David Simpson's AGA Point-to-Point Year

More pointing action and an AGA breakfast

2012-02-22T00:15:00.000Z

The sun shines on Milborne St Andrew! The story of an AGA pointing weekend in words and pictures - Part 2
Once again there are more pictures than words, and I've also included a table as I'm reliably informed that everyone loves a table!

Thoroughly dried out after our soaking at Ston Easton on Saturday, and fortified by a hearty breakfast cooked on Mr and Mrs Barbers AGA, we headed for Milborne in great spirits.

Two men and an AGA

It wasn't quite warm enough for shorts but after the monsoon and mud at Ston Easton it felt almost tropical (**we still enjoyed Ston Easton).

Derek - the man who gets us there everyone week without fail!

We set up in record time, and then had a quick catch up with the delightful Emily McMahon and Chloe Boxhall to discuss their prospects for the day. They went off to walk the course and we went ... for a coffee and a custard cream!

The hounds are out

Contender for best turned out

And another one!

We were joined by Derek's mum and dad and he did what every good son would do in this situation ... he got them a race card and a pen!

What a difference a day makes

Beazo

Mrs Sarah Barber (tweed jacket), the lovely lady who was responsible
for our AGA breakfast!

We experienced the highs and lows of racing at first hand today as Jenny Carr enjoyed a great win on Crank Hill in the Hunt Members race, then
took a crashing fall on Midnight Paradise in the 2nd Division of the Maiden. She is recovering in hospital and we hope to see her back in the saddle soon.

Jenny returns to the paddock on Crank Hill

The AGA Ladies Open was won in fine style by Alex Dunn and Double Mead, with Alex picking up her first 10 points of the season in the process.

"Grab the cup mum, I want the points!"

And finally, as promised, here is the latest table, complete with number of runs to date.

The full table, with number of runs as well as points

The AGA Pointing team are back on the road!

2012-02-20T18:41:00.000Z

Is this Ston Easton or Glastonbury? The story of an AGA pointing weekend in words and pictures - Part 1
There are more pictures than words and I can also report that we thoroughly enjoyed our day, come pointing, you'll love it!

Early start, up at 5am and on the road by 5.45am, arrived in good spirits (as always), but we had to be towed in ... an ominous sign!

And this was on the way in!

Take note of the colour of the grass, it's green ... but for
how much longer?

And the rain starts to fall

Happy with our spot on the course we set everything up with a spring in our step. We were all ready to enjoy the pony racing ... and then it started, slowly at first.

They look pensive, I think they know what's coming!

At this point there was a rumour that Michael Fish had been spotted in the paddock uttering the words "it's only a shower".

That grass is not looking so green now!

At this point we start to accept that we are going to get wet, but hey, we're AGA Pointing, if we're going to get wet then we'll do it in style and we'll enjoy it!

It's starting to turn brown!

It looks brighter in the distance ... let me assure you, it
stayed in the distance!

"Any chance of getting me back on that wagon?"

"And me!"

The mud was really starting to fly now and
the AGA race was run in monsoon conditions, great race, and the wettest presentation I have ever seen afterwards!

A very bedraggled presentation party!

Brown stuff!

As we were in the heart of Barber country I couldn't
resist a picture - Paul, owner of Denman is on the left

And another one - Richard is in the green jacket

While we are on the subject of the Barber family, I must mention that our destination after racing was Peckmoor Farm B&B, for an overnight stay with Sarah and Jeremy Barber before our trip to Dorset on Sunday. I asked a question upon booking which was met with the quote of the pointing season so far. I asked whether Sarah had an AGA (we would have booked somewhere else if not), to which Sarah replied "Of course I have an AGA, it would be my first priority if I lived in a tent".

This could be Glastonbury!

Note the mud splattered AGA sign!

And then the sun came out!

Sun or no sun we still needed the tractor!

Towed in and towed out

And then he came back for the trailer!

Derek - supervising!

What fun we had in the mud, I even managed to sprint through it after the last race to collect a winning bet ... most of you have met me, so you will know that me and sprinting don't go, it was entertaining!

Goodbye mud!

AGA - last to leave, we were soaked to the skin but still smiling, and with one more glance at the mud we were off to Peckmoor Farm to dry out by the AGA!

AGA Pointing team - back on the road again

2012-02-13T15:46:00.000Z

Action all over the country this weekend
After what seems like months rather than weeks the AGA Pointing team will be back on the road next weekend with the bit firmly grasped between our teeth. We have 2 AGA sponsored qualifiers, the Mendip Farmers meeting at Ston Easton on Saturday, and the re-arranged South Dorset meeting at Milborne St Andrew on Sunday.

Jenny Carr (red and white) on eventual winner Miss Midnight at
Ston Easton last season

We will also be at Whitwick Manor and Brocklesby Park on Saturday, we aren't sponsoring the Ladies Open races at these meetings but both count towards AGA Total Control Lady Riders' Championship with lots of points and vouchers to be earned. Both meetings were AGA qualifiers last season, and the race at Whitwick Manor had to be divided for the first time ever due to the number of entries!

Amber Griffiths - rider of Back In Business, who won Division 1 of the
AGA Ladies Open at Whitwick Manor last season, receives her trophy
from Paul Tonks (AGA Rangemaster HR Director)

Lorna Brooke and a muddy Kalmo Bay - winners of Division 2 of
the AGA Ladies Open at Whitwick Manor last season

Entries for all 4 races look healthy considering there are 13 meetings scheduled to take place over the
two days, and I can't wait to get back onto a racecourse. The same applies to Derek - who is sat outside as we speak revving the AGA van up, and John Beasley, both of whom are suffering from withdrawal symptoms!

Sam Drake - rider of Optimistic Harry, receives her trophy from
Jane Churchill of AGA - the rumour that Jane only agreed to come
if the bar was nearby is totally unfounded!

Lots of the team will be out and about this weekend (David, Derek, Chris & Mark), along with some of the team from AGA HO, including our CEO William McGrath (Ston Easton), and our Company Secretary Pam Sissons (Whitwick Manor). We will also be teaming up with some old colleagues again and we are looking forward to working with Ron and Nick from AGA distributor Hills of Ledbury at Whitwick Manor.

A muddy paddock at Whitwick Manor last season

You can also come and meet David and Christine from AGA distributor Spillers of Chard at the re-arranged Milborne St Andrew meeting on Sunday, where David and Derek will also be on duty having hot footed it from Ston Easton overnight.

A rather arty shot of the last fence at Brocklesby Park last season

It's looking good for all 13 meetings this weekend and as well as the afore-mentioned points and vouchers, we also have some AGA "I'm In Total Control" polo shirts up for grabs, and don't forget the new initiative that we introduced last week "how many fences have you jumped". See you in a field somewhere at the weekend!

What have the AGA Pointing team and John Beasley been up to while Jack Frost has been wreaking havoc?

2012-02-12T21:56:00.000Z

Goodbye frost, roll on next weekend!
We've had a bit of time on our hands and have put it to very good use by dreaming up some great new initiatives for our sponsorship, plus we've been planning our tactics for the coming weeks. I've also convinced myself that we have seen the last of the frost and it's full steam ahead as attention is turned to next weekend. The van hasn't had much of a run out during the past couple of weeks, but Derek has kept things ticking over with his weekly trips to Weatherbys to deliver the race card inserts.

We now have a busy Saturday to look forward to as there is an AGA sponsored Ladies Open at Ston Easton, as well as 2 AGA Total Control Ladies Open races, 1 at Whitwick Manor, and 1 at Brocklesby Park. We also potentially have an AGA sponsored Ladies' Open on Sunday as well (more of that tomorrow) so it will be a busy weekend for the AGA Pointing team.

What has our intrepid photographer been up to during the last couple of weeks? He was spotted in a pair of shorts last Friday down on the south coast as the temperature reached a tropical 4 degrees - and he did his best to convince himself that we were about to get some equine action. Alas, that was not to be the case and when I spoke to John on Saturday he was enjoying an afternoon in the New Forest. He was suffering from withdrawal symptoms as he has not been anywhere near a horse for nearly 3 weeks but mentioned that the New Forest ponies were showing a bit of interest in the contents of his glove box - healthy cereal bars I believe.

I asked Beazo to send me a photo and he duly obliged, it also made me chuckle as this is the nearest he has been to one of our 4 legged friends for ages, what do you think?

Beazo and his new mate

This weekend we finally had some action up in Scotland where the Ladies Open was won by Jane Williams on Swift Counsel, in the process Jane earned herself an extra 6 points in the AGA Total Control Lady Riders' Championship, plus £125 of AGA vouchers. The other
points scorers were Emily Young - 4 points, Catherine Walton - 2 points and Siobhan Doolan - 1 point, they also get a £25 AGA voucher, as do the other 5 ladies who rode in the race.

