Nicholas)
2 Sailor’s Shanty (Rupert Nuttall)
3 Lady Ling C Burnett-Wells)
14 ran; 5l; 6l; 6m 10s; SP 11-4

The opening hunt race proved eventful as the two leaders missed a marker on the final circuit and gifted the race to Richard White on Sell Up, trained by his mother Tessa. Cricklewood Chris would probably have won but for running out and having to re-trace..

Justin Farthing (total of 26 winners) and Philip Scholfield (23 winners) fought out the jockeys title in 1991, but it was Philip who came out the best in the Open on the useful East Cornwall mare Ballyeden, from the yard of Ben Messer-Bennetts. It is great to see Philip’s son Nick Scholfield doing so well in the professional sphere. Connate was attempting a four-timer and was caught on the run in. This grey was saddled by Richard Barber for Commander Peter Longhurst, who trained as a British astronaut back in the day.

Polly Curling needs little introduction to pointing followers and was in the early stages of her career in 1991. Her double here was initiated by course specialist Thrales, who caught Fandango Boy in the last stride. The latter’s rider Linda Blackford went on to claim the lady jockey’s area award with 13 winners. The Doormaker also came with a typical late flourish up the stiff finishing climb to beat Life Peerage and Archie’s Nephew. Life Peerage was owned by Arnie Sendell who later owned Kingscliff. Archie’ s Nephew had given David Pipe his first race ride at Great Trethew. Polly’s two winners came from the local yard of the late Mike Trickey (himself a successful amateur jockey in his day). The Doormaker ran in the colours of Captain Tim Forster who loved his pointing in the Westcountry.

Subsequently three times champion jockey, Polly Curling rode 220 point-to-point winners in her career, plus prestigious hunter chases such as the Cheltenham Foxhunters ( Fantus).

I have plenty of personal anecdotes of Polly and venture to share just one or two here. I first encountered her when she was leading up a horse for Oliver Carter at Ottery St Mary as a youngster long before she had ridden in a race. I was taking paddock notes when Oliver Carter came up to me and said, “That girl leading that horse up will be champion jockey one day.” I thought what a stupid statement, have you been on the whiskey Oliver? However he had obviously spotted Polly’s early talent. How right he was.

A few years later I remember trying to interview one of the lady jockeys at the old Holnicote course. I was sneaking into the lady riders’ changing tent not noting their state of undress when Polly announced to her fellow jockeys, “Don’t worry girls it’s only Granville”.

Also, I won’t dwell on the time that Polly got a group of us thrown out of a pub near Exeter on the way back from the races. I think she was practising some rustic Anglo-Saxon language which upset the locals. Needless to say our group did not dare to use that pub again.

Back to reality, Polly’s double at Bratton was followed by lady jockeys cleaning up the other two races. Alison Handel on 25-1 chance Just Joshua held off the challenges of Chris Down and Justin Farthing to take the 18-runner Restricted Open. The Adjacent Maiden provided a first winner for Vivienne Nicholas on the family bred gelding Happy Padre, a half brother to that brilliant mare Mantinolas.

The history of the Tiverton Staghounds point-to-points goes back for well over a century. Under the title of Sir John Amory’s Staghounds, their early fixtures were shared with the Tiverton Hunt and Sir John Amory’s Harriers. In 1899 the joint meeting was held at Chevithorne Barton, and the following year at Gornhay, which included a water jump of the River Loman. A former Liberal MP, Sir John Amory was master of the Staghounds from 1896 to 1914. He changed his surname to Heathcote-Amory and, together with his family, will be well known in politics.

Joint fixtures continued up to the first world war at such locations listed in the books as Peadhill , Tiverton and Holmead. The 1912 to 1914 meetings saw a slight change of title to Captain H H Amory’s Staghounds with Sir John Amory’s Harriers and the Tiverton Hunt. No further fixtures were held until 1921.
The meeting on 9th April 1921 was the first time the name of The Tiverton Staghounds appeared on the card, combined with the Tiverton Hunt at Peadhill. This combination transferred their point-to-point to Pileywell, near Tiverton in 1924 and continued at that venue until 1939.
It was under the Tiverton Staghounds title only when the first fixture after the war took place at Thelbridge on 3rd May 1947. They raced at this venue until the course closed in 1958. It was on to Loosebeare Manor near Crediton until 1963, when they moved to Venford.

A further move took place in 1965, to Three Hammers, Worlington. The 1968 meeting there saw some top pointers competing in the Open. The winner Hope Again went on to win the Cheltenham Foxhunter in 1971; runner up Lizzy The Lizard (Tony Hartnoll) won the National Hunt Chase at the festival in 1969 ridden by Grant Cann, and third placed Far East II won a stack of races for Ivy Frank. Sadly Tony Hartnoll, the owner of Lizzy The Lizard passed away a few days ago.

