THE final weekend of the season had promised so much with a number of tantalising title battles set to be decided under unbroken sunshine at Kirkistown and Grennan.
However last Sunday’s season-ending card in Kilkenny served as a swift reminder of the potential dangers that unfortunately can never be discounted in racing, when Eoin Mahon parted company with his mount Leading Babe at fence two in the second division of the mares’ maiden.
The Galway native was airlifted from the track direct to Tallaght University Hospital where he is thankfully recovering having sustained a number of fractures.
The incident also served as an important reminder of the excellent care and attention that the medical staff provide to these riders on a weekly basis. On Sunday it was IHRB medical officer Dr Gillian Mernagh, Dr Ann Marie Eustace -Ryan and the Civil Defence who were called upon in the immediate aftermath of his fall, and we should all be extremely grateful for their efforts which can often go under the radar.
At Kirkistown, Cork rider James Murphy was taken to the Ulster Hospital in Belfast after he suffered a hip injury in the last race on that card and we wish both riders well in their recoveries.
Following the extensive delay to racing on Sunday while Eoin Mahon was being attended on course, the stewards abandoned the remainder of the Grennan card due to the medical emergency with four races remaining on what would have been by far the busiest meeting of the season with 132 horses having been declared to run.
They included champion point-to-point horse contender Er Dancer, who was due to feature in the open, and Sunday’s events also influenced the outcome of the under-21 title where a well-timed early winner for Pearse Rogan saw him claim that prize by a solitary winner.
Wexford
Maxine O’Sullivan is the only rider to break the Wexford monopoly in the riding titles this year, with the five other recipients, Barry O’Neill, Pearse Rogan, Rob James, James Kenny and Jamie Codd, all hailing from that county which is responsible for five of this season’s top 10 riders and six of the top 10 handlers.
But this season has been all about the exploits of Barry O’Neill and Colin Bowe who continue to scale new heights at the top of their respective divisions.
Fifty-four victories for Barry O’Neill sees him end the season with more than double the number of winners for any other rider, with none of his rivals breaking the 20-winner mark.
Most notably his dominance this season has seen him break new ground with first titles in the west and south ensuring that he becomes the very first rider to complete a clean sweep of the regional titles in the same season.
The 32-year-old is one of just five riders to have partnered a winner for Colin Bowe this season who, having saddled 44 winners, finishes the campaign just one winner shy of his personal best despite the significantly reduced calendar. That is the result of the 2020/’21 season being his busiest to date having run over 120 individual horses.
Bumper season
This bumper season of entries from those at the top of the handler ranks has left hunt committees as a welcome benefactor of their continued growth, with the top three handlers alone contributing close to €90,000 in entry fee payments to committees this season as a result of the multiple entries made for their horses weekly.
In a season which was run without the traditional income stream from spectators, the financial boost the committees received from the average entry jumping to 127 per fixture from 97 just last year has certainly been most welcome.
Such headline-grabbing totals for both O’Neill and Bowe are stark. However, many have risen to the challenge to take them on over the course of the season. Bowe was one of 147 different handlers to saddle a winner, while 87 riders also recorded at least one victory. Encouragingly, the sport also welcomed just shy of 50 new riders and 16 first-time winners in the riding ranks.
Recent years have seen a decline in handler numbers and it would seem to be an area that needs attention to stem that decline and encourage new participants into the sport.
2020/21 point-to-point award winners
The Irish Field Champion Rider: Barry O’Neill
P2P.ie Champion Lady Rider: Maxine O’Sullivan
TRI Equestrian Champion Under-21 Rider: Pearse Rogan
Horse Racing Ireland Northern Champion: Barry O’Neill
Horse Racing Ireland Eastern Champion: Barry O’Neill
Horse Racing Ireland Western Champion: Barry O’Neill, Rob James, James Kenny
Horse Racing Ireland Southern Champion: Barry O’Neill
INHSC Senior Champion: Jamie Codd
Easyfix Leading Handler: Colin Bowe
Tattersalls Ireland Horse of the Year: Billaway*
ITBA Champion Mare: The Forge Hill*
Connollys RedMills Champion Point-to-Point Horse: High Stakes
Goffs UK Leading Sire: Mahler
Weatherbys Champion Breeder - Robert McCarthy
*Will be confirmed following the final hunter chase on Monday
THE 2020/21 season, like its predecessor, was blighted by Covid-
enforced disruptions. The controversial suspension of racing between the flags in the early part of 2021 was the big talking point, as it left a near three-month period in the heart of the season that was devoid of action, to the immense frustration and desperation of handlers, in particular.
Their plight throughout February and early March is one that none of their ranks will want to endure for a third year running. However, it would be remiss not to put the spotlight back on to their efforts in leading the campaign for the restart of point-to-pointing.
Mobalised in all corners of the country, there was scarcely a TD that escaped their pleas which led to meetings with the Tánaiste, Minister for Agriculture and senior Department officials.
There were undoubtedly times when the overarching despair must have felt like their efforts were falling on deaf ears. However, their persistence and the important timing of a record-breaking Cheltenham Festival further highlighted the sector’s importance, paving the path to the Duhallow fixture at Cork racecourse in early April, followed a month later by the return of all age categories in Lisronagh on March 1st.
Prior to that suspension, racing had successfully taken place throughout level five periods which was a notable testament to the IHRB’s protocols that ultimately allowed 59 fixtures to be staged during the season.
This represents almost a halving of the fixture list in comparison with the last full season in 2018/’19. However the horse population has withstood the disruption admirably, with the total number of entries and runners only falling by approximately 30%.
Encouragingly, 2,988 horses received a hunter certificate over the course of the season which is the largest such figure since 2014, undoubtedly boosted by the carryover of young horses from spring 2020, and those horses who came to the fore in the past eight months generated over £17 million at public auction.
None of this season’s racing would have been possible without those hunt committees who rolled up their sleeves and ploughed on with their fixtures in spite of the closed doors policy and additional protocols that were necessary to comply with Government guidelines. Backed by the sport’s stakeholders and sponsors, who rowed in behind their efforts, the show was kept on the road.
Now, as racecourses prepare for the welcome upcoming return of owners and fans, the hope grows stronger that the autumn will see the point-to-point field rightfully returning back to its full colour.