Dumfriesshire & Stewarty Ladies Open - Overton, Sunday 12th February

1. Swift Counsel, ridden by Jane Williams, 5/4f
2. Temple Green, ridden by Emily Young, 14/1
3. Rayshan, ridden by Catherine Walton, 10/1

9 ran

That result has seen a change at the top of the table as Jane has now joined Claire Hart and Angela Rucker on 20 points, with Siobhan and Emily earning their first points of the season. That sets us up nicely for next weekend and I for one can't wait for it to arrive!

The full table

100's of AGA fences still to jump!

2012-02-09T22:51:00.000Z

Jumping is the name of the game
I've taken advantage of this period of inactivity and scrutinised the results for all of the meetings that have staged an AGA sponsored qualifier or an AGA Total Control Lady Riders' Championship race this season, and I can now bring you an updated table. There
are 60 lady riders who have a score from the 11 races to date, but in order to avoid the longest blog post ever I have only posted a top 10 ... plus I want to ensure you all remain slightly curious!

The top 10 - look at Claire!

There will be a fantastic prize for the winner and with 39 races still to go it's all to play for! We're also in discussion with our pals at the PPA about a few more great ideas that will make our sponsorship of the Ladies Open Point-to-Point Championship even more exciting, and we should be able to announce details by the end of next week. Remember to follow us on twitter @AGAPointing for pointing updates and news - I do like a tweet, and don't forget #AGAlovespointing.

AGA Point-to-Point sponsorship v. Jack Frost (he's starting to get on our nerves)

2012-02-09T12:37:00.000Z

AGA Pointing team to join forces with Spillers at Milborne
Everything is crossed that we get some pointing action this weekend and all AGA eyes are on the weather forecast for Milborne St Andrew. Think of a horse that is absolutely trained to the minute and needs a run, well that's the AGA van and we need to get it onto a course! (and that also applies to the AGA Pointing team).

Last years winning rider Sarah West receives her
trophy from Christine Durie of AGA distributor
Spillers of Chard

Should racing get the go ahead at Milborne, and I'm quietly confident that it will, then we are really looking forward to linking up with our colleagues from Spillers of Chard again. They will be joining us on course so it will be an ideal opportunity to
come and have a chat about all things AGA, especially if you are considering buying a new model, or upgrading your existing one.

Winning rider Sarah West and
Ask Again during the race last season

Spillers are well worth a visit as they are one of the finest kitchen destinations in the UK, founded by John Spiller in 1840, they became one of the Country’s first main AGA Cooker dealers in 1932. Six generations on, the legendary showrooms are now home to many of the world’s best loved appliances, offering visitors an unforgettable and unequalled kitchen experience.

Call in and see the team at Spillers

There's a top class entry for the AGA Ladies Open and I'm looking forward to seeing Alex Dunn make only her second appearance of the season in an AGA race on Double Mead. There are 20 entries and no matter who turns up on the day it will be an enthralling race, I will stick with Alex and expect to see her chalk up her first 10 points of the season in the AGA Total Control Lady Riders' Championship.

Alex and Double Mead in winning action at Didmarton
last season

Hopefully we will see a lot of you in Dorset at the weekend for some long awaited pointing action, lets think positive, see you there!

New twist to AGA Ladies Open Point-to-Point Championship

2012-02-05T23:19:00.000Z

Who's jumped the most fences?
In our attempt to raise the sponsorship bar even further we have been busy brainstorming some new ideas at AGA HQ, and over the next couple of weeks we will be adding a new twist to the AGA Ladies Open Championship by announcing some exciting new initiatives.

Exciting times ahead

The first of these new initiatives involves the total number of fences jumped in AGA sponsored races, and we will be offering a prize to the lady who jumps the most fences this season. In fact there will be 2 prizes! A prize for most fences jumped in AGA Ladies Open races, plus a prize for most fences jumped in AGA Total Control Lady Riders' Championship races (these races are not sponsored by AGA but points are earned for the championship).

This is what it could look like

There will be some rules - you've got to have rules, and it will also give me the opportunity to compile a table - everyone loves a table ... don't they? And just to give you a flavour of what we're aiming for I've already compiled one - the table above is the top 12 to date for fences jumped in completed AGA Sponsored Ladies Open races.

**during the next week the format will be refined (we may combine all races) and then the rules will be issued, plus details of the prizes will also be revealed **a special thank you to Jeremy Grayson from the Racing Post Weekender who provided the totals for the number of fences jumped at each course

AGA Pointing videos - perfect for a day without pointing or racing

2012-02-04T12:29:00.007Z

Staying in today? Have a look at Beazo's interviews
John Beasley, renowned for his high quality photographs, is again taking our pics this season, however, he also has a new challenge. Following every AGA Ladies Open he interviews the winning rider by the AGA van, then finds a quiet corner where he edits the video and uploads it to Youtube. So, by the time the AGA Pointing team have returned home after racing, Beazo's latest masterpiece is ready to be viewed!

Beazo in action!

John has had to contend with many things so far this season in his quest to produce the perfect interview - including high winds, racecourse commentary, rain and disappearing jockeys. And let's not forget the day his video camera decided not to work, however, that did not deter John and he used his mobile phone for that particular interview!

He's getting rather good at this ... and he enjoys it!

Here they all are, starting with Rachel King at Cottenham, and I've also included parts 1 and 2 of our "A Day In The Life", featuring Jane Williams, Billyvoddan
and Phil Rowley. The only one we haven't got is Jacqueline Coward from Sheriff Hutton last weekend as John was stuck in Edinburgh (see elsewhere on this blog), however, we'll catch up with Jacqueline when we return to Yorkshire in March.

Rachel King - Cottenham, 27th November

Angela Rucker - Barbury Castle, 4th December

Claire Metcalfe - Alnwick, 11th December

Claire Hart - Whitfield, 18th December

Jane Williams - Chaddesley Corbett, 27th December

A Day In The Life Part 1 - Shropshire

A Day In The Life Part 2 - Chaddesley Corbett

Jess Westwood - Wadebridge, 8th January

Gina Andrews - Larkhill, 21st January

Sarah-Jayne Davies - Dunthrop, 22nd January

What happens to an AGA photographer when racing is postponed?

2012-02-01T22:37:00.001Z

John Beasley - the reluctant tourist
Every weekend during the pointing season we are treated to some of the finest photographs that you will ever see, and this season we even get a video of the winning jockey as well! Yes, that's right, you will find a video interview on Youtube after each AGA qualifier, no matter where it is in the UK, it will be there, usually the same evening.

John Beasley and the microphone that didn't see any action at
the weekend

However, not this weekend, oh no, not a photo or a video in sight ... or a horse for that matter! Why? Because after the Jedforest meeting became an early victim of Jack Frost, our intrepid photographer was stranded in Edinburgh, 200 miles from the nearest
Point-to-Point horse. And that's not all, the return flight to Bournemouth was not due to depart until 8.30pm and he was in possession of the smallest hire car known to man!

This is what John should have been looking at!

So, what do you think he did? How do you keep yourself entertained when you're used to being at the centre of the action for the whole day? We spoke on the telephone not long after the Jedforest decision had been made and my suggestion to go and see War Horse at the cinema was met with a polite "no" - at least I think that's what John said! (I figured that at least he would get to see some equine action).

Amicelli jumps the last clear of Sea Scout ... but where's John Beasley!

Sheriff Hutton was briefly considered but an 8 hour round trip would have been really pushing it, plus John already had that one covered thanks to his friend John Grossick. So, with a heavy heart John decided to become a tourist for the day, a very reluctant one, but a tourist all the same. However, the trip was not in vain because the trusty video camera was retrieved from the boot of the worlds smallest hire car and put to good use.

The "BGA" - I don't think John's trip to Edinburgh
will feature in next year's edition

I spoke to John not long before his return flight as he relaxed with a swift half in the departure lounge at Edinburgh airport, he said he had made a film, and this is the result - not an interview with an AGA race winner, but a short film called "Edinburgh in Winter - by the Reluctant Tourist" - http://www.youtube.com/b33zo#p/a/u/0/EENKpGo8qfQ

AGA Total Control Lady Riders' Championship - updated table

2012-01-31T10:12:00.001Z

Joint leaders but it's wide open!
After an interesting weekend of pointing action we now have joint leaders in the race to win a brand new AGA Total Control cooker. Claire Hart and Angela Rucker lead the way with 20 points apiece after both picked up some additional points in the ladies race at Thorpe Lodge, but the challengers are queuing up behind them.

