Have you recently visited your local Point-to-Point and thought “I’d like to be part of this” or maybe even thought of owning your own Point-to-Point horse?

Becoming a Point to Point owner offers you the chance to be part of a unique British sport offering the experience of owning a racehorse in a relaxed and friendly setting. However, before you go off and buy a horse or even think you can race your own horse there are certain eligibility rules that you must adhere to.



Such as; the horse must not be less than 4 years old, a Hunter Certificate must be completed and returned to Weatherbys before the meeting you wish to enter and the Form requires a signature from a nominated signatory of the Hunt you wish to support. A Hunter Certificate must be re-registered for your horse each season and you get a letter confirming registration.

The horse must not have won a race under the Rules of any Recognised Racing Authority other than a Steeple Chase which is confined to amateur riders or a Hunter Chase. Along with other specific rules and regulations, a full set of eligibility rules can be found on the website www.pointtopoint.co.uk

Whether you are buying yourself a horse, joining a racing club/syndicate or you already have a horse that you’d like to run in Point to Points, it’s important for you to know what your responsibilities are as an Owner.

If you have recently purchased a horse with a current Hunter Certificate, you need to make sure that the relevant form has been completed and sent to the Horse Registry Department at Weatherbys within 30 days of the change of ownership being made and it is an offence not to do so.

Whilst there aren’t official Point to Point ‘trainers’, there are a number of Point to Point ‘keepers’ offering training services and a traditional ownership experience. Alternatively, there is nothing to stop Owners from training their own horses if they wish.

OK so now you’ve bought your horse, filled in all the forms and you are ready to enter a Point to Point. So, what’s next? The season starts in November and runs until mid-June, Point to Point owners do not need to register their colours officially unless the horse will be running on a licenced racecourse i.e. in Hunter Chases.

There are eight types of race in Point to Pointing and a full list of scheduled Point to Point races along with their conditions are available from the website www.pointtopoint.co.uk

What to expect on the day:

Once you’ve entered your horse you will receive either e-tickets or your passes, and sometimes a letter from the course explaining what to expect. Every Point to Point course is entirely unique so you won’t have the same experience at any two courses. If you are travelling your horse yourself, don’t forget the passport and check the vaccinations are all in order well before running.

Once you arrive at the course you may want to; Find your keeper/horse and make sure all is OK, walk the course to check the going is suitable, check the rider has arrived and make sure they are happy and have walked the course themselves, check other declarations for your race in the secretaries tent.

Either the Owner or the ‘Authorised Agent’ must declare the horse at least 45 minutes before the race. To fill out the declaration form you need to know the name of the race, name of the horse, name of the rider, any applicable Club membership details, items such as tongue ties/blinkers etc.

You also need to make sure you declare the correct weight, and colours, and state any allowances or penalties that the horse should be carrying. Whoever is in charge of saddling up will need to meet the rider to pick up the saddle.

It is the Owners’ responsibility to ensure that the horse is carrying the correct weight.

Horses are due in the paddock at least 15 minutes before the race, so make sure you are there to watch your horse parade and meet the keeper (if you have one) and rider to talk tactics. Then it’s time to watch the race! Following a race, your horse may be selected for sampling by the BHA, for prohibited substances.

The Veterinary Officer and Equine and Welfare Integrity Officer will make themselves known to you and they will take you (or your authorised agent) through the procedure for taking a blood sample from the horse.

You can obtain sponsorship of your horse; The PPA’s Horse Sponsorship Scheme enables owners to receive sponsorship from a business in return for advertising. However, there are certain types of advertising that OFCOM Code of Advertising Standards prohibit such as Tobacco products, breath testing devices, and the occult and private investigation agencies so do be aware of this.

Once registered a sponsor’s name will appear in the race card whenever the horse is entered and logos can be placed on the paddock sheet, across the chest and neck of the owners’ colours and on the horse attendant’s clothing.

Set sponsorship amounts of a minimum of £150 per horse and a maximum of £950 are in place which should be paid directly to the owner. There is a registration fee payable of £57.60 details can be found on the Point to Point Association website.

The PPORA is the membership body that represents Owners and Riders in Point-to-Pointing, you can find out more about joining them and the membership benefits by visiting www.ppora.co.uk or you can contact them on 01789 415598 – membership@ppora.co.uk

The above information is meant as a guide for someone who is thinking about owning a Point to Point horse, it is strongly advised to make sure you are fully aware of all the rules, regulations and eligibility of the governing bodies and it is recommended that you visit their website for further information.

Images by Tom Burns Photography