Featured Article (February 2003)

Point to Point Season Begins in The Hunt Country

A spring ritual in the Virginia hills begins this month, when the point to point season officially kicks off February 22 at the Casanova Races near Gainesville. Each week through May, thoroughbreds race over fences at local race meets from Leesburg to Culpeper. Point to point races are the minor leagues of steeplechasing, or racing over fences, a sport popular in our state since colonial times. It has its roots in the hunt field--hundreds of years ago, a pair of Irish foxhunters raced cross country using a church steeple as a landmark, to settle the question of who had the faster foxhunter.

The local hunt clubs are still the backbone of the sport here in Virginia, where each sponsors a race meet every weekend. For most foxhunting clubs, their point to point is a major fundraiser to offset maintaining a kennel of hounds, paying for staff, vehicles, and insurance. Every hunt member, including non-riding social members, volunteers for the myriad tasks involved, from entries, hospitality tents, parking, programs and admissions, and course maintenance-no small task, since most of the "courses" are actually cow pastures. These meets, called the "pots and pans" circuit, are considered "unsanctioned" and offer no prize money-horses race for trophies and bragging rights only. But the point to points provide an important training ground for horses and riders that will go on to race in the bigger events sanctioned by the sport's governing body, the National Steeplechase Association. And they provide a good opportunity for spectators to see the action up close, and meet the owners, trainers, riders and horses, for a fraction of the cost of the bigger, sanctioned meets such as the Gold Cup in May.

Saturday, February 22
12:30 p.m. CASANOVA HUNT POINT-TO-POINT
Buckland Farm, Gainesville (New Location)
Information (540) 788-4806

Saturday, March 1
12:30 p.m.RAPPAHANNOCK HUNT POINT-TO-POINT
Bleu Rock Inn, Washington
Information (540) 547-2810 (eve.)
(540) 829-8823 (d)

Saturday, March 8
12:00 noon BLUE RIDGE HUNT POINT-TO-POINT
Woodley Farm, Berryville
Information (540) 837-2262 (h)

Saturday, March 15
12.30 p.m. WARRENTON HUNT POINT-TO-POINT
Airlie Race Course, Warrenton
Information (540) 347-1888 (d)
(540) 347-5095 (e)

Sunday, March 22
12:30 p.m. PIEDMONT FOX HOUNDS POINT-TO-POINT
Salem Course, Upperville
Information (540) 592-3032, (540) 364-1424,
FAX (540) 592-3580

Sunday, March 23
1:00 p.m. FARMINGTON HUNT
KESWICK HUNT POINT-TO-POINT
Montpelier Race Course, Montpelier Station
Information (434) 980-9926

Saturday, March 29
1:00 p.m. ORANGE COUNTY HUNT POINT-TO-POINT
Locust Hill Farm, Middleburg
Information (540) 270-0313

Saturday, April 5
12:00 noon OLD DOMINION HOUNDS POINT-TO-POINT
Ben Venue Farm, Ben Venue
Information (540) 364-4573,
(540) 636-1507

Saturday, April 12
1:30 p.m. STRAWBERRY HILL RACE MEET
Colonial Downs, New Kent County
Information (804) 569-3238

Sunday, April 13
12:30 p.m. LOUDOUN HUNT POINT-TO-POINT
Oatlands, Leesburg
Information (703) 777-8480, (540) 338-4031

Saturday, April 19
1:30 p.m. MIDDLEBURG SPRING RACE MEET
Glenwood Park, Middleburg
Information (540) 687-6545, (540) 687-6595

Sunday, April 20
1:30 p.m. FAIRFAX HUNT POINT-TO-POINT
Belmont Country Club, Leesburg
Information (703) 787-6673

Saturday, April 26
1:00 a.m. FOXFIELD SPRING RACE MEET
Foxfield Race Course, Charlottesville
Information (434) 293-9501

Sunday, April 27
1:00 p.m. MIDDLEBURG HUNT POINT-TO-POINT
Glenwood Park, Middleburg
Information (540) 338-5231

Saturday, May 3
1:00 p.m. VIRGINIA GOLD CUP RACE MEET
Great Meadow Course, The Plains
Information (540) 347-2612

Sunday, May 4
12:30 p.m. BULL RUN HUNT POINT-TO-POINT
Brandywine Park, Culpeper
Information (703) 866-0507

Saturday, May 10
1:00 p.m.. BEDFORD COUNTY POINT TO POINT
Wolf Branch Farm, Forest
Info (540) 297-3419

Saturday, May 24
1:30 p.m..
NORTH AMERICAN PT-TO-PT CHAMPIONSHIP
Morven Park, Leesburg