The last name on the list is interesting - but it does not
apply to Mr Derrick I hasten to add!

The AGA Pointing van was a long way from Thorpe Lodge on Sunday morning as it was up in the Scottish Borders for the Jedforest meeting - which was an early
victim of the harsh overnight frost. However, after a phone call from me and an early breakfast the team headed south, 224 miles south to be exact, and they arrived at Thorpe well before the Ladies Open.

The winning connections - is the AGA heading for Claire's kitchen?

There were 12 declared for the Ladies race, and although we were not sponsoring, there were still extra points available for the AGA Total Control Lady Riders' Championship, and it was these extra points that enabled Claire and Angela to jump to the head of the table. The winner Rathcor is normally ridden by Claire's best friend Hannah Lewis, but as Hannah was in action at Higham (where she also piloted a winner), Claire was more than happy to take over.

The girls line up before the race - is there an AGA winner here?

Jane Williams bagged 4 extra points in this race, and up in Yorkshire Jacqueline Coward got off the mark for the season with an easy win on Amicelli at Sheriff Hutton, snaffling 10 points for herself in the process. As you can see it is tight at the top with 10 of the girls into double figures for the season, and we also have another 12 sitting just off the pace but handily poised to shoot into the top 10 with just one win!

The latest top 10

Yorkshire Point-to-Pointers get the better of Jack Frost at Sheriff Hutton!

2012-01-29T21:23:00.000Z

Move over Jeremy Clarkson, Mick Easterby is in town!
Guest blog by Sara Ashby-Arnold of Country Warmth
I am very grateful to Sara who rushed home from a busy day at Sheriff Hutton to pen this review while still in her boots and tweed jacket, here it is hot off the press - thank you Sara!

The Yorkshire Area P2P Club meeting went ahead successfully on Sunday 29th January, having been postponed due to frozen ground earlier in the month. There were sighs of relief all round this morning when despite a wintry scene the course was passed fit to run - and boy did they run! The horses coped with the chilly weather admirably, however, the racegoers were left hopping from foot to foot in an attempt to warm up. Of course that was no problem for us on the AGA stand as this was truly AGA weather!

Sara and the AGA - both looking fab!

We had baked chocolate brownies, home made cookies, flapjack and something which Michael said resembled birdseed (home-made energy bars sprinkled with sesame seeds!), all of which went down a treat. Along with hot soup and coffee - we weren't going to be put off by a few degrees of chill!

The gent on the right is not keen on the "birdseed"

We were warmly welcomed by Charlotte and Emma, the most glamorous double act I have seen - and I had to ask, yes they are twins. They helped with advice such as judging best turned out and they introduced us to the owners of the runners - to whom we gave £25 vouchers before the AGA race, gratefully received and soon to be spent! They also helped us with the presentation of the prizes - photos to follow tomorrow.

Mud, no problem, we're from Yorkshire!

Mrs Tinkler and son Andrew - who had zoomed up from Cheltenham where he was in action yesterday on festival trials day, joined us to explain about the form, and they also gave
us some tips on reading the race card ... so we were now all set to pick a winner. Except that's not necessarily how it works in point-to-pointing, which is why it is such fun.

Tinks about to go through the card and tip every winner ...

Pre race - smiles all round and clean breeches!

The AGA Ladies Open race was a hard one to predict with some strong contenders, including recent AGA winner Sea Scout, however, we were on Easterby turf today! Jacqueline Coward - granddaughter of Mick, was in sparkling form holding off all challengers on Amicelli to score her first points of the season.

The classy winner Amicelli and connections

Sea Scout and Claire Metcalfe had to be content with second place adding 6 points to the 10 she won at Alnwick, while Sam Drake on Optimistic Harry claimed third place adding 4 more points to her tally and moving her to 8 points on the AGA Total Control score board. Another Easterby granddaughter, Joanna Mason, rode Impact Zone into a very respectable 4th place, earning her first points of the season in the process.

The girls "bouncing on to the stand"

That's not a bad return for Mr Easterby - 2 places for 2 granddaughters ... there must be something in the genes, or maybe the water around Sheriff Hutton?

Mick Easterby and the girls!

The lovely ladies bounced on to our stand after the race to receive their prizes and were delighted to try on their new AGA "I'm In Total Control" polo shirts and pose for the camera. Michael was heard to comment "who wants to share a picture with Jeremy Clarkson when you can be in a photo with all these lovely ladies". We take his point!

"I've still got it?"

Thank you to all at Yorkshire Area P2P Club, we had a brilliant time, met some super folks and put AGA firmly on the map in Yorkshire!

**see more photos from today on the "photograph" tab at the top of the page

New twist to AGA sponsorship and some Yorkshire banter

2012-01-28T10:24:00.001Z

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?"

If you are going to Sheriff Hutton this weekend then can I ask you to visit the Country Warmth AGA show trailer, where you will be given the warmest of Yorkshire welcomes by Michael and Sara Ashby-Arnold and their team. They will have a live AGA and I'm reliably informed that they will also have lots of tasty treats for you to enjoy, they will also have a camera!

The Country Warmth team with their special guest James McIntosh

What's the significance of the camera I hear you ask, well, if you've seen me out and about with the AGA Pointing team then you will know that we love our photos. Everywhere
we go we like to take as many interesting snaps as possible to share on here, so Michael and Sara have been set a little challenge for Sunday. The first part of this is to get a snap of Michael with Mick Easterby, we started the ball rolling at Dunthrop last week with our shot of me and Jezza "3 AGA's" Clarkson, and we think Michael and Mick is the obvious choice this week.

This is a tough act to follow, can you do it Michael?

However, there are plenty of other names on Michael's list, including all of the lovely Yorkshire lady riders, in particular the girls who have been responsible for some very funny twitter banter in recent weeks. Sam Drake, Jo Mason, Jacqueline Coward, Pip Tutty, Gemma Tutty, Luci Sutcliffe & Claire Sutcliffe please step forward and pose for the AGA Pointing camera ... oh, and don't forget the Tinkler brothers, you will also be in the frame!

Clocks and points ... but there's more!

Have a super weekend pointing wherever you are and send us your snaps as well, there may even be a prize for the best one. Kicking on - right at the start I mentioned taking our sponsorship to the next level so look out for some new initiatives that will be announced next week. To give you a little taster I can tell you that there will be a prize for the rider that has jumped the most fences in AGA qualifiers this season ... watch this space!

Isabel Tompsett keen to preview Thursday's Hunter Chase at Warwick

2012-01-26T02:53:00.003Z

AGA race previews are put on hold (but only for a day)
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"

The preview had to be put on hold however, because I mentioned that I was going racing on Thursday at Warwick. There is a Hunter Chase on the card and as soon as I said I was looking forward to it the conversation changed course. I soon realised that I would be writing two updates from Isabel this week as she was now about to preview the Hunter Chase (I didn't mind).

Issy and Find It Out

Issy said "read me the runners and riders please", so I put my Weekender away, logged on to the Racing Post website and did just that. I always enjoy chatting
to Isabel, and we talk about many things, but I never fail to smile at her enthusiasm when we talk about racing, and maybe I'm also a little bit amazed at the level of detail that she remembers about individual horses.

Issy and Annie

Maybe I shouldn't be so amazed, she can be razor sharp at times and it's wonderful to hear. There are some horses that she isn't familiar with, but most of the time I just have to mention a name and I get the trainer, who rides, track, going and distance preference, and whether she thinks it has a chance.

The Morning Line team ... more of them later

Isabel narrowed it down to 3 for the race at Warwick - Bradley, Hills of Aran and recent AGA race winner Monkerty Tunkerty - which has me thinking that I should consider some combination bets as Issy is not a bad tipster! She was very impressed with Monkerty Tunkertys win over Sericina at Wadebridge and said that if she was forced to choose then she would go with this one, although she does like Bradley. I'm also assuming that she would have treated Bradley at some point as she was based at Fergal O' Brien's yard and when I see him at Warwick I will ask him (apologies in advance if I'm wrong).

Monkerty Tunkerty (no 5) at Wadebridge

I promised to call and let her know the result and that also gives her a little more time to brush up on the entries for this weekend. I asked if we can pay her a visit - hopefully next week, as we would like to do a feature on her life at Oaksey House, and also tie this in with a visit to a couple of the local jockeys who also use the facilities at Oaksey, Emily MacMahon and Camilla Henderson. Emily and Camilla have both featured in AGA races this season - both have points on the board, and Emily has called in to see Isabel for a chat.