The move to Bishopsleigh came on 16th May 1970, featuring a double for Grant Cann, with leading event rider Mary Gordon-Watson winning the Ladies’ on Barty. I remember my first visit to this rural course in 1980. Firstly I couldn’t find the place (only paper maps in those days), It was the middle of a dry spell and the ground was officially hard with very few runners. The favourite got beat a short head in the first. I backed the “winner” of the Restricted but it was disqualified and the two runners in the last both fell. On the bright side the Britton family had a double. The final Tiverton Staghounds fixture at Bishopsleigh was in 1987. They have been at Bratton Down from 1988 up to this day.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  • Hunter Chasers & Point-to-Pointers – various years
  • Horse & Hound Year Book – various years
  • The Pointer
  • Sporting Life
    Sporting Chronicle
    History of the National Hunt Chase – Peter Stevens
  • Point-to-Point Calendar 1935 – 1938– Arthur W Coaten
  • Michael Kutapan – Point-to-point History & Research, Jumping For Fun website
Bratton Down, Exmoor, Features, Granville Taylor, Point-To-Point, Reports, Results

GRANVILLE’S REMINISCENCES – EXMOOR

For everything you have missed, you have gained something else, and for everything you gain, you lose something else.

Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1803 – 1882

The Exmoor Hunt was started by Mr Nicholas Snow of Oare in 1869, but I have no trace of any Exmoor point-to-point races until 5th May 1934. Kildare, ridden by Mr T Tozer of the Silverton won the Nomination race that year (basically the Open) from 15 opponents. He also won at the South Devon and Mr Spooner’s that season. The 1934 Exmoor fixture, and those of 1938 and 1939, took place at Bratton Down according to the form books. I am not sure whether it was the same course as today.

No further Exmoor hunt fixtures were held until 1953 when they raced at Thelbridge, which is between Crediton and South Molton. Another meeting was held at Thelbridge in 1954, but it was held at Bratton Down again from 1955 onwards, I think on the same track still used today. That makes Bratton Down one of the longest serving point-to-point courses in the country.
An exposed hill top course with lovely scenic views of the moor, this popular track with the public is triangular shaped with a stiff uphill climb to the judge. Three late season meetings are held there nowadays, and the times on quick ground are often under six minutes, but should not be compared with each other because the racing line varies for each meeting.
This week’s reminiscence about past Exmoor point-to-points took place on Saturday June 1st 1974:

Going Firm

HUNT

1 Credit That (Fred Rawle)
2 Heather Loch (Mrs P Johnson)
3 White Man (Gordon Edwards)
5 ran; 10l; 3l; 6m 8s

ADJACENT HUNTS’

1 Jim Hardy (Jenny Hembrow)
2 Epaulonia (Capt Brian Fanshawe)
3 Culmleigh Heath (Martin Sweetland)
6 ran; 4l; 1/2l; 6m 13s

OPEN

1 Cass (Kevin Bishop)
2 Moorland Venture (N Lethbridge)
3 Doctor Fred (Aubrey Fuller)
14 ran; 15l; 1l; 5m 53s

LADIES OPEN

1 Marshalsland (Fay Geddes)
2 Knockabitoff (Pip Fisher)
3 Orient War (Terri Pattemore)
12ran; 12l; 3l; 5m 48s

ADJACENT HUNTS’

1 Evens Bar (Capt Brian Fanshawe)
2 Liffey Breeze (Mark Reeves)
3 Perfidia (Michael Trickey)
7 ran; 10l; 10l; 6m 1s

Credit That was a good thing for the Hunt race, coming off his recent Holnicote win. Fred Rawle rode plenty of winners at Bratton and sailed clear on this promising youngster round the final bend.

Taunton based Jenny Hembrow was one of the top lady jockeys of the day, and evidently one of the most patient owners since she persuaded her Jim Hardy to get his head in front in the Adjacents’ after 49 consecutive defeats.

The Open winner Cass was a remarkable little gelding. The form books relate that he was bought for only 200 gns at Bridgwater Fair. I once asked his owner/rider Kevin Bishop to confirm that fact and he said it was absolutely true. The combination won eight of their 14 races in 1974. I remember Cass as a gritty type and superb jumper. I think he also appeared in the film The Belstone Fox. The grey mare Moorland Venture ran a promising race and became a decent pointer but was no match for Cass. Aubrey Fuller’s Doctor Fred will be remembered for giving 13-year-old Jimmy Frost his first ever winner at Lemalla in 1972.

