TWENTY-TWO months ago, the East Down Foxhounds fixture at Tyrella on March 7th, 2020, was one of the last fixtures to take place without restrictions.

In a measure of how quick the Covid-19 pandemic came to overtake the world, a week later the point-to-points at Ballyarthur and Ballyragget took place behind closed doors, with the entire season then coming to a premature close just days later.

Thankfully, this afternoon’s fixture at the picturesque Co. Down venue will be the first point-to-point since then to take place without Covid-19 restrictions in place following the government’s announcement just over a week ago removing the requirement for social distancing among other measures.

The most significant difference that those arriving at either Tyrella today or in Ballyvodock tomorrow will notice is the requirement to register online in advance of attending for contact tracing purposes has been removed.

Coupled with extremely encouraging developments during the week surrounding the ongoing insurance crisis, it would seem that much brighter days are finally in store for point-to-pointing.

The challenge presented by Covid-19 to the sport’s regulators and each individual point-to-point committee have been far from insignificant over the past two years.

Closed doors

After a season of racing taking place entirely behind closed doors, the welcome return of crowds this season has steadily drawn bigger turnouts throughout the autumn campaign, culminating in a standout atmosphere at Carrigarostig in particular in recent weeks.

The removal of restrictions and the potential of a full programme of spring fixtures will hopefully allow the sport to return to the positive initiatives which had been introduced by many committees pre-Covid in a bid to boost attendance numbers.

One such proactive committee were the Co. Clare hunt whose upcoming fixture in Bellharbour next Sunday will be one of the first to benefit from the easing of restrictions.

Although the timing of the restrictions has left them with limited time to react to it, they are still on-course to provide a day of family fun alongside the programme of racing.

“We had to be mindful that we couldn’t go all out within the existing restrictions that were in place when we began our planning, but we were trying to push it as much as we could,” explained their point-to-point secretary Paul O’Neill.

“We have been short-changed a bit by the timing of the restrictions. It is harder when you are a voluntary organisation to go back to the level of everything that we would have had in place for a Bellharbour pre-Covid, but we won’t be too far away from it.

“We have pony rides for children arranged, a dog show, and a Labrador gun dog-display all planned to compliment the racing and then we have different food aspects too to put on a good day’s entertainment.”