LAST Sunday’s Duhallow Kanturk point-to-point at Dromahane highlighted all that is good within the sport, with the point-to-point community coming together to raise funds for a very worthy cause in the Injured Jockeys Fund.

Twelve-months ago, the then newly formed Point-to-Point Handlers Association worked with the Duhallow Kanturk committee to run an additional meeting to fill a blank Sunday in the fixture, list all in aid of charity.

Those efforts of Gerry Kelleher, Eugene O’Sullivan and Frankie Ward were certainly not in vain, as on Sunday, they were able to gather in the parade ring and present the Injured Jockeys Fund with a cheque to the sum of €3,000.

Hopes are high that when all the proceeds from last Sunday’s event are gathered together, they will have bettered last year’s total, particularly thanks to the goodwill of so many individuals including many of the sport’s leading handlers.

Colin Bowe, Pat Doyle, Denis Murphy and Donnchadh and Sean Doyle, were big supporters of the fixture, with each sponsoring a race on the day, while fellow handlers Aengus King, Enda Bolger, Thomond O’Mara, Paurick O’Connor, Aidan Fitzgerald, Robert Tyner, Eugene O’Sullivan, Liam Burke, Gerry Kelleher, Declan Queally, Tom Keating, Shark Hanlon, and Kieran Purcell, all supported the fixture with donations in advance of the day.

Frankie Ward, who was kept busy all day behind the declarations desk, was then delighted to hear word that the connections of a number of the day’s winners were not going to collect their prize money, instead donating it to the organisers to be added to the day’s collection.

These included Sam Curling, John Nallen, Harry Kelly and Gigginstown House Stud.

PRIZE MONEY

Big money is being traded on young point-to-pointers at present, richly rewarding those who have made a success out of training four and five-year-olds between the flags, but this practice of leaving prize money with the hunts is one that is taking place quite frequently during the season.

Many of the more commercially-focused owners and handlers are gifting the prize money that they receive after winning a four or five-year-old maiden, back to the organising hunts of the individual fixtures in recognition of the invaluable roles that the hunts play.

This practice is to be really commended, as there continue to be mounting costs facing hunts at present, and any additional support that they receive is thoroughly deserved.

Ward was also thrilled with the success of the ‘Dromahane Derby’ pony race which took place at the end of the day, introducing a whole new generation to point-to-point racing.

Won by 12-year-old Bill Reidy from the Scarteen Hunt, Ward was particularly delighted with support from across the country that the race received, with seven-year-old Kian McNally, the youngest rider in the race, making the five-hour journey down to represent the Iveagh Pony Club.