News

New PPSA chair Barnett joins PPA Board

  • Posted: Wednesday, 27th May 2020

Ilona Barnett today takes up her place on the Point-to-Point Authority (PPA) Board as Point-to-Point Secretaries Association (PPSA) representative.

Barnett replaces Stephen Howlett, who has been PPSA chair for the past six years.

Barnett (pictured above left with fellow board member Alan Hill and area colleague Sara Moule) is the South Midlands area secretary and fixture secretary for the Barbury International fixture. Her husband Andrew's family roots are firmly set in farming, hunting and pointing in Warwickshire. They have bred, owned, ridden and trained all their own horses for a number of years.

Barnett is also a highly successful General Manager of busy Stratford-on-Avon Racecourse and a regular Steward at numerous meetings from Cottenham to Andoversford.

Barnett's interest in pointing started in East Anglia, where Ampton was her local course. She rode out for a few local trainers and started helping out at Cottenham on race days. After getting married and moving to Warwickshire her involvement grew, mainly due to her husband's interest in race-riding, and also her family were training and breeding pointers. At the same time Barnett became secretary for her local hunt's point-to-point fixture, and subsequently became South Midlands area secretary.

Barnett says: "I am delighted to have been appointed the new PPSA chair. I look forward to working with a great committee who are all very passionate and committed to making point to pointing a success. The next few years are going to be challenging for the whole country not just racing and point to pointing, and I very much look forward to helping our sport thrive and flourish."

Barnett takes her place on the PPA Board with immediate effect. The PPA are most grateful for all that Stephen Howlett has done for the sport in his two full terms as PPSA chair, and will continue to do in other capacities.

Details of the full PPA Board can be viewed here.