Marshalsland was a prolific winning pointer, well handled by Fay Geddes. When he retired he had won 43 races including 16 at Larkhill. I think I am correct in saying that Marshalsland held the course record at Larkhill for many years. Knockabitoff was a decent pointer in Paul Tyler’s familiar maroon and grey colours, and went on to win plenty of races. Orient War was passed by Knockabitoff for second place on the uphill run in. This useful ex-chaser had won his first four races in 1974.

I cannot recall the exact qualifications for the Adjacent Hunts’ Moderate races in those days, but I had seen the winner here Evens Bar, owned by Ivy Frank, beat Capelena and Sparkling Lad in a Maiden earlier in the month on my first visit to the old Holnicote course (much of the home straight at Holnicote on light plough in those days). This second win when rules were different from today was achieved carrying a small penalty for winning her first Maiden just three days before at Bratton Down ( Stevenstone meeting). Her jockey Capt Brian Fanshawe was of course associated with The Dikler in his early races.

I must mention that the Horse and Hound Cup on the same day at Stratford was of equal interest to West Country fans. In one of the best fields ever assembled for that prestigious race, the star Cattistock hunter chaser Stanhope Street, ridden by Barry Venn and starting favourite, beat other top performers in Weathervane and Shraden Sparkle. Horses of the quality of Lucky Rock, Indamelia, Mighty Red and Credit Call were unplaced. I remember seeing Stanhope Street, ridden by Gillian Fortescue-Thomas, beat Zanetta in the Heythrop Ladies’ when it was run at the much missed Fox Farm.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  • Hunter Chasers & Point-to-Pointers – Geoffrey Sale & Iain MacKenzie – various years
  • Horse & Hound Year Book – various years
  • The Pointer
  • Sporting Life (Michael Williams)
  • Baily’s Hunting Directory
  • Michael Kutapan – Point-to-point History & Research, Jumping For Fun website
  • Point-to-Point Calendar 1933 – 1938– Arthur W Coaten
Features, Granville Taylor, Point-To-Point, Reports, Results, South Tetcott

GRANVILLE’S REMINISCENCES – SOUTH TETCOTT

“Life moves forward. The old leaves wither, die and fall away, and the new growth extends forward into the light.

Bryant McGill, American author, “Voice of Reason”

I was looking forward to the South Tetcott Spring Bank Holiday Monday fixture at Upcott Cross, but it was not to be this year. The point-to-point has settled there alongside the Eggesford since 2006, but it had been a moveable feast since the war. Here is a short description of its history.

The early South Tetcott meetings were held jointly with the Tetcott. From March 1924 the venue was Affaland Moor near Holsworthy, and this arrangement continued until the 1939 season. The star West Country horse in the early 1930’s was Mr Snip, an outstanding banking horse, bred by his owner Mr C T Nixon in North Devon. He won 0ver 20 races, including at this fixture each year from 1933 to 1936. Main Doctor was another good horse in the area and won at this fixture in 1937, 1938 and 1939 and remarkably went on to win three open nomination races in 1946.The leading West Country rider at that time was Mr F W B Smyth.

Joint meetings continued after the war, but from the fixture on 28th March 1946 until 1954 the fixture was held at Marhamchurch near Bude. The two point-to-points went their separate ways in 1955 when the Tetcott raced at Bradworthy on 17th March, and the South Tetcott went to Ashbury two weeks later.

This arrangement continued until foot and mouth led to cancelled fixtures in 1961, but the South Tetcott reverted to Ashbury, near Hatherleigh, in 1962 when that popular gelding Grand Morn II (R Bloomfield) won the Open. He went on to win the Cheltenham Foxhunter the following year. In those days it was run over the proper distance of four miles.

The 1963 meeting was lost due to the heavy snowfall that winter, and from then on several disruptions affected the fixture. In 1964 the venue was Kilworthy, but no fixtures were held after that until a new course at Beara Court, Highampton, hosted their first evening meeting on May 22nd 1968. The hunt race was a walk over, but jockeys such as Walter Dennis, Sue Aston, Colonel C R Spencer and Fred Rawle were amongst the winners.

The official times at the evening fixture at Highampton on May 21st 1969 reflected the shortness of the course. The Ladies’ Open went to Honey Ruff and Mrs K Huntley-Jones in 4mins 30 secs. The going was heavy ! Either the horses were Gold Cup standard or the track was very much shorter than the traditional three miles. I think it was the latter.

One of the leading point-to-pointers in the country won the Open Novice race there in 1970 which was sponsored by the Sale and Mackenzie annual. This was the Ledbury six-year-old Priceless Clown who won six times that year. Mrs Gaze’s gelding was ridden by Henry Oliver, and beat title seeking David Turner on Master Vesuvius that night in 4 mins 58 secs.

