Officials
This section of the website is for Officials, providing you with the tools you need to do your various jobs. Here can be found the official instructions for your posts, the forms required, protocols for specific events and – in some cases – presentations. Most are downloads and can be printed if required.
In general terms, the Clerk of the Course will be responsible for the layout of the event with particular reference to the course itself, while the Fixture Secretary will be responsible for everything else – including the paperwork, finding the officials, facilities for the general public, the race programme and so on.
Please note that the forms on this page are currently in the process of being updated for the 2024-2025 season. If a form has "20242025" in its body or title, it is up to date. If not, it is a 2023-2024 form and the latest version will be available shortly. If you feel something has been missed which would be useful to your role, please contact the PPA Office on 01793 781990 or info@p2pa.co.uk
For those who are interested in volunteering to help run a point-to-point, please e-mail info@p2pa.co.uk for further information and we will endeavour to put you in touch with fixtures in your part of the country.
All that you need to know about regulatory and other changes for the 2024-2025 point-to-point season will appear here shortly.
The Clerks of the Course (CoC) do slightly different jobs around the country, often depending on whether they deal with a multiple fixtures at the same course, or just an individual fixture. The information below has been divided accordingly, although it would be sensible for CoCs to check all the available documentation to check whether it applies to you.
Key Documents
Course Preparation
Fence Attendants
On the Day
One of the key issues on the day is to agree with the Chief Steward who is responsible for ensuring that the correct assets are in place for racing. Normally, it will be the Senior Steward who confirms that racing may commence, but the Clerk of Course who confirms that every individual responsible is in place for each race.
The Chief Steward is ultimately responsible for the decision that racing can go ahead on the day, considering both that the course is safe and that all the necessary people are in place to allow racing to be carried out safely and with integrity. They are supported by a Team of Stewards who need to be deployed before, during and after each race to cover any issues where disputes and problems may arise.
Key Documents
Aide Memoires re: running Enquiries
Forms
The Starter requires an Assistant and a recall person. At a point-to-point, they also double up as the team checking girths etc at the start. The document below provides the specific Instruction for the Starter’s role.
The Judge requires an Assistant and a timekeeper. They will be provided with an iPad by their Area, which must be used in a close finish, as it may be required to be used in evidence to confirm the result of a race. The documents below provide instructions on the role and the set-up that should be in place, as well as recommended procedures and a presentation on how to carry out the role.
Declarations
The Declarations team is busy and should be a minimum of three people unless very small numbers of runners/riders are expected. They are responsible for accepting declarations for horses to run in specific races and collecting/checking Rider Qualification Certificates and Medical Record Books against the Medical Red List (which is provided by the Fixture Secretary).
Clerk of the Scales
The Clerk of the Scales is a key role and requires an Assistant, so that careful checks can be made to ensure that the correct weights and equipment are carried. The Clerk of the Scales is also responsible for keeping the Judge informed about runners and changes of colours, as well as ensuring that the Announcer informs the public correctly about all official information, including the results.
Point-to-points have considerable medical facilities available, based on each course’s requirements. The list of qualified and registered doctors is held by the BHA Medical Team, which also forwards necessary paperwork to the Senior Medical Officer at each fixture. However, the following documents provide an explanation of what is needed on the day.
One of point-to-pointing’s top priorities is horse welfare. There are a minimum of two vets on the day, usually three, and at least two of them must be ARVS qualified. More detail on the requirements can be found in the documents below.
One of point-to-pointing’s top priorities is horse welfare. There are a minimum of two vets on the day, usually three, and at least two of them must be ARVS qualified. More detail on the requirements can be found in the documents below.