Easterby family prepare to stage fitting opening display of point-to-point racing in Yorkshire

The event takes place courtesy of trainer Mick Easterby and his racing family will be making the most of the occasion.

David Easterby, Mick’s son and the trainer of Class in a Glass, is looking forward to seeing this horse in action after a promising start last season.

“I am excited about how he has matured from a four-year-old to a five year-old,” he said.

With the point-to-point taking place on home turf, he reported that “racing is likely to take place on the firmest ground that has been seen at Sheriff Hutton since racing started and the course is currently walking good.”

The second of the maiden races could stay in the Easterby family if Jacqueline Coward, David’s niece, does well with a new horse, James Wyatt.

“He is well bred and I am very excited about him,” said Jacqueline. The horse was bought by her grandfather, Mick, and sent to the Cowards for the summer. When Jacqueline got him going she really liked him and announced to her grandfather that he wouldn’t be getting him back.

There are seven races with the first, the Yorkshire Area Point-to-Point Club Members Conditions race, starting at 12 noon. There are 16 entries for this race and names to look out for include Bitter Blue, Chancery Lad, Lem Putt and Keeverfield.

The restricted race has attracted 24 entries including Bright Cloud, Adin Abroad and Dougall. The Men’s Open race has some well-known names but the winner could well be the aptly named Sheriff Hutton. Formerly trained in the village by Tim Walford, the horse is now owned by Oliver Greenall.

The race for Novice Riders is the first opportunity race-goers have to see some of the potential riding stars of the future in action. One young jockey keen to make his racing debut is 16-year-old Shane Marriott, who will be riding Sesame Rambler.

He has been working for Walford full time since October, but has been attached to the yard for a couple of years.

“Shane has been working very hard with the Yorkshire Area Point-to-Point as his target,” said Tim.

“He has been riding and schooling Sesame Rambler daily and although there has been the occasional hiccup, things are beginning to click and we are hoping for a clear round.”

The Ladies Open race is a late addition to the series sponsored by AGA. As well as sponsoring the Ladies Open Point-to-Point Race Series Championship, the company is also sponsoring the AGA Total Control Lady Riders Championship. The rider with the most points at the end of the season will win an AGA Total Control cooker worth nearly £10,000.

All those who take part in the 28 Ladies Open races sponsored by AGA are eligible for the hunter chase final which takes place at Cheltenham on May 2.

n This year’s Badminton Horse Trials will run from May 4-7 and Mitsubishi have announced that they will continue to sponsor the event for the next three years taking their involvement with th event into a 24th year.

This year will be a significant one as it will be the last chance for many international team managers to see their riders perform before they go to the London Olympics at Greenwich.

It was at the last London Olympics in 1948 that the 10th Duke of Beaufort, after watching a lacklustre performance by the British three-day event team, offered Badminton Park as a venue for an annual Olympic format event. The first-ever Badminton Horse Trials were run the following year.

The organisers have decided to make the 2012 Equestrian Team GB the event’s official “cause” this year and will raise money for all the British teams taking part in Olympic, World and European Championships over the next four years.

Running just before the main event, on May 2-3, will be the popular Mitsubishi Motors Grassroots Championships.

Here amateur riders get their chance to compete on the hallowed turf after qualifying at regional events.

Also on May 3, Badminton will host the first of this year’s qualifying rounds for the Dubarry Burghley Young Event Horse Championships.

Tickets are now on sale at www.badminton-horse.co.uk