Issy and Usk Valley

Isabel then told me about a rather special visitor who had been to see her earlier on Wednesday, it was none other than the "greatest jockey" himself, John Francome, along with a Channel 4 camera crew. They filmed a feature which is due to air in the next couple of weeks, and as soon as I find out the date I will post in on here and also tweet it! We ended our conversation on that great news and will pick up again on Friday for Issy's weekend preview.

AGA to launch 3 pronged attack on Sunday

2012-01-25T20:11:00.001Z

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

The third port of call will be the Midlands Area Club meeting at Thorpe Lodge, this is my venue of choice for a Ladies Open that we are not sponsoring, but where the girls can still earn points for the Championship ... and lovely AGA vouchers! There are 29 entries for this one and I am expecting a big field and a very competitive race, plus I think the top of the table could have a whole new look by the end of Sunday.

Who wants this? Someone MUST win it!

Who will be "In Total Control" come Sunday evening? Will Mrs Rucker have strengthened her position at the head of the table, will one of the Andrews sisters storm to the top, what about Sarah-Jayne Davies, Rachel King, Jane Williams and Claire Hart who are all are lurking with intent near the summit? Then we have Heather Kemp who will ride Gidam Gidam, 10 points will see her firmly in the mix, and we can't forget those Yorkshire girls as a win for Sam Drake will put her into double figures and in a strong position to mount a challenge.

Clocks for everyone, fancy a clock? Win an AGA qualifier and you
can have one, big 'uns for the owner, littel 'uns for the rider!

I'm really looking forward to a fascinating weekend, I'm sure it will action packed and there will be plenty for us to write about on Sunday evening, see you at Thorpe Lodge if you're going, but enjoy yourselves wherever you are and stay safe.

AGA ladies - racing for Total Control, an update

2012-01-24T21:17:00.001Z

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

At this stage it is worth reminding everyone that you can only count your best 5 results, and that any points earned in the final at Cheltenham will count double. There are also 20 other races - starting at Thorpe Lodge on Sunday, that we are not sponsoring, but where you can also earn points (6, 4, 2 and 1). And there's more, we are also giving AGA vouchers to every lady rider who takes part in one of these races, £125 to the winner and £25 for everyone else.

This could be you in May - racing for "Total Control"

There's still a long way to go and absolutely loads of points to be earned, and one win can put you right in the mix. By the time we get to Cheltenham my prediction is that we will have around 15 ladies still in contention as the tapes go up ... who knows, it may be more!

Dunthrop - a classy winner, some top lady riders, yet more wind ... and some bloke called Jezza!

2012-01-23T02:34:00.001Z

Upton Springs kicks on and is "In Total Control"

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)

Visitors galore - we had many visitors to our van today and they included several leading lady riders; Emily MacMahon, Camilla Henderson, Heather Kemp, Claire Hart and of course Sarah-Jayne Davies all stopped by for a chat (or an interview). Emily and Camilla (who is the daughter of National Hunt trainer Nicky Henderson) were without a ride today but both still have their sights firmly set on winning a brand new AGA Total Control cooker.

Upton Springs before ...

... and Upton Springs after

Win at all costs - the pair, who are great fun; were hatching a plot to add their points together to ensure they get their hands on the prize, and as they are "roomies" that might not be such a bad idea! (if it wasn't against the rules of course).

Me "In Total Control" holding on to those
points

Monday to Friday - when not riding during the week both are regular visitors to Oaksey House in Lambourn where they use the gym, and last week Emily called in to see our very own special correspondent, Isabel Tompsett. Camilla also uses the equicizer and has been receiving some expert tuition from former Seven Barrows stable jockey Mick Fitzgerald ... not a bad teacher!

Sarah-Jayne finally gets her clock ...

... and then an interview with Beazo!
Someone is distracting SJ ... guess who?

To run or not to run - Heather Kemp was due to ride Gidam Gidam in our race, and Caged Tiger in the restricted, both were raring to go but had to be withdrawn because of the drying ground. Heather was disappointed but having walked the course she decided to keep them both for another day, the good news is that they are both sound and could run next week.

I recognise that bloke with the microphone

Dedication - Claire Hart had to be one of the busiest jockeys of the day, having walked the course at Towcester she then jumped in the car and headed for Dunthrop. No time to pose in pink AGA polo shirts today as it was straight back to Towcester after our race to ride Palypso De Creek in the Hunter Chase at 4.15. The pair finished a very respectable 3rd in a hot race and Claire was delighted, she will now look for another ladies race - hopefully an AGA one.

DS meets JC, "I've got an AGA, in fact I've got loads"
- no chance of selling Jezza a new one then!

All in a days work - the visitors kept coming, including a number of people who want to buy a new AGA; which is good news for us, and a winning owner who treated herself to a new pair of oven gloves. One rather familiar face who didn't visit the van was Jeremy Clarkson, but he was on good form and was more than happy to pose for a photograph with yours truly - a nice end to the day.

Andrews sisters dominate again at Larkhill in AGA 1-2

2012-01-21T18:01:00.005Z

The AGA Total Control Lady Riders Championship is really shaping up after race 7
Derek and Dan faced quite a challenge upon arrival at Larkhill today ... how to secure the AGA branding and prevent it from blowing halfway across Wiltshire! With the branding secured they were able to concentrate on the racing, but not before they had to move the AGA van twice, once because of the conditions, and the second time because they were blocking the view of the nice chap who was filming the racing.

Wiltshire - it was quite bleak

There was a field of 6 for the AGA Ladies' Open and The General Lee headed the market at 11/10, followed by Mustangsallyrally 7/4, Classic Swain 3/1, Own Line 8/1, Quedillac 12/1 and Zaif 20/1..

The name of this team is AGA Pointing,
not AGA Punting!

For the second time in a matter of weeks, Larkhill was treated to an Andrews sisters 1-2, with Gina (Quedillac) again beating Bridget (Mustangsallyrally) - Gina later tweeted "Kept my 100% record round Larkhill! Beat the sister again to her disgust".

"10 more points for me - sorry sis!"

Following the race Gina became the latest lady rider to be interviewed by John "Beazo" Beasley, John has recently acquired a new wind proof microphone and it was certainly given a stern test today.

There are two new names in the AGA Total Control Lady Riders Championship table this evening, Alice Mills and Sarah Gould, and as we head for Dunthrop tomorrow this is the top ten.

Latest top 10

Highfields Stables, some rather nice horses and an AGA

2012-01-20T00:27:00.001Z

Hospitality Northamptonshire style
The sun was shining brightly this morning and that was enough to ensure a reappearance for the summer Barbour ... a bit of an overreaction I agree, but after the last week or so today felt almost tropical! Northamptonshire was the destination of choice for a visit to Highfields Stables, home of Heather and Tony Kemp, and some rather nice horses, oh, and some friendly Norfolk Terriers.

A trip down memory lane, Party Politics came first in the
same week as the 1992 General Election ... unfortunately
for some, so did John Major

Highfields is also home to a fantastic B&B; which boasts stunning views across the Northamptonshire countryside, so if you are ever considering a visit to this beautiful part of the country then you should certainly have a look at their website - Highfields B and B. An added attraction is that your breakfast will be cooked on the AGA.

Gidam Gidam - who we hope to see in action on Sunday

First on the agenda was an introduction to the inmates at Highfields, and I had come prepared with a pocketful of polo mints. One by one heads popped over stable doors but I have a feeling that it wasn't me they were interested in, it was the contents of my pockets!

Caged Tiger

"Show me your teeth"

Gidam Gidam

Lollypop - we bonded

Or Bleu

R-L: Or Bleu, Caged Tiger, Gidam Gidam
and Ungaro

I enjoy any time spent around horses but I must admit to being very taken by the five that I met today, and I can't resist just one more pic of Caged Tiger (below). I had to be practically dragged away but the promise of a sausage and bacon sandwich cooked on the AGA did the trick.

Caged Tiger

While Heather gave us a potted history of Highfields we took a look around the rest of the yard, which contains a horse walker big enough to exercise 6 horses at a time, and a pretty impressive indoor school.

The indoor school, next time you see a photograph of this
I will be riding something ... I just haven't asked Heather yet!

Sandwiches and coffee were served in a very imposing room that used to be home to an indoor swimming pool in a previous life, and lunch was followed by a tour of the large and very comfortable letting rooms. I was very impressed, so impressed in fact that I almost booked in!

Highfields - nice isn't it?

Hold on, I've missed a bit, Heather and Tony have a black 3 oven electric AGA, and it's a very nice AGA, but a brand new AGA Total Control would look even better ("on when you need it, off when you don't"). We talked, we had some ideas, and then we talked some more ... and then I think Heather produced a cheque and said "I'll have one please".

