Bryan Carver has become the latest recruit to Jump racing from point-to-pointing to enjoy a purple patch.
Carver, 21, has ridden six winners from his ten most recent rides, including a treble on New Year's Day at Exeter – and in a Racing Post interview he puts much of his success down to point-to-pointing. A sought-after rider on the pointing circuit last season, the young Irishman (pictured above) switched to the professional ranks in midsummer, and after a quiet start is now getting the recognition his talents deserve.
He told the Racing Post: "I've ridden six winners in the last week and they've all been for different trainers which has been pretty surprising, I didn't expect to be riding for so many different yards. A lot of my rides have been through contacts I developed from pointing."
Carver did not ride a horse until he was 16, but his cousin, Flat jockey Killian Leonard, took him along to a local racing yard and his interest took hold. Another twist came when his local postman asked him about plans, and when he expressed an interest in racing the postie revealed he was an uncle to David Noonan, who had ridden in British point-to-points and had recently become a conditional jockey with trainer David Pipe.
Carver was soon heading to Britain to join Pipe, but suffered wretched luck with injuries – including a broken leg – and returned home to Ireland.
While recuperating he received a call from Britain's multiple men's point-to-point champion rider Will Biddick, who invited him to join his breaking, pre-training and pointing yard. Carver retraced his steps across the Irish Sea and was soon in demand as a novice rider in point-to-points.
He told the Racing Post: "You're always learning; the person who has helped me the most is Will Biddick, he's brilliant to go to advice for."
Now based with Paul Nicholls, Carver rode for three seasons in UK point-to-points, partnering two winners in his first year, 12 the next and 25 last season. He also won five hunter chases.
Today at Hereford he has three rides, including two strongly-fancied mounts in the two divisions of the conditional jockeys' handicap hurdle. They are trained by former point-to-point rider and trainer Alastair Ralph, and Carver also has a handicap hurdle booking for trainer Robert Walford.