THE Point-to-Point Handlers Association has expressed disappointment over Horse Racing Ireland’s decision to freeze overall funding for the sector in 2026.

Last week’s budget statement from HRI outlined plans to increase prize money on the track by 6% and there are also planned increases for equine welfare activities and integrity funding.

However, HRI will not be receiving any additional Government funding in 2026 and so it was restricted in its spending plans.

As a result, funding for the point-to-point sector for 2026, covering the areas of integrity, prize money, grants and insurance support, remains at €2.7 million.

Gerard Kelleher, chairman of the Irish Point-to-Point Handlers Association, said: “That is disappointing news. We have argued that the integrity costs on a raceday are huge in comparison to the prize money.”

Fewer handlers

However, Kelleher did acknowledge that HRI has delivered on a commitment given earlier this year to increase prize money for older horse maidens and open races from €1,850 to €2,000.

“Our motto is that you have to protect the small owner or handler. They are not commercial, unlike those involved in four- and five-year-old maidens. The statistics will tell you that the number of licensed handlers is dropping.”

According to the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board’s annual report for 2024, the number of handlers dropped from 509 in 2022 to 446 in 2024, a drop of 12%, though there has reportedly been a revival during the latest autumn season.

As HRI’s allocated funding for point-to-points is not increasing in 2026, it appears that the recent increase in prize money has been funded by underspend in the sector.

Eogháin Ward of P2P.ie said: “When you take out the four- and five-year-old maidens, less than €50,000 would be needed to increase the prize money by €150 for the other races, which could still be incorporated in that overall figure of €2.7 million, particularly as there is often an underspend in the budgeted figure.”

Kelleher said: “We met with Suzanne Eade (HRI chief executive) in April and we suggested that they should help formulate a three-year strategic plan for point-to-points. We’d like to see a 10% increase in prize money over the next number of years, to possibly bring it up to around €3,000 per race. That was our suggestion at that meeting.”

Kelleher also pointed out that handlers continue to pay an insurance levy every time they make an entry.

Introduced ahead of the 2023-’24 season, the increased contributions were needed to boost the National Hunting, Shooting, Point-to-Point & Field Sports Insurance Scheme which provides essential public liability and indemnity coverage for hunt clubs, landowners, and participants in country sports, covering damage or injury to the public but notably excluding personal injury to mounted participants, who must sign waivers and arrange their own cover for self-protection.

That levy is due to come to an end in June 2026.

Kelleher said: “This will be our third year paying the levy. On top of paying €100 for a hunter cert, we pay €70 per entry, which is a lot higher in percentage terms than owners and trainers pay to enter races on the track.”

The new ‘spring’ season starts at Dromahane on December 30th.