Would anyone else like to buy one?

AGA race winner Claire Hart just denied in Ludlow thriller!

2012-01-19T21:07:00.003Z

Claire Hart - so close yet so far!

Recent AGA Ladies' Open winner Claire Hart was involved in a thrilling finish at Ludlow this afternoon,Claire, partnering 4/1 shot Vincitore for Charlie Longsdon, was just denied inthe tightest of finishes. The official verdict was a neck, but I’ve watched it 3times now and each time I thought Claire was going get up! Judge for yourself bywatching the closing stages here Ludlow 2.40.

"I like the points thing David but I wanted the clock as well"

Claire won the AGA qualifier at Whitfield on December 18th by a wide margin on the classy Palypso De Creek ... well, she absolutely hosed up, and we are hoping to see her in action again this weekend at Dunthrop. I believe Claire is praying for some more rain and if it comes she will be in the running for another 10 lovely AGA points, which could also see her consolidate her position in the top 3 of the AGA Total Control Lady Riders' Championship.

Palypso and Claire at Whitfield (notice the lack of a smart
comment on this one)

If Palypso De Creek does turn up at the Heythrop meeting he will face some stiff competiton, and I have it on good authority that Heather Kemp will be going all out to win her first 10 points of the season on Gidam Gidam. Anyway, that's enough about the racing as other people write about it far better than I do, hopefully I'll see you all at Larkhill and Dunthrop.

Frost claims the AGA Ladies Open race on Sunday

2012-01-15T20:37:00.001Z

Yorkshire Area lose race but gain friends
The signs were ominous as we set off for Sheriff Hutton at 5:30am on Sunday morning, the outside temperature was -6 and the AGA van was almost unrecognisable under a thick layer of frost. Despite this, we hit the road in good spirits and made excellent time, however, the all-white scenery along the way did nothing for our confidence. Then, as feared, the dreaded message came when we were but 8 minutes away from the course ... racing is off!

The scene that greeted us just after 8am - too white for racing

We carried on to the course where we met up with Chairman Robert Woodhouse, and Clerk of the Course Nicky Tinkler, and we took some "frosty" photos for the blog.

A very frosty paddock

"I hope someone has got the kettle on" I tweeted, yes came the almost immediate reply, by twitter, text and email, "would you like breakfast as well?". That was from the Yorkshire Area PRO, Charlotte Brader, who insisted that we were not leaving with an empty stomach, it's not the Yorkshire way.

That frost isn't budging!

Armed with a new postcode for the sat nav we headed for Malton where we really did experience some of the famous Yorkshire hospitality. Charlotte was on the doorstep to greet us with her fiancé Lee "Lazer" Russell, and while it quickly became apparent that Lazer was "In Total Control" of the breakfast arrangements, that was where it ended - more of that later!

Lazer "In Total Control" (allegedly)

After a very welcome and delicious breakfast we were joined by Michael and Sara Ashby-Arnold from Country Warmth in Malton - the authorised AGA Distributor for North Yorkshire, Ryedale and the Humberside areas. More tea followed as we made our plans for the hopefully soon to be re-arranged meeting, and swapped AGA war stories.

Musley Bank Stables

Laser was due to head off to Richard Fahey's Musley Bank Stables to ride a couple of nice horses for Andy Nicholls on the all weather gallop and Charlotte asked if we wanted to come along as well. A quick glance between myself and Derek without a word being spoken was all it needed to confirm the answer to that question.

The all weather gallop - just under a mile long

Derek fired up the AGA van and we headed for the stables which are situated in beautiful open countryside just a mile outside of Malton. Carol and John Milburn were already there, along with their son Will, Carol's hunter Kings Jester, and another horse owned and trained by Carol - The Ring. We were soon joined by Andy Nicholls with 3 more horses - Queen of The Blues, Bring It On and Adin Abroad - read more about them on Andy's website, Pasture Farm Racing.

"Never mind the horses, who wants to buy a new AGA?"

This seemed like an opportune moment to show off the brand new AGA Total Control cooker in the back of the van, so that is exactly what we did. Lazer also asked if he could wear Derek's very nice AGA fleece which is embroidered with "I'm In Total Control" across the back. Derek readily handed it over - and it was at this point that Charlotte asked us to make it absolutely clear that the statement on the back of the fleece was not true - over to you Laser.

Steady away first time

Laser was on Queen Of The Blues - last of the 3 pictured above, for the first steady gallop, after which Andy pointed out that Lazer wasn't following instructions, a comment that was met with a cheeky grin and an even cheekier reply!

Lazer, who according to Charlotte is not "In Total Control"
(he is however, great fun)

The second time around Lazer was aboard Adin Abroad, a horse that has come from Ireland with a big reputation, and this will be one to watch out for in a point very soon. They went a bit faster this time and I've added a short video clip at the end of this post so you can get an idea of just how fast they were going.

It's fair to say that Derek wasn't expecting this!

I must say we met some wonderful people today, and hopefully we will be seeing them again soon - especially if any of them want to buy an AGA. Anyway, after an enjoyable few hours in Yorkshire it was time to head back to Leamington Spa, but not before I had a photo taken ... come on, you didn't think I would get through a whole post without at least one did you?

Charlotte, David and Lazer

And finally ... click on the "AGA Photographs" tab at the top of the page to see more pics from Yorkshire, and here's the video clip of Adin Abroad that I mentioned earlier in this post.

Isabel Tompsett's inside view - Yorkshire Area P2P Club, Sheriff Hutton

2012-01-13T23:06:00.001Z

AGA Ladies Open preview - by Isabel Tompsett
Isabel has agreed to preview every AGA Ladies' Open race for us this season, 28 in total, and you can read her verdict here every week.

I must say it is so nice to hear the enthusiasm in Isabel's voice when we discuss Point-to-Point racing - it really puts a huge smile on my face and Isabel was in good spirits when we spoke on Friday afternoon. She has had a busy week at Oaksey House and was waiting for her mum to pick her up and take her home for the weekend.

Issy took great delight in filling me in on what she has been up to during the last 5 days, this included two trips to Hungerford for a swim, and of course she had still found the time to preview the entries for the AGA Ladies Open race at Sheriff Hutton on Sunday. She was pleased that the Racing Post Weekender had been delivered to her on Thursday, and asked me to pass on her thanks to Fleur Cushman and the team at the RPW (I will most certainly do that).

Issy enjoying another romp aboard Annie

Before we got stuck into the card for Sunday's race (which includes several familiar names) we talked about last weekends AGA race at Wadebridge in Cornwall as Issy was quite taken with the winner - Monkerty Tunkerty, and I told Isabel that her race preview was the most read post on this blog on Saturday and Sunday!

This weekend Isabel is really keen on the chances of the old boy Amicelli - 4th in the AGA final last season, and also Optimistic Harry - who won the AGA qualifier at Brocklesby Park in February, and she also gave a quick mention to Narciso. Having heard about Sea Scout's win at Alnwick earlier this season she asked me whether he liked to front run, and if he enjoyed being taken on for the lead, my answer was yes to both.

Isabel's verdict - it will be close between Optimistic Harry and Sea Scout, with Amicelli in close attendance, but Sam Drake's multiple winner gets the nod ... I'm with Isabel and will be having a cheeky little flutter on Harry!

Isabel with 3 of the AGA Pointing team - Fitz, Mark & Chris,
after the Hunter Chase final at Cheltenham

The photograph was taken at Cheltenham in May after the AGA Hunter Chase final, where Issy met a lot of my colleagues, and every single one of them would be overjoyed if she could join us again for this seasons's final - her final words to me today were "enjoy your Point-to-Point", amazing lady!

Racing Post Weekender answers AGA call for help!

2012-01-11T16:26:00.002Z

Isabel Tompsett to get RP Weekender hot off the press
In last weeks Wadebridge preview I mentioned that Isabel was having trouble getting her hands on a copy of the Racing Post Weekender, well that problem no longer exists thanks to Fleur Cushman - RPW editor. I sent Fleur a note earlier this afternoon, and within 30 seconds of reading it she was on the phone to Oaksey House to arrange for not one, but two complimentary copies of the paper to be delivered direct to Oaksey House every week.

Fleur Cushman (second left), pictured with AGA Rangemaster
GroupCEO William McGrath at Chaddesley Corbett on Lady DudleyCup day last April

One copy will be for Isabel's exclusive use so she can study entries and form ahead of her weekly AGA Ladies' Open race preview - which you can read exclusively on this blog every week, while the second copy will be placed in the lounge so that other residents may also enjoy the paper.

