Call it an arranged marriage if you must, but we think the linking of the amateur circuit to the modern professional circuit is 21st century genius.

By Betsy Burke Parker

$32,000. 

$50,000. 

$82,000. 

Stagnant economy? Ask point-to-point horsemen. 

Purses are up across the entire U.S. steeplechase circuit, but there are more striking positive indicators than that. Start with the eye-popping numbers above from this weekend's Blue Ridge Hunt Point-to-Point and Cheshire Hunt Point-to-Point and take it through the April 6 Old Dominion Hounds Point-to-Point. 

What was formerly strictly a pots-and-pans amateur circuit has suddenly become the B-league opportunity that horsemen were missing as smaller meets dropped off the National Steeplechase Association calendar. 

The trio comprise an innovative hybrid jump race model that’s benefiting everybody from horsemen – with added opportunity, horses – with fuller, more competitive fields, to race chairs – with a tempting value-added product and boast-worthy race card to attract more patrons.

And, for the spectators themselves – please never dismiss the end-user – there’s a certain amount of FOMO driving ticket sales and reserved tailgate space sellouts. 

This modern notion of adding individual NSA races to established point-to-point cards has grown legs this season. 

It’s not brand new – Pennsylvania’s Cheshire Hunt added a few NSA races starting in 2021. Old Dominion Hounds in Virginia were tipped off to “an open week” on the NSA calendar last spring. With financial assistance provided by the Virginia Equine Alliance that’s funded by wagering takeouts at Virginia’s Colonial Downs and off-track betting parlors, ODH jumped in last spring, hosting two full fields of maidens over hurdles and an open timber race. 

This year, add another Virginia meet to the burgeoning group – the Blue Ridge Hunt Point-to-Point this Saturday, March 30, is offering a pair of apprentice-amateur races, one over timber, one over hurdles. It makes the meet a natural addition to the NSA calendar, with a stakes-caliber program slated at the March 30 Carolina Cup meet in Camden, South Carolina.

“It gives horsemen a place to send both kinds of horses,” race director Jeff Lehew said Monday. We caught up with the Blue Ridge joint-master on his mower Monday morning. He was giving a final touch-up to the infield to ensure a clear view to the backstretch. He said it makes it nice for spectators to watch the horses race along the backstretch that parallels a railroad track forming the west-side boundary of the Woodley Farm oval. 

Steeplechase horsemen gave the course south of Berryville, Virginia a careful look over the past 10 days – SOTA representative Liam McVicar and NSA representative Don Yovanovich both recorded positive marks for the turf and layout. 

“We’ve been working the last four or five years pretty steady to improve this course,” Lehew said. “The hill from the back straight to the homestretch was pretty rough – humps and divots. We got a bulldozer out here and shaped it like we wanted it. 

“It really improved how the course rides.”

Lifelong horseman Lehew knows from decades in the saddle, years on the NSA board of directors and as a longtime steeplechase owner. He knows from the organization side, too. He's been Blue Ridge race director since he joined as joint-master in 2017, and before that, he was joint-master of the Thornton Hill Hounds for 17 years and was their race chair when they held a point-to-point for several years at the old Rappahannock course in Sperryville.

“These days, as people find so many things to do other than watch horses run around at a point-to-point. We’ve worked hard to provide a full, fun day out for spectators. We added the kids’ stick-horse race – right there on the homestretch in front of the crowd, food trucks, vendors, a carriage parade, foxhounds and beagle packs on parade. 

“You turn it into a community fun day. Adding money, and bringing in more horses, more full races – that makes it an easy sell.”

How it happened

Virginia Equine Alliance executive director Jeb Hannum attended last year’s Blue Ridge point-to-point. It was a gorgeous spring day, and the community fair attracted thousands to the Woodley hillside. 

But there were very few entries, Lehew said.  

“Jeb talked to me after the races, congratulating us on a great event, but he said ‘how can we get you more horses?’

“He said, if the VEA supports it, would you all want to add some purses and NSA sanctioned races to your card?”

It was a no-brainer, Lehew said. 

Lehew (pictured below, ©Liz Callar) summoned NSA president Al Griffin and race secretary Bill Gallo for input. “Jeb said VEA was all in. 

“I let the summer pass and in fall, we did a conference call, all four of us.

“We’d moved our date a few years ago from mid-March to (an open spot on the Virginia point-to-point calendar in) mid-April to get hopefully better weather and a better crowd. But NSA needed us on a specific date, so we compromised. 

“Since we go up against Carolina Cup, Gallo said how about we host a couple of apprentice-amateur races to serve those that probably don’t get a spot at Camden. 

“I couldn’t look the gift horse in the mouth. We decided to go for it.”

"Once Jeb and Bill and Al and I had met, it was very important that I bring (VPPF director) Don Yovanovich into the group, who then worked with Bill Gallo on the details.

"Donnie totally bought into the idea of adding NSA races here at Woodley.

"I'm not sure that Virginia point-to-pointing would do without him."

Hannum picks up the narrative. 

“Virginia Equine Alliance is pleased to support the hybrid the point-to-point/NSA meets,” Hannum said. In Virginia, “this model started with Old Dominion last year as there was an open weekend on the NSA schedule. We are pleased to see it expand to the Blue Ridge Point-to-Point.”

He even sees opportunity for expansion of the hybrid format. 

“VEA will look at any additional requests on a case-by-case basis. We do not want to transition the point-to-points to NSA meets but are happy to consider sanctioned races as part of the point-to-point model. It’s critical to maintain the amateur element of the point-to-points and the more relaxed setting. 

"The NSA has been very good to work with. They’ve been accommodating to the point-to-points as we tweak this model.

