More sunshine and more AGA points for Hannah Lewis at Hackwood Park

We were up and out early for another glorious day in the English countryside, arriving at Hackwood Park in good spirits and determined to enjoy our day. When we arrived there were lots of people walking the course so we decided to join them - and I must say, what a great way to start a Sunday morning!

The view down the home straight

When the sun shines like this you need to make the most of it and it soon became apparent that a bumper crowd would be coming along to do just that! Mrs AGA Pointing wanted to do another circuit of this beautiful course, but I persuaded her to leave that to the ladies on horse back later in the day!

Mrs AGA Pointing considering whether she can get
over the third last!

Derek and Sarb bump into top jockeys Emily MacMahon and Camilla Henderson while branding the last fence

It's getting tight at the top of the AGA Total Control Championship table - Hannah Lewis stakes her claim with 16 points at Milborne and Hackwood

Sunshine is something that we look forward to after the cold, rain and snow, but not the firm ground and small fields that usually comes with it. However, despite that we still had two excellent races at Milborne St Andrew on Saturday, and Hackwood Park on Sunday, with Chloe Boxall and Hannah Lewis both registering their first perfect 10 of the season.

Our first visitor to the van was Robbie Henderson (pictured with Derek and Sarb) - a successful amateur
jockey who works for leading trainer Alan King, and who is the son of Guy Henderson

Robbie Henderson was our first visitor on Saturday and posed for a photo with two of the AGA Pointing team - all three looking resplendent in their "I'm In Total Control" polo shirts! Robbie booted home a winner in the Men's Open race to prove that he was definitely "In Total Control" on the day.

Hannah Lewis, Suzy Berry and Chloe Boxall enter the paddock
before the AGA Ladies Open

There'll be a horse along in a moment ...

AGA Total Control Lady Riders' Championship - updated table + fences jumped, as new challenger emerges from the pack

If you had asked me back in August 2011 whether we would get to this stage of the season with a number of the girls in contention to win our inaugural Championship I would have said "I sincerely hope so". Well, here we are with four weekends to go and we have a real battle taking place to decide who will win the brand new AGA Total Control cooker, this will go all the way to the wire!

The new challenger - Hannah Lewis, beams with delight at having her
photo taken with me ... ok, it was the 10 points and the clock really!

The table is looking good with seven of the girls all within 10 points of each other at the top, followed by a further fifteen who are all in double figures, and all are still in with a realistic chance of winning. In fact there are five girls on 8 points and two wins (worth 10 points each) from any of the remaining eight AGA sponsored qualifiers could see one of them mount a late challenge for the title. With points in the final at Cheltenham on May 2nd counting double it really is all to play for.

The latest table - showing all lady riders who have 8 points or more