[QUOTE=LauraKY;6186718]
There’s My Lady’s Manor point to point on 4/14. Less formal and leads into the Hunt Cup.
http://www.marylandsteeplechasing.com/main/mlm/directions.htm[/QUOTE]
No disrespect but the My Lady’s Manor is not a Point to Point it is a sanctioned race meet. I am pleasantly surprised that a lot of people have read this thread so for educational purposes I will explain. The following applies to American jump racing.
Sanctioned races are those that are governed by the National Steeplechase Association
http://www.nationalsteeplechase.com/ . All the race meets offer large prize money, well organized facilities, etc. The Race Meets are individually owned and operated. The NSA provides and organizes the horse and horsemen’s side. Along with writing the conditions of the races, collecting entry fees and distributing the prize money that the Race Meets put up. The NSA also provides the “on race course” personal, Judges, Stewards, etc. All of the races are run under the NSA rules of racing.
Point to Points are considered “schooling” races for both horse and trainer. They are also used as pre-season “turn up” races. Giving the owner and trainer an idea where the horse will be suited in Sanctioned races. Anyone can stage a point to point. But most if not all are staged by and tied to a Hunt and or charity. Some are run on a Sanctioned meet’s course but most have their own. Everything is handled by the “ race committee”. The NSA has no involvement. There is little to no prize money offered at most. They are by in large much less “formal” but taken very seriously. There is usually 1 or 2 races that have some of the best horse in training running in them and a coveted trophy to win even with no prize money. Most are only Timber but some have hurdles also. Results are not part of a horse’s “official race record”. So if a horse breaks its maiden at a P-P they can still run in a Sanctioned maiden race. There is still one Sanctioned race meet that uses Point to Point in it name though it is not, Winterthur. It was a P-P for years before asking and being granted Sanctioned status.
This website http://www.centralentryoffice.com/ is a handy one to have for P-P information, entries and results. Plus complete race records of both P-P and Sanctioned races.