Anyone who follows point-to-point will know that the Racing Post Weekender is essential reading - as it is for all racing fans, and it's arrival on the shelves is eagerly anticipated every Wednesday. Thanks to the generosity of Fleur and her team Isabel can now look forward to reading Jeremy Grayson's "Between The Flags", Carl Evan's "Pointing Diary" and the brand new weekly column by champion women's point-to-point rider Georgina Andrews.

Thank you to all at the RPW, and if you are not doing so already then you can keep up to date with the latest news by following @RPWeekender on twitter, where you can also follow @AGAPointing for all of the latest news and updates about our second season as National Sponsor of the AGA Ladies' Open Series.

AGA Pointing heading for Yorkshire

2012-01-10T14:07:00.001Z

Excitement builds ahead of Sheriff Hutton visit
The Ladies Open at the Yorkshire Area Point-to-Point Club meeting on Sunday is now an AGA sponsored qualifier with all runners qualifying for the Hunter Chase final at Cheltenham in May. As a result this means that the dream team of AGA Pointing and Country Warmth will be seen on a race course together for the first time since they made quite an impact at the Holderness meeting at Dalton Park in March last year.

AGA heaven

For those of you who don't know, Country Warmth are 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.

Yes, this is the "dream team" (or part of it)

Look out for the AGA van and the Country Warmth show trailer when you arrive on Sunday (believe me, you will spot our flags), and pay us a visit to find out about the brand new AGA Total Control cooker, as well as all of our other wonderful AGA cookers. You can meet David and Derek from the AGA Pointing team, as well as the team from Country Warmth, which will include Michael and Sara Ashby-Arnold. Michael and Sara are on home turf on Sunday and I can report that they are rather excited about the meeting, as are we ... see you there!

Yorkshire girls to get some AGA points on the board

2012-01-09T18:41:00.002Z

Fancy a flutter?
AGA Total Control Lady Riders’ Championship, betting odds - Mark Hill has very kindly priced up the championship for us so if you would like a bet please pay Mark a visit at any meeting where he is standing, or call him on 07831 293363.

As you can see it is very open & competitive, here are the latest prices:

7/1 joint fav Hannah Watson & Angela Rucker, 8/1 Jo Buck, 8/1 Gina Andrews, 8/1 Bridgette Andrews, 8/1 Sam Drake, 8/1 Elizabeth Kelly, 8/1 Jane Williams, 10/1 Claire Hart, 10/1 Alex Dunn, 12/1 Jacqueline Coward, 12/1 Jo Mason, 12/1 Suzy Berry, 14/1 Sally Randell, 14/1 Chloe Roddick, 16/1 Catherine Walton, 20/1 Jenny Lane, 20/1 Rachel King, 20/1 Lucinda Sutcliffe, 20/1 Pip Tutty, 20/1 Charlotte Tizzard, 20/1 Joanne Foster - 25/1 Bar

Each way = 1/5th the odds - 1st, 2nd & 3rd

Mark will issue an update in the next couple of weeks and I will post it on here as soon as I have it, meanwhile, if you are going to have a punt - good luck!

The AGA Total Control Lady Riders' Championship - updated league table

2012-01-08T18:59:00.001Z

Jess Westwood makes it a perfect 10 at Wadebridge
A corking AGA Ladies Open race at Wadebridge saw Jess Westwood earn her first points of the season today following a 5 length win aboard Monkerty Tunkerty. The win also puts Jess firmly in the mix to win a brand new AGA Total Control cooker and she has now joined 4 other ladies in equal 3rd place in the table on 10 points.

One more prize and Jess will disappear

The race also saw two more ladies get off the mark for the season, Chloe Roddick (6) and Jo Buck (4), while the other points scorer was Camilla Henderson (2). The Championship is warming up nicely and we can expect more fireworks next weekend as the AGA Pointing team head for Yorkshire for what is sure to be another thrilling race.

Top 10

Isabel Tompsett's inside view - North Cornwall, Wadebridge

2012-01-07T13:24:00.000Z

AGA Ladies Open preview - by Isabel Tompsett
I caught up with Isabel this morning and I can report that she was in very good form, she was really chirpy and eager to discuss the AGA Ladies Open at Wadebridge tomorrow. Isabel has been at Oaksey House in Lambourn all week, returning to her Mum's house in Wales yesterday evening. She was raving about the facilities at Oaksey House and if you have a couple of minutes spare click on the link and have a look for yourself.

Chesnut Annie and Isabel jump the last to win the Ladies Open
race at the Banwen Miners meeting in 2009

There are 10 entries for the AGA Ladies Open at Wadebridge tomorrow and despite the fact that it may be a small field Isabel feels that it will still be a competitive race. The entries are:

Ask The Thatcher
Deloughtane
Dr Cerullo
Khachaturian
Monkerty Tunkerty
Nevada Royale
New Little Bric
Sericina
Terramarique
Wee Fly

The one that really stands out for Isabel is Sericina, trained and ridden by Chloe Roddick, and who won the corresponding race last year by 25 lengths. That was a 3 runner race on going that was good to soft, sticky in places, this year the going is reported as good to soft so hopefully most of the field will stand their ground.

I really look forward to catching up with Isabel and it's great to hear the enthusiasm in her voice when we talk about all things Point-to-Point, she certainly knows her stuff. Isabel has also been in good form with her pre-race selections so far this season, even picking the first 3 on one occasion, and she feels that Terramarique will come on for his run at Tweseldown on December 11th (4th), and push Sericina close ... anyone fancy a forecast?

I also had a very nice chat with Isabel's boyfriend John Lewis Llewellyn last night, we discussed many things and John gave me lots of welcome advice about Point-to-Point (thanks John), he also mentioned that Isabel had not managed to get hold of a Racing Post Weekender this week. I'll get in touch with the team at the RP and ask whether they can deliver a copy to Oaksey House for her so she can keep up with the news, results and entries from "Between The Flags".

Keep smiling Isabel, we will look forward to your preview next week.

Breaking news - new AGA sponsored qualifier, spread the word

2012-01-06T22:37:00.000Z

Yorkshire Point-to-Point Club meeting to upgrade
Earlier this week we heard the sad news that the South-East Point-to-Point Supporters Club meeting at Detling on 25th February had been abandoned. This started a frantic search for a replacement qualifier and I'm delighted to say that officials at the Yorkshire Point-to-Point club have agreed to upgrade their Ladies Open next Sunday (15th January) to an AGA sponsored qualifier.

The AGA Pointing team will now be heading to Sheriff Hutton in Yorkshire next weekend where we will meet up with our friends Michael & Sara from the local AGA dealer Country Warmth. It's short notice but we can spread the word and help to get those entries in for the AGA Ladies open!

The AGA van - looking forward to a trip to Yorkshire next weekend

Entries close on Saturday evening so there's still time and remember that all declared horses become eligible for the AGA Hunter Chase Final at Cheltenham on May 2nd.

AGA - A Day In The Life parts 1 and 2

2012-01-06T12:13:00.000Z

Return of the champion - Billyvoddan romps home
Parts 1 and 2 of this superb film, featuring Billyvoddan, Jane Williams, Phil Rowley and Juliet Minton are now available to view on our dedicated YouTube channel. Part 1 was filmed at Phil Rowley's yard in Shropshire where Jane and Phil gave an insight into Billy’s training and talked about their hopes for the new season. Part 2 was filmed at the Harkaway Club Point-to-Point meeting at Chaddesley Corbett ... and we all know what happened there.

Part 1

Part 2

These superb videos were filmed, edited and produced for AGA by former BBC journalist Leonie Collier, now of www.jamodomedia.co.uk

AGA full of running ... the competition

2012-01-04T20:34:00.002Z

Who wants a pink "Im In Total Control" polo shirt?
Last night I posted a brief summary of the season in numbers, up to the end of 2011. I hope you were paying attention because tonight I have 3 questions for you based on that summary, the winner will get the shirt, here you go:

3 of the 54 runners have run more than once, can you name all 3?
1 of those runners wasn't ridden by his regular pilot, which one and why?
7 lady riders have had more than one ride, which one of the 7 has had the most rides?

Sorry, you only win the pink polo shirt!

First person to answer all 3 correctly wins the pink polo shirt (just the shirt), in a size of your choice, email answers to d.simpson@agarangemaster.com

AGA full of running ... 2011 round up

2012-01-03T22:59:00.001Z

AGA - "a strong stayer, sitting just off the pace but still on the bridle and full of running"
I think that's a very accurate description of our position as the AGA van heads for it's first run of 2012 at Wadebridge on Sunday. I also thought it would be a good time to summarise the season up to the end of 2011 and in order to hold your attention I'll keep it brief and do it by numbers, this is the story so far:

5 AGA Ladies Open races - with qualification for Cheltenham at stake
1 AGA Total Control Championship race - with points & vouchers at stake
116 entries - 100 & 16 respectively
54 runners - 44 & 10 respectively
3 horses have run more than once
43 lady riders have had at least one ride
7 lady riders have had more than one ride
17 lady riders have scored points in the AGA Total Control Championship

A collage from Chaddesley Corbett on 27th December -
see how many times you can spot me!

