A Point-to-Point Steeple Chase fixture provides an opportunity for horses trained and ridden by amateurs to participate in Point-to-Point Steeple Chases at BHA approved (but not licensed) courses.

Point-to-Point Steeple Chases are for horses, owned and ridden by members of an affiliated Hunt. A fixture can either be arranged by a Hunt or group of Hunts, by the Armed Forces or by an approved Club, Association or Society.

Permission must be sought from the landowner of a course or chosen location (usually working farmland), before a Point-to-Point Organising Committee can make an application to the BHA to hold the fixture. Thereafter the Organising Committee are responsible for every aspect of organising and promoting the fixture, including ensuring full compliance with the BHA Regulations for Point-to-Point Steeple Chases and the BHA Instructions for holding a fixture.

A list of 2023/24 Point-to-Point fixtures can be viewed here.

The Point-to-Point Owners and Riders Association promotes the interests of owners and riders, you can find more information for this here.

Owners

Owners must be at least 16 years old and although there is no requirement for a registration or licence, an owner is bound by the BHA Regulations when they submit a Hunters’ Certificate for a horse or make an entry to run a horse. Unless an owner has appointed a keeper to train their horse, they will remain responsible for the due care and welfare of their horse.

Please see here for penalties that must be carried during the 2023/24 Point-to-Point Season and here for horse eligibility for the 2023/24 Point-to-Point Season.

Horses

The name of any horse (with the exception of Hunt Members’ Point-to-Point Steeple Chases) must be registered at the Racing Calendar Office. Thereafter, every Season, in order to participate in Point-to-Point Steeple Chases, the horse must be registered with a Hunters’ Certificate which affiliates the horse and owner to a Hunt and an area of the country. All horses running in Point-to-Point Steeple Chases must have been issued with a passport and vaccination records must be up to date in accordance with the BHA Regulations.

Riders

Riders must be at least 16 years old and must be in possession of a Riders Qualification Certificate (RQC) for the current Season. The rider cannot participate in a Point-to-Point Steeple Chase without a Medical Record Book (MRB) issued by the BHA.

Keepers

Often, the owner of a horse does not keep the animal on their own premises, instead choosing to use a livery yard. At a livery yard, horses are housed and cared for in return for payment or reward but are not the property of the proprietor.

Owners with the above arrangement may delegate duties of care and training to an individual known under the BHA Regulations as a ‘Keeper’. Where a horse is placed with a keeper, the keeper takes over all responsibility for the care and welfare of the horse, and ongoing compliance with the BHA Regulations.

BHA Regulations and Instructions

The BHA Regulations for Point-to-Point Steeple Chases can be found here and Instructions for Point-to-Point Steeple Chases can be found here.

More information can be found on the National Point-to-Point website here, including application forms for RQC, Hunters’ Certificate and making entries.