New twist to AGA sponsorship and some Yorkshire banter - how many fences have you jumped?

We love our sponsorship here at AGA and not a week goes by without a good old brainstorm session taking place to see whether we can come up with another innovative idea. We've seen some ultra competitive racing and the new AGA Total Control Lady Riders' Championship is really starting to take shape. We're pleased with progress but now we need to kick on and take it to the next level - more of that shortly.

The question from Jo Mason is "will the last fence look like this at
Sheriff on Sunday?"

Isabel Tompsett puts AGA race previews on hold for a day as she is keen to preview Thursday's Hunter Chase at Warwick

I called Isabel on Wednesday so that she could preview the pointing action this coming weekend, in particular the 2 AGA sponsored Ladies Open races at Friar's Haugh and Sheriff Hutton. She was in absolutely sparkling form and had just returned  from a shopping trip with, in her own words, "a trolley full of things".

Isabel at Cilwendeg last season after another win aboard "Annie"

AGA to launch 3 pronged attack on Sunday - lots of pointing action for the team this weekend

The AGA Pointing team will be dispatched to 3 different parts of the country this weekend as the season really starts to pick up pace. Derek and Mark will be up in the Scottish Borders with our colleagues from Lillie of Selkirk - Ron and Grant, where we are expecting a quality race and also to see some new names in the AGA Total Control Championship table by the end of the day.

Unowatimeen leads eventual winner Sea Scout at Alnwick in December

The re-arranged meeting at Sheriff Hutton is also on our agenda where you will be able to meet Michael and Sara Ashby-Arnold from Country Warmth - the authorised AGA Distributor for North Yorkshire, Ryedale and the Humberside areas. They are a family owned company with over 25 years of AGA experience, and are located in a spacious two storey building on Scarborough Road just out of Malton - their beautiful shop is well worth a visit.

Michael A-A presents Sam Drake with an AGA vase at Dalton Park -
expect a similar scene at Sheriff Hutton on Sunday

AGA ladies - racing for Total Control, the race to win a brand new AGA Total Control is warming up

Back in August when we were still working on the plans for this season, the question on all of our lips was whether giving away a brand new AGA would work, was it a good incentive and would it be supported and create some ultra competitive racing?


This could be yours!



As the season really starts to pick up pace the answer to all of these questions is a resounding yes. Coverage in the media has also been quite good, but now we need to kick on and keep the early momentum going. Talking to the girls both at the races and in cyberspace, I would say that there is a real desire to win this great prize, and although nobody has resorted to dirty tricks just yet, there's plenty of time!

The table that everyone wants to be in

Dunthrop - a classy AGA winner as Upton Springs kicks on and is "In Total Control" (plus some top lady riders and yet more wind)

The day - an enjoyable day at Dunthrop saw a classy winner of the AGA Ladies Open race, and while his odds were nowhere near as generous as they were 12 months ago, Upton Springs put his rider firmly in the mix to win a brand new AGA Total Control cooker come the end of the season.

Lady riders, customers and dogs all rally to the cause!

AGA needs you - this is our second season as national sponsor and the support we receive from within the pointing community is crucial, none more so than from the lady riders themselves. I'm pleased to say that without exception everyone is rallying to the cause, and the enthusiasm of the ladies has been second to none, in or out of the saddle.

2 top lady riders (Camilla Henderson and Emily MacMahon)
 and 3 top AGA Pointing blokes (the normally camera shy 
Derek, Mark Kopite Taylor and me)