“In the old days, the point-to-point horses and the riders were often separate from the NSA races. That’s not the case any more as horses and riders are competing in both types of race meets. The point-to-points and the NSA meets need to work together to complement each other and support each other. 

“Personally, I’d love to see race(s, later in the season, maybe) in May restricted to horses that have run in point-to-points earlier in the year. It would be a great way to encourage people to run their horses in the point-to-points and then have a sanctioned race to aim for.”  

What to expect

Lehew said there weren’t many changes required to get NSA sanction for the long-running point-to-point – this year is the 74th Blue Ridge meet, on a well-established circuit – Virginia Steeplechase Association and Virginia Point-to-Point Foundation have long sanctioned it. They added stalls inside a secured barn (tent barn) for the NSA horses – a requirement for treatment with Lasix, and appointed Tad Zimmerman as stewards’ secretary, not a position required at a point-to-point. 

Otherwise, Lehew said, the officials are the same experienced and trusted crew that have worked the meet for years. They’ll keep the timeline rigid, Lehew said, to stay within the Lasix window. 

It’ll feel pretty much the same, to spectators as well as horsemen. 

Point-to-point entries – and there are lots, with four full races over timber, over hurdles and on the flat – will still run off the vans parked at the east end of the course. Spectator entertainment will still happen between races, with a Piedmont Driving Club carriage parade planned along with the hound parades. 

The stick-pony races will still be a popular racecourse attraction. There are three divisions, Lehew reported. “Small, medium and large.”

Ticketing is being handled online by Future Ticketing out of England. Tickets may be purchased at the gate, but advance purchase is easy, Lehew said, and ensures easy ingress. Find more at blueridgehunt.org. 

Thundering up the homestretch at the Blue Ridge Hunt Races, with the Blue Ridge Mountains providing a picturesque backdrop. ©Liz Callar

Cheshire Hunt Point-to-Point race director Kathy Neilson stresses that, first and foremost, “we would not have our event with out the generosity of Cuyler Walker letting us race on the Averell Penn Smith Walker course designed by Louis ‘Paddy’ Neilson and Dixon Stroud. 

“I have to say that becoming a hybrid NSA sanctioned meet has been critical for the survival of our event. It legitimizes the quality of racing and brings a greater audience. 

“Since we have become a hybrid meet, we have a greater number of horses participating. The racing wins count towards the NSA year end championships for horses, riders, trainers and owners and consequently it steps up the quality and importance of our races. 

“Stewards, course inspection and fence quality have to be acceptable to the NSA so we have to work a little harder on our end. 

“Luckily we have Brook Boyer and Kelley Merette who are both incredible. Our race committee is a hands-on group – Sally Reed, Anna Coyne, Dixon Stroud, Charlotte Brooks, Ricky Hendriks, Jen Cadwalader, James Slater and Colleen Mooney. We meet weekly in the last couple months.

“Every year we learn more about what we can do better the following year.”

More details on the Cheshire meet are at CheshireHuntConservancy.org.

The Cheshire Hunt Races run over the same grounds as the Plantation Fields International Horse Trials - the timber horses gallop past a variety of cross country fences during their race. Tisa Della-Volpe photo

Two years ago, NSA president and sometime field member with Virginia’s Old Dominion Hounds, Al Griffin reached out to ODH masters with a provocative question: If the NSA could link up the hunt with purse and sponsorship money from the Virginia Equine Alliance, which had money to spend from their pari-mutuel takeout, would ODH jump in to fill a surprise, “open” week on the NSA spring calendar. 

“We thought about. We talked about it. We considered it,” recalled ODH joint-master Debbie Welch. 

“And we decided to do it.” 

Like Lehew, Welch said there wasn’t too much for the long-running meet to change for the NSA sanction. “Adding the (tent) barn, making better jockey shuttles to stay on a tighter schedule.”

The 2023 ODH meet came off beautifully, Welch said, with full entries in the NSA races and added entries from trainers “already coming here with their sanctioned horses” to fill similar point-to-point races on the card plus a few amateur and series races. “I think we had like 13 races,” Welch said. “It was a helluva long day.” 

Yovanovich explained that to receive NSA sanction, there are a number of mandatory policies. Entries are made through NSA; runners have to be at the course, in their assigned stall in time for third-party treatment with Lasix by a vet. A safety steward identifies each entrant and witnesses the injection and checks shoes. 

Stewards and other officials are NSA-trained and approved. NSA course inspections are reported two weeks out and the Monday before the meet. 

“Becoming a sanctioned meet has costs that are not associated with a point-to-point,” Yovanovich said, though “in Virginia there is and always has been a concern for safety, so much of what the NSA requires is already in place.”

He said the hybrid model is being run on a trial basis. “Yes, horsemen love the new opportunities to run for purses, but we have to remember that the point-to-points are fundraisers for the (hosting) hunts, so there is a limited amount of money for the added costs of running a sanctioned meet, such as sanction fees, stabling tent, photo finish and paid officials to mention a few. 

“Currently, generous funding is being used and some waiving of fees to see what the future will bring. There is definitely a cooperation between the NSA and the VPPF as this trial is being tested.”

More details on the Old Dominion Hounds race meet are at theolddominionhounds.com. 

ENTRY DETAILS

Entries for the Sanctioned races at Blue Ridge and Cheshire this weekend can be found at NationalSteeplechase.com.

Entries for the nonsanctioned races can be found at CentralEntryOffice.com.

The NSA sanctioned races will be live streamed at NationalSteeplechase.com.

Read more about Cheshire and Blue Ridge sanctioned races on the NSA website.

A look down the line of timber fences at the Blue Ridge Hunt races - the Apprentice riders face a stiff uphill challenge in their TGSF-sponsored timber race.

©Betsy Burke Parker