News

Early season and 2020/21 fixture list confirmed

  • Posted: Monday, 20th July 2020

Following a meeting on 16 July, the PPA Board has agreed that the proposed early season programme of point-to-points should go ahead.

The decision was not taken lightly, particularly as there are several factors which cannot as yet be fully quantified. However, on the balance of probability, given present progress at both national and sporting levels, and more specifically racing under Rules, it is believed that point to pointing will be able to start in October, hopefully on Saturday 24 at Bishops Court in East Devon.

The full provisional fixture list for 2020/21 (subject to BHA approval) can be downloaded here, but the following fixtures are planned for the early season:

24 Oct East Devon at Bishops Court

25 Oct Ledbury at Maisemore Park

1 Nov Kimblewick at Kimble

8 Nov The Wheatland at Chaddesley Corbett

15 Nov South East Hunts Club at Charing

15 Nov Dunsmore Racing Club at Dunsmore

The favourable response to the owner/trainer survey that was circulated earlier this month combined with the general progress made on Covid-19, and the possible losses to pointing if we did not make an early start, helped to make the PPA Board’s decision.

Of course, there may localised Covid-19 spikes between now and October, and indeed at any stage. To that end protocols have been written for the fixtures at varying levels at which they can be run, including racing behind closed doors. The sport emphatically does not wish to race without spectators, and we certainly hope we do not have to. However, it is important to plan for all eventualities and to provide opportunities for the sport’s participants, whilst ensuring it is financially viable for the fixture.

We plan to have the race planner pages with full race detail for the above fixtures available on this website soon.