Check back here tomorrow evening for the latest update from Isabel Tompsett, plus a mini competition with 3 questions based on the season so far and a rather nice pink prize for the winner.

Fabulous clocks, points, polo shirts and AGA vouchers for lady riders

2012-01-02T21:03:00.000Z

Lady riders "In Total Control" with fabulous AGA prizes
Did you know that there are 28 AGA Ladies Open races this season and that if you run in one you will automatically qualify for the AGA Hunter Chase final at Cheltenham in May? You can also earn points in every single one of them which will count towards the AGA Total Control Lady Riders Championship ... plus there are a further 22 Ladies Open races in which you can earn points towards the Championship!

I'd like you to buy one but you could actually win this AGA!

Points are awarded as per the table below, with your best five results PLUS the final counting towards the Championship, points earned in the final will count double.

Race type	1st	2nd	3rd	4th
28 AGA sponsored Ladies Open races (qualifier for the final at Cheltenham)	10	6	4	2
22 AGA Total Control Championship Ladies Open races	6	4	2	1
AGA Ladies Hunter Chase Final – Cheltenham (points count double)	20	12	8	4

If you win one of the 28 AGA Ladies Open races you will be presented with a fabulous AGA Empire fob watch clock, plus every rider will also receive an exclusive embroidered AGA "I'm In Total Control" polo shirt in pink or black (*only one per rider). Come and visit the AGA Pointing team after the race to pick up your shirt ... and be prepared to be photographed (wearing the shirt if possible). **The groom who leads up the winning horse will be presented with an AGA "I'm In Total Control" fleece.

Ifyou ride in one of the 22 Ladies Open races which are not sponsored by AGA thenyou will still earn some points, PLUS you will receive a £25AGA voucher, with the race winner receiving a £125 AGA voucher. Thevouchers will be presented after the post race presentation and a photographwill be taken ... or several photographs if I'm there! Vouchers can beredeemed in your local AGA shop and if you need some inspiration before youvisit why not take a look at our AGA Cook Shop website.

AGA vouchers and fabulous clocks for owners

2012-01-02T00:41:00.000Z

£25 AGA vouchers for owners of all declared runners
Did you know that if you enter your horse in an AGA Ladies Open race and declare it to run you get a £25 AGA voucher? The voucher will be presented to you in the paddock before the race and it can be redeemed in your local AGA shop, if you would like some inspiration why not take a look at our AGA Cook Shop website before you visit the shop.

If your horse wins an AGA Ladies Open race you will be presented with one of our fabulous, must have AGA Palladium clocks, however, if your horse doesn't win but you "love that clock" and "want that clock" then you can put your voucher to good use and get £25 off a clock at your local AGA shop!

Is this one of the most sought after prizes ever in Point-to-Point racing!

AGA, "A Day In The Life" part 2 - sneak preview!

2011-12-31T12:58:00.000Z

AGA film, part 2 - what do you think?
Leonie Collier of Jumping Jack Media has finished editing part 2 of our "A Day In The Life" film, featuring Billyvoddan, Jane Williams & Phil Rowley, and I've decided to give you a sneak preview here before it is uploaded to the AGA YouTube site early next week.

Jane & Leonie act professionally while David plays to the camera (again)

I've removed the film temporarily but will put a link on here later today (Weds 4th) so that you can watch the finished version.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6YhvM1EeMk&context=C350befcADOEgsToPDskI2S2d4KU5cVKrTNg17Z1fN

Have a punt on the AGA Total Control Championship - David puts his faith in Rachel King

2011-12-29T17:06:00.002Z

Who's your money on?
MarkHill has very kindly priced the championship up for us, and as you can see itis very open & competitive, if you would like a bet please pay Mark a visit at any meeting where he is standing, or call him on 07831 293363.

AGA Total Control Lady Riders’Championship Betting Odds

7/1 fav H Watson

8/1 J Buck

8/1 G Andrews

8/1 B Andrews

8/1 S Drake

8/1 E Kelly

8/1 J Williams

10/1 C Hart

10/1 A Dunn

12/1 J Coward

12/1 J Mason

12/1 S Berry

14/1 S Randell

14/1 C Roddick

16/1 C Walton

20/1 G Lane

20/1 R King

20/1 L Sutcliffe

20/1 P Tutty

20/1 C Tizzard

20/1 J Foster

25/1 Bar

From pony racing to Gold Cup winner - that's the dream

2011-12-28T13:33:00.002Z

Young man with a Cheltenham dream
One young man received a late Christmas present at Chaddesley Corbett yesterday when he approached Sam Waley-Cohen for an autograph. Young Liam Cullimore, aged 9, is a budding rider and he was quick to make his move when he spotted Sam by the horse boxes following his win on Any The Wiser.

Liam (great nephew of our CEO William McGrath) & Sam - in the background
you can see Billyvoddan being tacked up before the AGA Ladies Open

Sam was an absolute gent and asked Liam if he wanted a photograph, Liam was delighted and the icing on the cake was when Sam said "do you know this is the Gold Cup winning saddle?" A big thank you to Sam as it's things like this that really inspire youngsters and Liam will treasure this photograph, he may even go on to emulate Sam one day ... you never know!

The return of the AGA Champion

2011-12-28T09:13:00.001Z

AGA Christmas cracker - Chaddesley Corbett, 27th December
Race cards sold out, bundles of cash in the ring, sales of The Big Green Annual go through the roof, course bursting at the seams with happy punters and the reigning champ romps home in the hottest of hot AGA races, what an incredible day! Here is my take on it in words and pictures, hope you like it.

'I'm going to post this on the blog later, I hope I can think of a funny caption"

We were joined in the paddock before our race by Robert Waley-Cohen who gave some very helpful tips on choosing best turned out.

Forget best turned out, Robert has just spotted the AGA voucher in the race card

Billyvoddan proved how good he is today and as he swaggered around the paddock after his win he kindly agreed to pose for a photograph.

"Do you know who I am?"

The second part of our "A Day In The Life" was filmed and Jane Williams was on top form in the paddock after the race.

"David is on the chestnut in the next but he's had to put up 4 stone overweight"

Jane earned her first points of the season then had a fit of the giggles when asked to pose with the new AGA "points paddle".

"Just wave it around, imagine you're on the judging panel on Strictly"

Following the race the ladies were able to pick up their "I'm In Total Control" polo shirts, with pink again proving to be the most popular colour.

Emily was pleased with the 2 points and the polo shirt but the photo was the icing on the cake!

Having seen Emily MacMahon get her photo taken, Sam Drake was keen to get in on the act.

The things you have to do to get an AGA polo shirt

As ever the girls were really supportive and more than willing to pose for photos wearing their new polo shirts ... although no extra points were awarded.

Lady riders "In Total Control" can you name them?

Proving that this really is a family affair, young Mr Simpson was drafted into the team for this meeting as assistant photographer, having tired of taking pics of his dad all day he came out from behind the camera to pose for one himself.

"Do I really have to sell an AGA before I can go home dad?"

AGA Champion Jane Williams interviewed after the race

2011-12-27T21:26:00.001Z

John Beasley tries out new interview technique
Following the race today ... well, about an hour after the race (sorry John), Jane was interviewed by official AGA photographer John Beasley.

"Never mind the AGA, what do you think of my new microphone?"

Have a look at John's interview with Jane here:

John interviews Jane Williams after the race

The AGA Total Control Lady Riders' Championship - UPDATE

2011-12-27T20:22:00.002Z

AGA race turns out to be a Christmas cracker
A humdinger of an AGA Ladies' Open race at Chaddesley Corbett saw 3 more of the girls register their first points of the season today - Jane Williams (10), Sam Drake (4) & Emily MacMahon (2) all got off the mark. The other points scorer was Angela Rucker - with the 6 points that she picked up allowing her to edge back into the lead with 18 points.

"See that Angela, 10 points - I'm coming to get you"

The word from the weighing room after the race was that competition is going to be fierce for the rest of the season ... which is exactly what we wanted to hear!