No fixtures were held between 1972 and 1984, but on Spring Bank Holiday Monday 1985 a new course was unveiled at Ashwater. This re-instituted fixture was originally scheduled for Grand National day but was washed out. The re-arrangement almost suffered the same fate but just survived the heavy rain. Ashwater was a narrow, rectangular course. I was there that day and remember backing Chris Down’s mount Pembridge in the last to give him a treble. The mare was pipped on the post and I got wet through. It was a funny little track and not the easiest for spectators. It was often beset with late season hard going, and only lasted until 1992.

More bad luck awaited in 1993 when a move to Jay’s Farm, Lifton was thwarted by waterlogging. This was quite a nice location on land owned by the Cornish comedian Jethro (who is still going strong because I went to his show at the Electric Palace, Bridport, six months ago, but that is not really relevant here). Jethro owned one or two pointers in those days. The hunt raced at Lifton until the move to the Upcott Cross course in 2006. This venue, shared with the Eggesford, is more of a stayers track and has permanent facilities. It is superbly maintained by the owners Ken and John Heard, who are great supporters of point-to-pointing.

The South Tetcott meeting for this week’s reminiscence is their first to take place at Lifton in 1994.

SOUTH TETCOTT AT LIFTON 30TH MAY 1994

Going: Good

HUNT

1 Royal Effigy (Richard Cole)

2 Catundra (David Jones)

3 Handsome Deb (Mrs C Isaac)

4 ran; dist; dist; 6m 25s SP 4-6 fav

OPEN

1 The Blue Boy (Damien Duggan)

2 Bluechipenterprise (Richard Darke)

3 Olveston (George Turner)

4 ran; dist; dist; 6m 4s SP evens fav

LADIES’ OPEN

1 Curraheen Lad (Tracey Brown)

2 Timber Tool (Alison Dare)

3 Sweet on Willie (Mandy Turner)

11 ran; 2l; 2l; 6m 6s SP 4-1

CONFINED

1 Buckingham Band (George Turner)

2 Bayford Energy (Ian Widdicombe)

3 Pharoah Blue (Claire Wonnacott)

15 ran; 5l; 6l; 6m 10s SP 2-1

INTERMEDIATE

1 Columcille (Richard White)

2 Beinn Mohr (Mandy Turner)

3 Anjubi (Stephen Slade)

9 ran; 3l; 4l; 6m 10s SP 4-1

OPEN MAIDEN

1 Sunwind (David Heath)

2 Aristocratic Gold (Mandy Turner)

3 Double Light (S Trotman)

14 ran; 3l; dist; 6m 23s SP 8-1

The Hunt race winner Royal Effigy was basically a non-stayer and found a weak opportunity here.

Damien Duggan was chasing the title that year. He formed a consistent partnership with the Peter Bowen trained The Blue Boy who had been a speedy hurdler for Martin Pipe and was now making hay as a pointer. Duggan failed by one to overtake Nick Bloom for the title. Bluechipenterprise had won his last three races for Richard Darke, but was readily outpaced here.

The Pembrokeshire gelding Timber Tool was a prolific pointing winner and was all the rage for a good Ladies’ Open with five times champion jockey Alison Dare in the saddle. This time however the favourite had to give best to the Edward Retter trained Curraheen Lad. The winner had shown good form with recent wins at both Flete Park meetings with Tracey Brown in the saddle. This time Tracey pounced entering the home straight to win going away.

George Turner, then 58 years old, was on his way to lifting the area title with 14 successes. Six-year-old Buckingham Band, stabled with his daughter Pauline Geering provided four of his winners although he was not the most fluent of jumpers. On this occasion Buckingham Band stayed on strongly to hold the sustained challenge of Bayford Energy and Ian Widdicombe.

Columcille was completing her seasonal hat trick in the Intermediate. I am old enough to remember her dam winning for Robert Alner (called Damside). By this time Harry Wellstead held the pointing licence for the yard and Columcille was the mount of Richard (Johnson) White, now a long standing part of the Philip Hobbs yard.

Owner-rider David Heath enjoyed his first winner on the well backed Sunwind (14’s to 8’s) in the Maiden where only four of the 14 runners finished.

ACKNOWLEGMENTS

  • Hunter Chasers & Point-to-Pointers, Mackenzie & Selby, various years
  • The Continuing Story of Point-to-Point Racing, Michael Williams
  • Point-to-point Calendar, Arthur W Coaten, various years
  • The Pointer
  • Michael Kutapan – Point-to-point History & Research, Jumping For Fun website