Point to Point racing a family affair for man who has designed course at Askham Bryan College in York

Wayne won nearly 50 races in his career, racing twice in the Foxhunters at Aintree, once with the horse he considered the best he had, Polygonum; and wins at Stratford and Wetherby, is Clerk of the Course once again tomorrow. He said he’d been instrumental in the setting up of the previous course at Whitcliffe Grange near Ripon but that the college course had been his blank canvas.

“After years of experience going to Point to Point racecourses, starting when I was 17 on my horse Come On Flower at Garthorpe in Melton Mowbray, and riding around many tracks I had my own views on how a course should be put together. Although you still have to work within the framework set down I was able to come up with how I felt it would work best for everyone, spectators, horses and jockeys. I also had the assistance of a BHA course inspector.

“Askham Bryan is a really good spectator course. It’s quite a slim course alongside the A64 and we have 4 fences in a line down the back straight. There’s one in front of the stands, which is the last before the winning post and provides everyone with great excitement, and then luckily enough on a slight incline just going away from the spectators we were able to put the open ditch.

“Between the second last and the last it is quite undulating, quite a dip and that can really shake up the places if it’s a close race. Every jockey has to have their wits about them in the run in, but if they get it wrong between those two fences it can destroy all the good work they’ve done previously. You can see real drama taking place.

Wayne’s work on the course has since led to the college now hosting two Point to Point meetings a year with the York North & West of Yore meeting having also taken up residence. Their meeting was held in February and Wayne was once again on hand, this time as the senior steward representing the British Horseracing Authority.

“Now the Ainsty is at the college too. The good old Easingwold course, that has been there a lifetime, certainly mine, has run its course, as Whitwell on the Hill did when it finished in 2015. With those and Whitcliffe Grange going pointing has lost some wonderful courses, but hopefully the college course is here to stay. We are all certainly very grateful to the college.

“We have covers on the jumps over winter. We uncovered them a few weeks before the York North & West of Yore meeting and tidied them up. Also, under the new regulations from BHA we’ve spent time putting the new white plastic on the fences and painting everything up white in line with the new rules.

When racing returned last year it was John Dawson, multiple Yorkshire Point to Point champion, who led the way with a hat-trick of wins in the first three races of the day on Sine Nomine, Teescomponents Boy and Steely Addition. It was the fourth consecutive meeting that Sine Nomine had won. Steely Addition’s win was the second of its four consecutive wins and won six in all last year.

Rosie Howarth, who went on to win the Yorkshire Ladies Championship last year, had her first ever double at Askham Bryan when she rode Royal Chant and Rossderrin to victory. Rossderrin’s win being all the sweeter as she won as jockey, trainer and owner, just a short time after completing the same feat at Brocklesby Park in Lincolnshire.

Wayne said his mum’s brother used to have horses and it was through him that he got involved in pointing and then a career that has included horseracing throughout after starting with his father’s electrical business.

“I worked for a few racehorse trainers including John Edwards in Ross on Wye in Herefordshire. I worked for Thomas Tate at Hazlewood Castle just down the road from the college course for 10 years while we were also running our own yard training pointers firstly at Healaugh then Tockwith and Hutton Wandesley. We don’t train today at Kisima Farm, Cliffe where Jane and I moved three years ago where her grandparents lived. I’ve worked full-time for the BHA since 2016.

Jane, who works with Wayne on the race meeting committee that is made up of just a handful of people, half of which bear the Burnell name, said it is a labour of love for them.

“We are a select few. Wayne’s dad Graham helps a lot. He’s our sign man, odd job man and if anyone needs anything, he can get it or get it fixed.

“Wayne and I met through Point to Point. I’d been involved with the Middleton through having ponies and pointing is just in your blood if you’re involved with all that. When we married I fell into the trap of organising meetings. I didn’t know what I was letting myself in for when I changed my name.

“Pointing has its moments, but we wouldn’t change the times we’ve had. Wayne’s sister Kirsty has been involved a long time as well. It’s a family affair, including our daughter Poppy.

Jane said that while there are great jockeys in pointing around today, presently there aren’t quite the same number as a few years ago, but that the enthusiasm for the sport spectator-wise is definitely still there and on the rise.

“When Wayne rode there was Simon Whitaker, who I work for now as secretary to his racing business; there was Robert Walmsley and Stephen Swiers. They and others made up a whole bunch of jockeys, that it was so competitive just getting the rides.

“In another few years we might see another generation of great new riders coming along, which would be great for our sport.

“Our meeting is attracting nearly 1000 on the gate since moving to the college and with sponsors, jockeys, owners and stewards we probably have more like 1200 overall. We might have a small committee, but on the day we have an army of about 70-plus people who act as stewards for everything from fence stewards, paddock stewards, catalogue sellers and car parking stewards.