THE POINT-TO-POINT AUTHORITY (PPA)
The Point-to-Point Authority is the body responsible for the administration, management, promotion and development (governance and strategy) of Point-to-Point racing. It is comprised of seven directors - one each from The Jockey Club, the Point-to-Point Owners and Riders Association (PPORA), the Point-to-Point Secretaries Association (PPSA), the Masters of Foxhounds Association (MFHA) and three independent members. Please click here for the Point-to-Point Authority "Family Tree".
Functioning under delegated authority from the BHA, the PPA evolved from the Point-to-Point Board in order to ensure the sports’ destiny was in the hands of its constituents with the resources to run its own affairs in an open and transparent way. Working closely with the member organisations and the BHA and HBLB, the PPA ensures its funding streams are fair and proportionate and that its services are provided in the most cost effective way
The PPA is run from offices in Trull, Gloucestershire and is effectively a “one stop shop” for all of Point-to-Point administration, providing a range of services Riders, Owners and regional and Point-to-Point fixture Secretaries.
Please click here to access the Powerpoint presentation from the 2010 PPORA AGM, which details the role of the PPA within the sport and what the body is currently working to achieve
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POINT-TO-POINT AUTHORITY BOARD MEMBERS
SIMON CLAISSE (Chairman)
Since 1999 Simon has been Director of Racing and Clerk of the Course at Cheltenham Racecourse. In 2011 he presided over his tenth Festival, seven of which have been over the extended four day format introduced in 2005. Three years in the planning and preparation, which included a major course extension programme enabling the Gold Cup to be run on the Friday on fresh ground, the event now includes 27 races with prize money just shy of £3.5million. Racing at Cheltenham last season attracted 230,000 spectators, making The Festival the second biggest outdoor sporting spectacle in the country.
A graduate of Reading University where he studied Farm Production Management, he spent seven years running a mixed farming business. His farming activities were coupled with the farm’s training establishment, which provided a number of his victories in Point-to-Points. Having successfully restructured the business in 1989 he joined the Jockey Club as Point-to-Point Controller, adding the Racecourse Department to his role in the spring of 1990 responsible primarily for the welfare and the safety of horses and riders on all licensed racecourses.
Joint Secretary of the Hursley Hambledon Point-to-Point from 1982 to 1989, he successfully owned, trained and rode plenty of winners, represented the Sandhurst Area on the PPORA Committee from 1999 to 2003, when he was also Vice Chairman and in 2004 was elected Chairman of the PPORA. In this capacity he sat on the Jockey Club’s Point-to-Point Board and subsequently the Point-to-Point Authority Board for five years. He remains a member of the Racecourse Association’s Technical and Medical Groups and chairs Jockey Club Racecourses’ Turf Management and Directors of Racing Groups. Simon was appointed as Chairman of the PPA prior to the start of the 2011/12 season.
RICHARD RUSSELL
Richard has been a Point-to-Point owner since 1970, riding as an amateur for 30 years until 1995. During that time he was also the fixture Secretary for the Grafton Point-to-Point for a number of years. He was chairman of the PPORA from 2001 to 2004 and an independent director of the Point-to-Point Board before moving to the Point-to-Point Authority as Jockey Club representative in 2009. He sits on the BHA's Licensing Committee and chaired the Point-to-Point Review in 2006-07. Richard has also acted as a racecourse and Point-to-Point steward since 1982. His horses are now, whenever possible, ridden by his son John.
HEATHER KEMP
Heather has recently returned to live in Northamptonshire where her Point-to-Point career began at the age of 26 with her first ride on a “Bunny Tarry” homebred that won. She has since gone on to ride more than 70 winners and has held five Area Champion titles. Heather has been a Point-to-Point Entries Secretary, sponsorship organiser, meeting Secretary and PPORA Area representative as well as sitting on both the PPA Board and the BHA Industry Committee. Her PPA role is sponsorship and promotion of the sport and she has helped introduce both the Horse and Rider Sponsorship Schemes successfully. Businesswise, Heather now runs a property management company in Mayfair.
MIKE FELTON
Mike’s first winner came in 1978 and he went on to become male champion Rider three times, riding principally for John Dufosee, Henrietta Knight and Keith Cumings. He has been a MFH for 19 years and as Master of Foxhounds Association representative he has been involved with the PPORA, PPSA, Point-to-Point Board and the Point-to-Point Authority. He has served as a steward under Rules and in Point-to-Pointing for 10 years and on the Licensing Committee for seven years. Mike was the driving force behind the introduction of pony races at Point-to-Points.
RICHARD FULLER
As Chairman of the PPORA committee, Richard currently sits on the PPA Board as the PPORA representative. Currently the sales and personnel director of Fuller's Brewery, London, in which his family have been involved since 1829, Richard is a joint master of the Vine & Craven Hunt and chairman of their Barbury Point-to-Point. Fuller's Brewery is a keen supporter of amateur sport and has some long standing sponsorships of, in particular, rowing and cricket as well as Point-to-Pointing where the main focus is on Barbury Racecourse and the Leading Gentlemen and Novice Rider Annual Awards. Richard and his wife have owned, trained and ridden Point-to-Pointers and their two children are currently competing in Pony Racing.
TABITHA CAVE
Tabitha Cave is an independent board member for of the Point-to-Point Authority, having participated in the sport for more than 20 years. She rode over 120 winners in Point-to-Points and Hunter Chases and retired from race riding in 2007. Tabitha still rides out. Based in the West Country and heads the Health and Safety and Regulatory team for Bristol solicitors Veale Wasbrough Vizards.
STEVEN ASTAIRE
A stockbroker by profession and an Owner since 1973, Steven has horses in training on the Flat and under NH Rules, plus a couple of Pointers. He rode under all codes, his best horses being Yahoo, Hiram B Birdbath and Funchen View. He is a long-standing Council member of the Racehorse Owners Association, a former Trustee of the Northern Racing College and also ran the Amateur Riders Association in the 80s. A late starter having never ridden until he was 28, he retired in 1996 having had 175 rides, 7 wins and 50 places. Steven took over the running of Club meetings at Tweseldown Racecourse 9 years ago complete with all the paddock and running rails rescued from Ascot when they redeveloped. He is the Area Secretary for Sandhurst in addition to chairing the PPSA (appointed to a second term of office until 2014).
