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On Banning Hunting
“The Hunting Act is severely flawed and unworkable... For an Act of Parliament purporting to relieve animal suffering to do the exact opposite is very sad. That the RSPCA, which does immensely important work on so many animal welfare fronts, has been party to this fiasco is a tragedy.”
John Hobhouse
Chairman of the RSPCA 1967-75
Letter to The Times - 12th September 2005

Point to Point Racing

Would you like to experience the thrills and excitement of jump racing? Would you like to get in amongst the action? Then come Point-to-Point racing!  The Point-to-Point season starts in Decemberand runs until June.  A full list of fixtures can be found on the Point-to-Point Website.

Point-to-Point racing is steeple chasing for amateurs. It is regulated at national level by the British Horse Racing Authority (BHA) with delegated powers to the Point to Point Board, of which the FMHA is a Member.  It is run at local level by a Hunt or a recognised club, under the jurisdiction of the Point-to-Point Owners and Riders Association and the Point-to-Point Secretary's Association. The vast majority of  race meetings are run by our member Hunts.

The sport of Point-to-Point racing dates back to 1836 when hunting men used to race their horses from church steeple to church steeple - hence the name 'point-to-point'!

The strong link between these two country sports still exists over 250 years on. All of the horses that race in a point-to-point have to be qualified out hunting and all of the jockeys have to be a member or subscriber of a Hunt.

Point-to-Points are run by Hunts to raise money for Hunt funds and to entertain the farmers who welcome the hounds on their land during the hunting season.  It takes over 100 volunteers to run a Point-to-Point race meeting and they are usually found from within supporters of the Hunt, who give their time freely as a result.  The courses themselves and the car parking areas are also usually provided as a result of support for hunting.  Thus both sports are totally bound up and rely on each other.

Your local Point-to-Point promises to be a great family day out - along with the excitement of hotly contested horseracing and the opportunity of tax-free betting, most meetings have trade stands, a licensed bar, refreshments and a hound parade.

For further information on Point-to-Point Racing please following the links in the banner.