New body to run sport
The new Point-To-Point Authority, launched at Stratford Racecourse on May 23rd, has been structured to enable the sport to control its own destiny. It has four “stakeholders”: The British Horseracing Authority, the Point-To-Point Owners and Riders Association, the Master of Foxhounds Association and the Point-To-Point Secretaries Association.
The new organisation has been formed as a limited company and its board includes independent director Heather Kemp, the 2008 champion lady rider in the South East, whose responsibilities include promotion and sponsorship. The chairman is Robert Waley-Cohen, who is also chairman of the Pony Racing Authority, while other directors include Simon Claisse of the PPORA, Andrew Merriam of the BHA and Mike Fenton of the MFHA. The establishment of the PPA follows the recommendations of the Russell Report, based on the findings of a working group that included Simon Tindall. Richard Russell, the second independent director, is standing down and his vacancy will be advertised.
The PPA’s remit is to act on the British Horseracing Authority’s behalf as the controlling body, including strategic planning and governance, and to actively promote the sport to attract new audiences and generate new money through sponsorship and increased attendances. The BHA will carry out the regulatory function in its entirety.
The new Authority is responsible for its own funding and expects the sport to make a profit. Sources of income include fees from individual meetings (on a sliding scale based on gate receipts), from owners via a £15 levy on hunter certificates, and from hunts through a £5 fee for every qualified pointer. The PPA is also in the final stages of negotiation to buy 50% of Weatherbys Chase, the organisation that runs the website pointtopoint.co.uk and controls the sport’s data. The cost for this acquisition could be up to £250,000. The sale of data (mostly entries and results) and subscriptions to the website will form part of the new body’s income stream.
To save on costs a new office is to be opened in Gloucestershire for central administration to be run by Lucy Brack, who is moving across from the BHB. The budget for this is £140,000.
Administrative functions include:
Production and dissemination of Hunter Certificates
Processing, production and disseminating if the Fixture List (subject to BHA approval)
Administration of Rider’s Qualification Certificates including arranging the insurance
Maintenance of local Raceday Stewards database and arranging their attendance at Stewards Seminars
Organisation of annual Raceday Stewards Seminars (3 per annum)
Dissemination of appropriate tailor made pre-season information packs to all raceday officials
Monitoring and maintenance of fallers data at every individual fence
Monitoring of poorly performing horses against BHA criteria for BHA to follow up
Point of contact for general queries and complaints
Point of contact for queries on horse and/or rider eligibility
Maintenance of Veterinary Surgeon Attendance Database and liaising with BHA Veterinary Department
Point of contact for all relevant post fixture regulatory forms (Stewards Enquiry notices, fines, veterinary injury forms, marked racecards)
Checking and processing of fixtures annual accounts for onward transmission to Levy Board
Production of annual grant application to Levy Board
Provide all Point to Point Board formal meeting requirements.
Verify race conditions for submission to BHA
Provide all the administrative duties required by PPSA including provide administrative assistance to all Point-to-point secretaries and Regional secretaries.
Liaising with Weatherbys and co-ordinating updates for the web site
May 24th 2008
