Published 14th Jan 2023, 06:00 BST

Preparations have been taking place all throughout this week to get the course ready at Sheriff Hutton where more than 100 entries have been made for the Yorkshire Area Point to Point Club meeting.

There will now be seven races on the card with one having to be divided.

Tomorrow’s meeting will be held on the land of legendary race-horse trainer Mick Easterby, of New House Farm who has developed his yard over the last 60 years.

Rosie Howarth, aged 26, of North Yorkshire, is a Point to Point jockey, very soon the new Point to Point season will start, and last year Rosie, won the Ladies Yorkshire Championship with 9 winners. Pictured Rosie Howarth, riding Ballydonagh Boy, one of the horses which she rides at Low Moor Farm, Scackleton, near York.

The event is being held in aid of Yorkshire Air Ambulance – a service that is essential to the equestrian and rural communities.

The first point to point at Sheriff Hutton was held in 2008, selling out the 1800 print run of racecards and making £5,000 for YAA.

It came at the request of Mr Easterby’s daughter after a few family members over the years had required the services of the air ambulance following riding accidents.

It has been held annually ever since other than 2021 due to COVID but made a welcome return last year.

Trainer Mick Easterby at his yard near Sheriff Hutton. He allows use of his land for the Yorkshire Point to Point meeting each year to raise money for The Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

This year is set to be good for competitors and spectators alike with the going said to be ‘good to soft’ and a cloudy but dry day forecast.

David Easterby, Mick’s son and a former amateur jockey having ridden several point to point jockey himself, told Country Post: “There have been about 60 members and helpers that set up making gates, checking the course, getting the jumps ready so there is a fair amount of input.

"The course has a good reputation for horses coming home sound so that encourages people to make entries – and it is the first one in Yorkshire. Hopefully we will have a big turn out.

"My sister persuaded my dad to do it because we had a few family members that have needed the air ambulance and we thought it was a good way to give a bit back.”

The point to point course at Mick and David Easterby's stables are two and a half laps of the circuit.

The course at Sheriff Hutton, near York, is left-handed with just under two and a half circuits of the course per race.

Winners last year were from entries far and wide with a couple from Yorkshire and organisers are hoping to get to a milestone figure for YAA.

Mr Easterby said: “It is nice to have Yorkshire winners but we don’t mind if the people who travel far get a good prize.”

Mick Easterby added: “It’s a marvellous day. People come from all over. We’ll have a marquee and food and stalls and some good racing.

"We have a team of 50 to 60 volunteers who come along and give their time for free. They are wonderful people. It’s a day that makes me very proud.

"We’ve raised £180,000 so far and we’d like to get the total to £200,000 on Sunday so please come and join us. It’s a fantastic charity and a lifeline for so many people. We’d like to get as many people to come along as we possibly can.

"The ground should be soft on Sunday. We spent a lot of money on drainage a few years ago and the course can cope with a fair bit of water now.”

A Point-to-Point is a form of horse racing over fences for hunt horses and amateur riders held at a variety of Point-to-Point racecourses throughout the UK.

Most Point-to-Point meetings consist of at least six races and start times vary depending upon the time of year and number of races. Every course must have a minimum number of 18 fences and at least two fences must have ditches.

Other fixtures for the Yorkshire area for 2023 include Sunday February 5 at Duncombe Park near Helmsley (The Sinnington Hunt); Sunday February 19 at Askham Bryan (The York & Ainsty South & The York North & West of Yore); Sunday March 5 at Charm Park, Wykeham near Scarborough (The Yorkshire Jockeys Club); Sunday March 12 at Dalton Park near Beverley (The Holderness Hunt); Saturday March 18 at Hutton Rudby (The Hurworth Hunt); Sunday March 26 at Askham Bryan College (The Badsworth & Bramham Moor); Sunday April 2 at Sheriff Hutton (The Middleton Hunt); Saturday April 8 at Hornby Castle near Catterick (The Bedale Hunt); Monday May 1 at Witton Castle (The Zetland Hunt); Sunday May 7 at Charm Park (The Derwent Hunt).

The first traceable use of the phrase point-to-point in connection with a horse race is in Bell's Life on 10 January 1874 and was here in Yorkshire.

A race is described that took place on January 2 from Sutton-on-the-Forest to Brandsby, held by the 9th Lancers stationed at nearby York.

It was won by Langar, ridden by his owner the Hon. E. Willoughby.

Point to Point returns to Mick Easterby stables at Sheriff Hutton to raise funds for Yorkshire Air Ambulance