Point-to-point column: more success for record-breaking Gina Andrews

Nothing in point-to-pointing is more certain than Gina Andrews adding a twelfth women's championship to her outstanding record-breaking career. Blessed with incredible talent, an extraordinary amount of determination and ammunition in abundance, Andrews continues to be paving the way for female riders in Great Britain.

Over the Easter weekend, thirteen female riders rode winners, but can any of them come close to giving Andrews a run for her money before she retires? Andrews said: “There is plenty of talent out there, Ellie Callwood started with us and is a good rider who deserves more opportunity. She has a will to win and grew up riding properly first which I believe is a huge advantage.”

Chilfrome, Devon, DT2 0HA. 6 races. First race 1.30 pm.

Bedale, Yorkshire, DL8 1NQ. 6 races. First race 1.30 pm.

High Easter, Essex, CM1 4QL. 6 races. First race 1.45 pm.

Shelfield, Warwickshire, B49 6JW. 6 races. First race 1.45 pm.

Overton, Northern, ML18 5QF. 6 races. First race 1 pm.

Dunsmore, Devon, EX5 4DU. 6 races. First race 2 pm.

Edgecote, Oxfordshire, OX17 1AG. 6 races. First race 2pm.

Penshurst, Surrey, TN8 7DD. 6 races. First race 2pm.

This season, Andrews currently sits on 36 winners, whilst her nearest pursuer, Callwood, has ridden seven. There is no doubt the unfortunate injury to Izzie Hill forcing her to miss the season following such a good start has made it easier for Andrews to forge so far clear and Callwood explained: “Gina is my idol in the amateur ranks, she is the one who got me going. She helped me get where I am now and I would love to finish runner-up to her. My target this season is to better my previous best which was 11 winners. I also would love to ride my first winner under-rules, I have ridden three in New Zealand but would love to do it here!

"I am keen to stay in Britain this summer and ride under Rules more to get my name out there, but I have no desire to turn professional. I love pointing and would one day love to be champion amateur, if I am half as good as Gina by the end of my career I will be very happy! I have been lucky enough to ride on the big stage and can only dream of continuing to do that.”

I often look back to compare the here and now to my time point-to-pointing. When I started race-riding I was hopeless and had it not been for the support of my family and my association with National Hunt trainer Charlie Longsdon and the guidance and encouragement of his Head Lad Alan Roach, I may have never achieved what I did.

The opportunities they gave me to school regularly at home gave me confidence and improved my skills, and then I gained some good horses to ride. I never really thought of it as wanting to be a jockey, I just wanted to ride point-to-pointing.

Wanting to be a jockey isn't a negative, but it adds an extra pressure, an urgency and an obsession to always want more rather than living in and enjoying the moment. This coupled with the fact that there are less and less large point to-point yards in which to attach yourself too makes it more appealing to step into a job in a National-hunt yard and go down the Conditional jockey route. 

Modernisation is inevitable and days hunting on some rather wild thoroughbreds, endless amounts of phone calls and hours spent driving around the countryside riding out for people with a few pointers is nearly a thing of the past. But, historically this was the normal and the time to do such things was there and financial pressures were less.

Most racing yards had members of staff who wanted to race-ride so they had their own pointer and worked tirelessly between work hours to muck out and ride it. Most hunting farmers had a pointer, if not two, and needed jockeys to ride them so gaining contacts and rides was simpler because everyone had a point-to-pointer.

Communicating was key, as former champion female point-to-point rider Polly Gundry explained. “In my early days I spent hours networking, chatting and mainly listening to older, wiser people," she said. "It seems so old-fashioned, but I drank whisky at the back of cars chatting to owners and gaining contacts. Nobody talks anymore, and many don't listen! I volunteer advice to youngsters today and they look at me like I have two heads. I was very lucky, but I didn't start off talented. We all start on a level playing field and I had to become gritty and determined to succeed. Not even McCoy was born brilliant!”

Gundry added: “When I was riding I would quite often be five or maybe even ten winners ahead in the championship, but the gap was never as huge as it is now.”

Personally, I was lucky enough to ride in the Gundry era and she taught me so much. I also rode against Andrews, finishing second twice to her in the national championship, but the gap between the number of winners achieved by them and the rest of us was significantly smaller. Gundry added: “Only a few can be the best and others need to be given opportunities to learn and improve. There are some really good girls out there, we just need to try to be more inclusive and use them.”

