Harvey Barfoot-Saunt will celebrate his 16th birthday tomorrow with a first point-to-point ride – and the opposition will include his dad, Geoff.
The Gloucestershire-based father and son duo (pictured above) are heading to Bonvilston in South Wales where, in the mixed open race, Geoff will ride Numero Uno and Harvey will partner Macs Legend, who his dad has ridden twice this season.
“It will be a bit different riding against my son,” says Geoff, “although I don’t suppose he’ll want to follow me like he did when I took him hunting as a kid – he’ll want to be in front this time.”
Harvey, who is currently taking GCSE exams, rode ten pony racing winners and is looking forward to racing over fences. He says: “Ever since I started pony racing it’s been Dad’s ambition to ride against me in a race. We bought Macs Legend in Ireland after he won two opens there last year. He’s a very good schoolmaster and should go well on Saturday.”
While the great unknown of riding in a race over fences, let alone exam results and then a career lies ahead of the teenager, his dad has the T-shirt and top hat when it comes to experiencing racing’s ups and downs. Geoff, who is 52, but still a youth in the eyes of evergreen Phillip York, rode in his first race in 1989 and partnered his first winner, Mount Oliver, at Maisemore Park 31 years ago in 1992. Mount Oliver was trained by Nicky Sheppard’s mum, Jackie Guilding.
Geoff says: “My first rides came in three consecutive races at Newton Bromswold for a chap called Tim Brown. He had a maiden called Primula Please – who we called ‘Cheese’ – who I was going to ride, but he put his ex-wife’s thoroughbred team chaser in the previous race to give me a bit of experience before I rode in the maiden. I think I got round on him, but Cheese fell. I don’t remember what happened to the other one.”
His wife Tracey trains the family’s two runners who are heading to Bonvilston, but Geoff says: “Harvey’s poor mother is already having kittens – I’m not sure she’ll be able to turn up. Harvey has been banging on about riding in races since he was three and would watch A P McCoy on the television. I remember him saying to me, ‘I’m going to be riding against you and beating you one day’.”
That moment could come tomorrow, on what will be a rare, but not unique entry into the history of the sport of point-to-pointing.