20th January 2017

A filthy morning. The horses have all had a busy enough week and most had quiet canters to round the week off. Polydora and Goodwyn the Great swung through on the woodchip having cantered around the sand.

If anyone thinks point to pointing is on the ropes they need go no further than their local p2p. The weather forecast at Barbury Castle today didn’t deter many, a good crowd with big fields and the maiden splitting on the day. The initiative of p2p bumpers seems to be well received, 3 divides and maximum fields in all 3. If p2p bumpers are here to stay a lot more thought needs to go into where they are run and on what dates. The scheduling of them this year is nothing more than a mess. The big fields carved up the bends to the point that the last race had to be cancelled after a horse fell in the second division of the bumper. Colorado Gold didn’t disgrace herself, she finished 4^th She travelled really nicely until she got onto the worse of the ground which seem to find her out. She is 5 but from a very late maturing family and will need another summer under her belt before she reaches her true potential. She is a light framed filly who has never stepped off the farm, to go and run as well as she did for as long as she did offers plenty of promise given everything considered. David Kellett, Thomas Patrick’s owner came along to support her, it was David’s first visit to a point to point. He had nothing but admiration for the participants and appreciation for the organizers. It was certainly an eye opener for him and I am sure it won’t be the last time he is seen on a p2p course.

I thought the standard of riding had improved in p2p’s until I witness legless horses being thrashed to jump the last couple of fences to finish a bad 3^rd or 4^th and in some cases 5^th or 6^th. It isn’t good enough and the stewards need to clamp down on it. The punishment needs to be severe. The guilty riders should be fined and banned from riding for 2 or 3 weekends. It is unacceptable and extremely upsetting to watch. It shows a complete lack of respect to the horse and needs to be dealt with.