Current standings

Position	Rider	Points

1	Angela Rucker	18
2	Claire Hart	14
= 3	Rachel King	10
= 3	Claire Metcalf	10
= 3	Jane Williams	10
= 6	Frankie Hickman	6
= 6	Bridget Andrews	6
= 6	Gina Andrews	6
= 6	Sarah-Jayne Davies	6
= 6	Catherine Walton	6
= 11	Chloe Boxall	4
= 11	Rachael McDonald	4
= 11	Heather Kemp	4
= 11	Sam Drake	4
= 15	Emily Stead	2
= 15	Hannah Lewis	2
= 15	Emily MacMahon	2
18	Camilla Henderson	1

AGA "A Day In The Life" part two

2011-12-27T06:14:00.000Z

AGA filming at Chaddesley Corbett today - 27th December
Former BBC journalist and film producer Leonie Collier, now of Jumping Jack Media, will be at Chaddesley Corbett today filming the second part of "A Day In The Life", which features Billyvodan, Jane Williams & Phil Rowley. Leonie, who now runs her own Media business, Jumping Jack Media, filmed part one at the beginning of December as we took an intimate look at Billy's preparations for his first run of the season.

"I'm Billyvoddan and this is my gaff"

The second part of the film will follow Billy & Jane from the minute that they arrive at the course as they attempt to win this race again - the pair won the same race last season on their way to becoming AGA champions. Jane is a complete natural in the film, as is Phil, and both have now been advised to get an agent as more film work will surely follow!

You can view part one of this superb film here, part two will be available soon - watch this space!

The AGA Total Control Lady Riders' Championship

2011-12-26T04:33:00.000Z

National sponsor to give away a brand new AGA worth nearly £10,000
That's not a mis-print, we really are giving away a brand new AGA, and with such a fantastic prize up for grabs it really has caught the imagination of everyone in the weighing room. There are points up for grabs in 51 races this season, with the best 5 results - plus the final, counting towards the Championship, points earned in the final at Cheltenham count double.

I can confirm that it is just the AGA that you win ...
collective huge sigh of relief from all lady riders!

There are 15 ladies with points, and the early leader is Claire Hart with 14, followed closely by Angela Rucker with 12, both appear to have the ammunition to mount a serious challenge but there is still a long way to go. With the likes of current AGA champion Jane Williams, Hannah Watson and Alex Dunn yet to score points, the table could have an entirely new look come Tuesday evening after the Harkaway Club meeting at Chaddesley Corbett.

Current standings

Position	Rider	Points

1	Claire Hart	14
2	Angela Rucker	12
= 3	Rachel King	10
= 3	Claire Metcalf	10
= 5	Frankie Hickman	6
= 5	Bridget Andrews	6
= 5	Gina Andrews	6
= 5	Sarah-Jayne Davies	6
= 5	Catherine Walton	6
= 10	Chloe Boxall	4
= 10	Rachael McDonald	4
= 10	Heather Kemp	4
= 13	Emily Stead	2
= 13	Hannah Lewis	2
15	Camilla Henderson	1

I will be posting an updated table here following every AGA qualifier, the first one will be on Tuesday evening.

**Don't worry if you don't win the AGA ladies as I will be more than happy to sell you a new

one!

AGA race - tips by Isabel Tompsett

2011-12-23T16:40:00.003Z

AGA tips from Isabel Tompsett

Last season AGA were looking for a female jockey to sponsor and after making some initial enquiries Fergal O' Brien suggested that Isabel would be a good punt. He kindly brought her along to meet us for the first time at Whitwick Manor in February, and we agreed to sponsor her both in Point-to-Point racing and under rules.

As she continues her amazing recovery Isabel has agreed to be our specialcorrespondent this season, previewing all of our qualifying races. Every week Isabel will cast her eye over the entriesfor the latest AGA Ladies' Open race and give her view on the likely racewinner, and you can read Isabel's tips here every Wednesday afternoon.

L-R; Fergal O' Brien, Isabel & David, pictured after the
AGA Hunter Chase Final at Cheltenhamlast season

Issy's tip for Chaddesley Corbett on Tuesday 27th December

Issy was full of beans when I spoke to her yesterday evening and she picked out 3 to watch on Tuesday, all of whom she feels will have an outstanding chance on their best form, they are:

Billyvoddan - owned by Juliet Minton, trained by Phil Rowley & ridden by Jane Williams
Picaroon - owned & trained by Katherine Smith-Maxwell & ridden by Alex Dunn
Kicks For Free - owned & trained by William & Angela Rucker & ridden by Angela Rucker

With one tri-cast under her belt already this season - at Barbury Castle, Issy is definitely one to take seriously so let's hope that all 3 declare to run! I look forward to our weekly chats and I never cease to be amazed by Isabel's passion for all things Point-to-Point, and by the depth of her knowledge. Hopefully we will see Isabel at a Point-to-Point meeting very soon.

AGA Ladies Open Series, "The story so far" ... and they're off! (part one)

2011-12-22T10:05:00.000Z

Going to the first - Cottenham, 27th November
A cold day, ground rather firm, boots marginal and powder kept dry for better ground as there are only 4 runners in the AGA race. There is a seasonal debut for the AGA Total Control van, which was hard driven by Derek Martin, who has trained for 18 years for Point-to-Point and now has a weekend job from heaven.

Zanzibar Boy's price is forced into 5/2 from 4's following sustained
support from the AGA Pointing team

The first 10 points go to Rachel King, who immediately goes on holiday following her interview with John Beasley!

"Are we nearly finished Beazo? My plane leaves in an hour"

Coming to the second - Barbury Castle, 4th December
Is this well hidden or is the satnav on the blink? Early confusion but the team all arrive eventually and we have 7 runners for the second AGA race of the season.

"So tell me Nigel, is this a bitterly cold and wet, windswept hillside
in December, or a hub of sporting excitement?"

Kicks For Free kicks on as Angela Rucker earns her first 10 points of the season, with only 2 others coming home behind her.

"Mind the horse William, I'm off to be interviewed by Beazo"**

We're getting the hang of this thing now ... I think! Beazo interviews the wind and the rain, plus Angela and then there is a stampede at the AGA stand as lady riders collect their "I'm In Total Control" polo shirts.

Sarah-Jayne Davies trades in her silks for a rather smart AGA polo shirt then quickly
switches to modelling mode, demonstrating that she really is "In Total Control"

**John Beasley - respected Point-to-Point photographer and author of "The Big Green Annual", will hereby be referred to as "Beazo"

The AGA van heads north while Mrs Rucker heads south - Alnwick and Tweseldown, December 11th
Three inspections up in Alnwick but the snow did not triumph as it did in 2010 and Beazo finds that the winner does not mince her words (or add too many).

254 miles to get here - what's all this white stuff?

Meanwhile at Tweseldown Stephen Astaire seems delighted that his rain dance worked as a decent crowd are on hand to see Angela Rucker snaffle another 2 points to go top of the league. All 10 lady riders flocked to the presentation area following the race and jostled for position so they could pose for a photograph with David ... or was it the £25 AGA voucher that they wanted?

Team photo, David and the girls pretty in pink and "In Total Control"

The AGA tow rope proves to be a useful acquisition - Whitfield, 18th December
A plethora of early withdrawals did not dampen enthusiasm and we were treated to 10 races with 102 runners. The Smith-Maxwells made an early retreat only to return minus their horse for a scouting mission ahead of Chaddesley Corbett.

"I'm not running my horse today but I'd love a photo in a pink
AGA "I'm In Total Control" polo shirt"

Fergal O' Brien and Richard "Sparky" Bevis were the latest trainers to be pictured in pink AGA "I'm In Total Control" polo shirts, this was only after they had hung around the stand for 30 minutes pleading for a photograph.

Following the AGA race the first 4 home reveal David Simpson's pin number!

The day ended dramatically as the soft ground saw the AGA tow rope make it's first appearance of the season amid talk that the van will need better going to be at it's peak.

AGA pre-season ... we need a practice run

2011-12-22T09:31:00.000Z

The AGA practice run - November 16th
It's a murky day in mid-November and the AGA Pointing team are heading for Cilldara Stud, home of National Hunt trainer Fergal O' Brien, to have a practice run. The going is good to soft and spirits in the camp are high in anticipation of a good performance.

How many AGA Pointing blokes does it take to put up a flag?

The exercise returned a good time against the clock and everything worked ... apart from Fergal's kettle.

Where's Wally? Spot the AGA Pointing team member

Verdict - AGAtha showed up well for a long way, she goes on the ground but will come on for the run!

We have a new AGA van!

2011-12-21T12:28:00.000Z

New AGA Total Control van is delivered - 14th November
As preparations for the new season pick up pace the first fence is cleared comfortably as our new van arrives at head office.

AGAtha is welcomed to head office by Group CEO William McGrath & Derek Martin