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 ENJOY the …..
West Percy, Jedforest, College Valley and North Northumberland, Dumfriesshire, Duke of Buccleuch, Tynedale, Lanark & Renfrewshire and Eglinton, Berwickshire, Cumberland Farmers, Percy, Morpeth, Braes of Derwent, Fife, Lauderdale, Cumberland, Border, Haydon……….
New to the game?
"Point to Pointing is fast furious and the jockeys are downright mad! They hurtle at 30miles an hour on an animal whose brain they do not control, let alone the brains of the 10 or so other horses (or their jockeys!) in the race” - not exactly straight from the horse’s mouth but from the mouth of owner and jockey Will Ramsay who has raced for his life on numerous occasions, even winning at times.
Point to pointing is not for the faint-hearted. The sport which involves galloping from one horrendous obstacle to another, evolved from ‘challenge matches’, which started in the eighteenth century and were run over several miles of wild country. The traditional hunter-type of horse had just been developed and riders, keen to prove the worth of their hunters, stood on one hill and looked across the valley to somewhere on an opposite hill. They agreed a ‘point’ and just went for it! They’d choose their own course taking into account their own daring and the ability of the horse. Point to pointing was born.
From a spectator’s point of view it’s difficult to imagine that it was even more hair-raising to watch than it is now. We’re much more safety conscious today with stringent rules and regulations in place- but it’s still thrilling! If you’ve never done it, get yourself along to one of the many point-to-points in the Scottish Borders and North Northumberland. Stand beside a jump when the horses come hurtling down the field. The sensation of speed and power as the riders thunder by has to be felt to be understood. And imagine how the jockeys feel. Will Ramsay adores the sport and tells us: “Horses might cannon into you, fall in front of you, or trample on you after your horse has fallen. If you do stand beside a jump, you’ll certainly see the terror in the jockeys eyes!"
Full details of all forthcoming fixtures - www.northernp2p.co.uk/
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