Southdown & Eridge Point-to-Point

The race fixtures for the meets at Godstone Point-to-Point are as follows:

The race card consists of 2 pony races and 6 point-to-point races. The first pony race is at 10.45 a.m., with the first point-to-point race at 12.00 noon. The last race on the card starts at 2.55 p.m.

The race card consists of 2 pony races and 6 point-to-point races. The first pony race is at 11.45 a.m., with the first point-to-point race at 1.00 p.m.

The Sponsored Ride will take place after the last point-to-point race at this meeting.

The race card consists of 2 pony races and 7 point-to-point races. The first pony race is at 11.45 a.m., with the Wellingham Southdown & Eridge Hunt Members as the first point-to-point race at 1.25 p.m.

Admission prices to all Godstone Meetings is £10 per person, whether in car or on foot. Under 16-years free of charge and car parking free of charge.

Point-to-point racing is the amateur version of the steeplechase and originated in County Cork in the mid 18th century. Two Irish neighbours laid down a challenge to race from Buttevant church to the nearby Doneraile village church, over a distance of four and a half miles including numerous ditches, rails, hedges and walls which covered their path.

In the 250 years since those humble beginnings the sport has changed considerably and now more closely resembles Steeplechasing seen at full time venues, such as Cheltenham and Newbury.

Point-to-Points are usually run over a distance of approximately 3 miles, over some 18 birch stuffed fences standing about 4 feet 6 inches high. Courses are generally situated on farmland and are erected specially for the meetings by enthusiastic supporters.

Horses running in these races must be thoroughbreds and must qualify by hunting for at least 4 days in a season. The jockeys must obtain a license and pass medicals to qualify to ride.

Point-to-Points are also a nursery for both horses and jockeys. Many of the leading steeplechasers started their racing life in a Point-to-Point including recent Gold Cup Winners Best Mate, War of Attrition, Denman and Imperial Commander.

Pony Racing is a new sport, introduced to the Pony Club in 2005, to give children an insight into horse racing. The first run of a pony race at the Southdown & Eridge course in Godstone was a year after the sports introduction, in 2006.

The sport races ponies at two height classes, 138 cm and under, and 148 cm and under and is aimed at children aged between 9 & 16 years.

The course comprises about three quarters of a circuit of the point-to-point course, but is run "on the flat" neatly bypassing the fences.

Pony racing is organised in three tiers. At Godstone we include the point-to-point series run through the Hunt and the Pony Club with a final at Plumpton. The preferred qualification for this series is through hunting, and at one of the two Southdown & Eridge meetings (February 12th & March 31st) we hold a race for genuine hunting Pony Club ponies, (known as woolly ponies).

The Point to Point Sponsored Ride, which is run 20 minutes after the last race at the Mid Surrey Farmers' Draghounds meeting in March, is held over a circuit and a quarter of the course and is open to anyone who pays the £50 entry fee, and gets plenty of sponsorship, £200 is a welcome target. The event raises funds for the point to point fences which are increasingly expensive.

We welcome all comers, hunting people who want to have a go are especially welcome, also point to point riders with an unraced horse they want to school round for experience. I would stress that this is not a race, but if riders want to race between the last two fences up to the finish, then that is fine. A handsome prize is awarded to the rider who gets the biggest sponsorship.

The crash hat is the only obligatory item of dress, after that riders can wear hunting gear, racing colours or eventing colours.

Entries are requested a week in advance, the same time as the race entries close, but can be taken as late as the day, but it would be better to have them earlier although the cash usually arrives in our sponsor's tent that morning. Last year David Hall's sponsorship money went on arriving for months, which was wonderful.