The sport has become very professional. In part, that is a good thing, but seeming too elite can put off potential new participants. We are a sport that can include all and it is always possible the underdog can beat those at the top. I caught up with a few of the weekend's winning female jockeys to see if we can unearth the issues and find a solution to make our female championship the competition it once was.

Heidi Palin, a female amateur based with Dan Skelton is better know for her assignments  under Rules and has a remarkable record in hunter chases for her boss, but over Easter she rode two winners pointing, one of which was the Hannah Lewis-trained Malinas Glory, who overturned last season's leading horse Inchidaly Robin and Men's Champion James King.

“I had a great weekend," she said. "I feel very fortunate and had a lovely winning spare ride for Hannah Lewis, and Midnight River for Bridget Skelton is wonderful. Bridget and Harry help me out lots with my riding. I would love to have more rides pointing, but my loyalties are with Dan and anything under Rules he may have for me.” 

In a game where luck and connections are no doubt vital, Lucy Mager has been riding in point-to-points for a number of seasons and, although she won the National Female Novice title alongside Izzie Hill back in 2017 and has been a regular rider in the South West ever since, opportunities have not been reflective of her talent.

She has ridden two winners over the last couple of weekends and said: “I would obviously love more rides and winners. I am based near Weston-Super-Mare running my own yard with pointers, breakers and the odd pre-trainer. It is hard to get away to ride out and build connections and now more than ever you need the support of a big yard behind you.” 

The 2022/2023 seasons National Novice Champion was Amber Jackson-Fennel and she has established herself riding plenty of winners pointing and under Rules. She is now based with Nigel and Willy Twiston-Davies as an amateur and claims she has found this an advantage this season.

"For years I had my own horses to ride and when I was based with Fran and Charlie Poste I had plenty of rides, but without those of my own and the attachment to one big yard it is very hard," she explained. "I just think there just aren’t enough horses to go round. Owners and trainers still sadly on the whole prefer to use a man.

"I also don’t phone up for rides, because I cant cope with rejection. I have been lucky this season to form a partnership with Ed Rees and that is going really well. Being based at Nigel and Willy's certainly seems to have helped me get a few more rides.” 

Two to look out for in the future are Jess Stewart, who rode her first winner pointing on Saturday having previously had one under Rules. She is based with licensed trainer Sarah-Jayne Davies who said: “Jess has been with me four years, it is all starting to come together with her riding and she is building confidence and consistency with her rides on a number of different horses. She is very reliable and deserves the chances she is now getting.”

Hannah Morgan, who is based with Champion Trainer Josh Newman, rode two winners over Easter and is worth watching. Having ridden ten winners from 37 rides, she has a good strike rate and Newman said: “Her claim came in handy on the two she rode for us at the weekend, she is learning all the time, she works hard at home and we would like to give her more opportunities.”

Point-to-pointing is proud to be inclusive to all level of participants, whether it be as a competitive amateur aiming to be the top of the sport, a young talent using it as a stepping stone to becoming a professional or for those doing it as their hobby

Shropshire-based Iola Sankey has been riding in point-to-points, by her own admission on an ‘amateur’ level and purely for fun in two stints. Riding her own Blagthebookies to win the Members race at Eyton-On-Severn on Monday, she said: “I started years ago purely by chance on a lovely horse called Uppertier, who my brother was meant to ride but he was busy at University.

"I was hunting and eventing mad, so could ride, but was racing clueless and totally hopeless. I was terrible," she said. "I had so many things going on and didn’t pursue it, but when I met Guy Sankey, who is now my husband, I spent every spring weekend following him round the point-to-points so I decided to have another go.”

She added: “Pointing has become so professional and the pressures are there, however, for me it is 100% fun and I love it. No-one should feel intimidated or afraid to have a go.”

Sankey admirably returned to riding following the birth of her daughter, who is now two, and hopes to gain another couple of winners this season. 

Encouragingly this season has seen 125 female riders apply for their point-to-point license compared to 158 males, so it is positive to learn that their is no lack of appetite to participate in the sport.

Whether it be to remain in the sport to try to be the next Andrews, use it as a stepping stone to a career under Rules or be it as a hobby rider, the sport can certainty be proud of its position in championing the female athlete.