Point-to-point season hitting full stride

Howick, Wales, NP16 6BL. 6 races, first race 12pm

Larkhill, Wiltshire, SP4 8QR. 6 races, first race 12.30pm

Tranwell, Northern, NE61 6BG. 6 races, first race 1.30pm

Parham, Surrey, RH20 2ER. 6 races, first race 1.45pm

Maisemore, Gloucestershire, GL2 8HX, 6 races, first race 12.45pm

Cotley, Somerset, TA20 3EP. 6 races, first race 1pm

Trebudannon, Cornwall, TR8 4LP, 6 races, first race 1pm

There are 11 weekends of the point-to-point season remaining, so now looks a good time to reflect on what has happened and what is to come.

Meetings have been coming thick and fast during the past two weeks and Chief Executive of the

Point-to-Point Authority Paul Miller tells me: “It hit me recently that although we are four-and-a-half months into the season with only just over two months to go, we haven’t yet reached the half way point in terms of fixtures.”

With 127 fixtures in total, only 13 take place pre-Christmas, 114 are scheduled after Christmas and there are 65 remaining.

 “We have already looked into a number of ways to ease the congestion at this time of year but these statistics highlight there is still a lot to do,” Miller said

Field sizes have been stood up well and provided competitive racing, and a close eye has been kept on entry to runner numbers.

“Horse numbers have held up well, we are a little behind the same time last season, however, a number of factors can affect this and it will be interesting to see how things play out by the end of the season.” Miller says.

Planning for the 2026/27 season will begin soon. Race planning has always been a difficult task, especially as the process starts within the next few weeks for the following season, so interactive races could be a solution for the future.

Miller said: “Because the planning for next season's fixtures starts so far ahead of the planned fixture it is hard to commit and the decisions have to be based on statistics we haven’t yet received from the current season. We are discussing the idea of an interactive race, whereby a race is left blank until nearer the time which would allow the fixture to choose the best race based on weather and horse demographics”

Rider numbers this season have been up, especially first-time applicants which can only be encouraging.

This week alone saw nine applications for Rider Qualification Certificates which is a huge positive given the current number of riders is already ahead of last year.

Three new initiatives were brought in this season and are all being well supported.

Miller said: “The hands and heels races have been well supported with decent field sizes and I have been impressed by the neat finishes we have seen.

“The 0-110 series is gaining momentum and will culminate in the final at Warwick Racecourse on May 9th and the GB Pointing young horse bonus maiden races have been superb. They have really captured the imagination, and we are already looking at the potential of expanding the number of races and also giving placed horses the eligibility for a bonus.”

Next season will probably see no major changes, just adjustments to improve things, giving the new ideas time to bed in and for participants to realise they will be happening again.

“We realise the things that can be improved and a few things will be tweaked,” says Miller. “On the whole we are in a positive place. Crowd numbers are up, we have seen these increase over the past two seasons. Pointing provides a lovely family day out in the countryside, come rain or shine there is something for all the family.”

He added: “We have secured record Levy funding which recognises the considered importance of point-to-pointing for national-hunt jump racing. We have also gained massively increased support from stakeholders across racing and record national investment.”

He concluded: “I am incredibly pleased with the amount of content point-to-pointing is producing and the appetite there is for it. These avenues are enabling us to reach new audiences and put our sport in front of a whole new demographic.”

Point-to-pointing proudly stands as the grassroots of Jump racing and has long been a countryside tradition but in 2026 it is also becoming something else: measurable, modern and increasingly driven by modern innovation.

During the 2024/2025 season the ‘Blue Mic’ was introduced, a simple but powerful tool capturing up to date, live content during a race day bringing the sport into the modern age. Capturing short interviews with trainers, jockeys and connections in the immediate aftermath of a race delivers a ‘straight from the horse’s mouth’ concept.

Tiggy Vale-Titterton, GB Pointing’s Marketing and Partnerships Manager, said: “Pointing is such a wonderful sport for racegoers and all participants but it needs pushing into a wider audience.

“Whilst there is  a place for long-form content, the reality is the younger audiences consume sport differently. They want quick, engaging insight so we are working hard to capture the emotion of the moment and also aiming to help people understand the sport.”

Traditionally point-to-pointing has relied upon a loyal but relatively closed audience. The challenge has never been the product - it has been the visibility - that is now changing.

The growth of the ‘Blue Mic’ team has been a natural progression and we now aim to sustain it.

The introduction this season of National Digital Content Creators (NDCC’s) has come in and so far proving to be a great success. The initiative is enabling GB Pointing to deliver coverage across multiple fixtures every weekend, giving a consistent and recognisable digital presence each weekend.

Vale Titterton adds: “We have seen huge demand from fixtures to have coverage and content produced, the appetite is there, and with further investment we would love to be able to support every meeting. That is the long-term goal.”

This momentum is not confined to the screens, footfall across fixtures during the 2024/25 season was just shy of 400,000, and this season should see further growth, converting digital traffic into real-world attendance.

The point-to-point authority has also secured a record £80,000 in sponsorship, an investment which goes directly into the sport following the recent rebranding, the new website and a more strategic approach to marketing.

For a sport so deeply rooted in heritage, embracing digital innovation is a necessity. Vale Titterton says: “Behind every view, every interview and every attendee is often a person discovering point-to-pointing for the very first time and if we can keep building, keep telling stories and keep engaging new audiences we can hopefully gain interest. My hope is that this period of ‘new’ will be remembered as not just a period of growth but as the point in which point-to-pointing firmly established itself in the modern sporting landscape whilst staying true to its roots at the heart of British jump racing.