page_title: Point-to-point (steeplechase)
section_title: United Kingdom
hierarchical_section_title: Point-to-point (steeplechase) / United Kingdom
caption_attribution_description: English: Horses jumping a fence at the Whittington races
context_page_description: A point-to-point is a form of horseracing over fences for hunting horses and amateur riders. In Ireland, where the sport is open to licensed - i.e. professional - trainers, many of the horses will appear in these races before they compete in National Hunt races. Consequently, the Irish point-to-point is more used as a nursery for future young stars: a horse that wins its debut point-to-point in Ireland will often sell for a high price. Whilst professional trainers are specifically excluded from running horses in point-to-points in Great Britain, the days of the farmer running his hunter at the local point-to-point have gone. Increasingly, horses are run from "livery yards" - unlicensed but otherwise professional training establishments, sometimes closely allied with a licensed yard.
  Horses running in Point-to-Points must be Thoroughbreds, save in the case of Hunt Members races and certain other Club Members races. The owner must be a member, subscriber or farmer of a recognized pack of Hounds and obtain a Hunter Certificate from the Master to that effect.
context_section_description: Point-to-Point races are normally run over a minimum of three miles, but certain races, including some blue riband events (e.g. the 4m Heythrop Men's Open and the 3¼m Lady Dudley Cup) are longer, and Maiden races for young horses (aged four to seven years) can be run over 2½ miles.
  Most Point-to-Point courses are laid out on ordinary farm land, although a few are placed on the inside of professional courses such as Bangor-on-Dee racecourse or Hexham.
  There are 110 point-to-point courses throughout the United Kingdom divided into nine regions.
  Devon & Cornwall : 15 - Bishops Court, Bratton Down, Buckfastleigh Racecourse Buckfastleigh, Cherrybrook, Flete Park, Great Trethew, Kilworthy, Stafford Cross, Trebudannon, Umberleigh, Upcott Cross, Vaulterhill, Wadebridge.
  East : 8 - Ampton, Cottenham, Fakenham, High Easter, Higham, Horseheath, Marks Tey, Northaw.
  Midlands : 14 - Bitterley, Brafield-on-the-Green, Brocklesby Park, Chaddesley Corbett, Clifton-on-Dunsmore, Dingley, Eyton-on-Severn, Garthorpe, Guilsborough, Mollington, North Carlton, Sandon, Thorpe Lodge, Whitfield.
  North : 21 - Alnwick, Aspatria, Charm Park, Corbridge, Dalston, Dalton Park, Duncombe Park, Easingwold, Flagg Moor, Heslaker, Hexham, Hornby Castle, Hutton Rudby, Mordon, Sherriff Hutton, Tabley, Tranwell, Whitcliffe Grange, Whittington, Whitwell-on-the-Hill, Witton Castle.
  Scotland : 4 - Balcormo Mains, Friars Haugh, Mosshouses, Overton.
  South & Central : 4 - Hackwood Park, Kimble, Kingston Blount, Lockinge.
  South : 7 - Aldington, Catsfield, Charing, Godstone, Parham, Penshurst, Peper Harow.
  South West : 26 - Andoversford, Badbury Rings, Barbury, Brampton Bryan, Bredwardine, Charlton Horethorne, Chipley Park, Cold Harbour, Cothelstone, Cotley, Didmarton, Garnons, Holnicote, Kingston St Mary, Larkhill, Little Windsor, Maisemore Park, Milborne St Andrew, Paxford, Siddington, Ston Easton, Treborough Hill, Upper Sapey, Upton-on-Severn, Whitwick Manor, Woodford.
  Wales : 11 - Bangor-on-Dee, Cilwendeg, Howick, Llanfrynach, Llanvapley, Lower Machen, Lydstep, Llwyn Du in Glais replaces the course in Pentreclwydau, Pyle, Trecoed, Ystradowen.
  A three-mile race is almost invariably two circuits of a typical point to point course although there are one or two exceptions (e.g. Larkhill in Wiltshire).  Every course must have a minimum number of 18 fences and at least two fences must have ditches. This however can be reduced if certain fences are unfit or unsafe to be jumped (e.g. due to ground conditions or a fallen horse being in the way). The fences are made of birch and are approximately 4 foot 6 inches high.
caption: Horses jumping a point to point fence
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