Assessment of Britain’s trainers by the Point-to-Point Authority indicates that a third who hold a jumps licence have competed in the amateur sport.
Whether that was as point-to-point riders, trainers or a combination of both, the sport gave them opportunities to test a range of skills before they began training under rules. It is not the only route to a licence, but it has worked effectively for some of racing’s leading practitioners.
South Wales trainer Evan Williams (pictured above in his riding days) is unequivocal when stating that, for him, point-to-pointing is where it started. He says: “One hundred per cent, there’s not even a doubt about it. I was milking cattle, but my family had a long association with the sport and I rode my first point-to-point winner on a homebred.”
Tristan Davidson, who runs an 18-box yard in Cumbria, started off in point-to-pointing, took out a licence to train jumpers, but now focusses primarily on the Flat. He says: “Point-to-pointing was a big help. At 16 I went to the British Racing School, then became a conditional jockey for Evelyn Slack but, after a car crash, I was laid up and my weight went up. I decided I would rather be a decent amateur than a run-of-the-mill professional, and it worked out because I rode more than 100 winners and was Northern champion three times.”
By riding and training pointers, both Williams and Davidson attracted clients to their yards, but one significant moment led them to seek a licence. Williams, who won the Welsh and national championships as a rider, says: “Foot and mouth [in 2001, when the point-to-point season was halted after six weeks] was the catalyst. I realised, if point-to-pointing went, I was in trouble. A lot of people had horses with me to train for pointing and, while I had a farm, I was a tenant and it needed a lot of money spending on it.
“By taking out a licence I was able to keep going, but I maintain that if you want to ride, train or become an owner, point-to-pointing is a good place to start, the grass roots where you can learn by your mistakes. In any professional sport you are under the microscope.”
For Davidson, it was the loss of a good horse that prompted his decision. He says: “I was sent a horse called Aikman who I won three point-to-points on and was sure he was good enough to win a bumper. He was sent to James Ewart, who trained him to win four races [under rules] and I thought to myself I could do that. After taking the trainer’s course in Newmarket I was granted a permit, trained two winners of handicap hurdles with my first two runners and was then granted a full licence.”
Davidson has tacked across to major on Flat racing, saying the high price of jumpers and the affordability of Flat handicappers suits his clientele, but he adds: “Point-to-pointing was a good stepping stone.”
Tristan Davidson: stepping stone
Everyone who transitions from the amateur sport to racing under rules has their own reasons for doing so. While Martin Pipe was mopping up the trainers’ championship, his son David set up at a nearby yard and rode and then trained point-to-pointers over several seasons, handling a number of horses who ran up a sequence of wins in the West Country.
In Yorkshire, David Easterby was in a similar position. Having ridden and trained numerous winners on the point-to-point circuit – and taken a key role in guiding current licensed trainer Oliver Greenall and his brother Tom to national championships – Easterby now shares a full licence with his father Mick.
Victor Dartnall, who was working as a farm manager in Wiltshire, moved to Devon to begin training pointers and enjoyed a remarkable strike rate. He trained Phar Too Touchy and Butler John, who won the Leading Horse titles in 1996 and 1997 respectively, when each horse won ten races. A few seasons later he was holding a full licence.
Among the current crop of talented young handlers of point-to-pointers, Gloucestershire-based Max Comley is enjoying a stellar season. After training a horse or two which he rode himself, he started taking in liveries for the 2018/19 season and has built from there. With 15 winners from 29 runners this season at a strike-rate of 51 per cent, he is displaying skill in both training and placing his horses.
Max Comley: skill in training and placing
Comley, who comes from a family with no equine background, hopes to be granted a full licence this year, but he openly acknowledges the part point-to-pointing has played in propelling him towards the next stage of his career.