Great Britain is home to an array of professional sports. From rugby to cricket, there is nothing more that residents of the UK, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales love more than a good match between athletes. Those in the Republic of Ireland are just as fond of sporting events.
Among the most popular is horse racing, which comprises professional jockeys and horses racing around a manicured racetrack. However, this isn’t the only form of racing involving horses that those from Ireland and Great Britain love. P2P (point-to-point) racing, also known as steeplechasing, is another popular form of horse racing that takes a slightly different view of the sport.
Below, we’ve looked at how these two forms of racing differ and what makes P2P so popular.
History of P2P Racing
P2P racing dates back to 1752. The sport was first concocted in Ireland between two neighbours, Edmund Blake and Cornelius O’Callaghan. Deciding to race their horses, the two settled on a finish line just over four miles from their location. At the site of the finish line was the Parish of Doneraile.
The rules of the race were straightforward: each rider was to traverse the landscape on horseback as fast as they could to reach the finish line first. This meant they had to guide their horses to jump over narrow ravines, dips in the ground, fences, bushes, and various other obstacles.
To keep on course, all both men had to do was keep their eyes on the church steeple, which led to “steeple racing” becoming the sport’s initial name. As the popularity of this form of race grew, the name was changed to point-to-point racing to reflect better the facts of the race—which didn’t always include a church at the finish line!
Now, let’s get into how these races differ from traditional horse races.
P2P Racing Has No Racetrack
Unlike traditional horse racing, which takes place on a racetrack specifically and meticulously built for racing, P2P racing has no formal grounds. In fact, an empty field in the countryside is all that is usually needed.
While there is some preparation for the chosen field where a race will take place, this is not extensive. Commonly, any work will be done on the field only in the week leading up to the race, and it won’t necessarily be done directly where the racers will travel.
Instead, the work is usually concentrated on preparing the field for the arrival of hundreds of fans, food stalls, bookmakers, and even those who place bets on online gambling sites via casinos.com but would like to see the action for themselves.
The obstacles on the course are nothing more than the natural obstacles presented by the location: existing fences, rocks, rivers, hedges, and gullies. The only intervention from organizers may be a few flags or markers staked into the ground to guide riders.
Upon completing the race, the field is stripped of all additions, so soon after the racers have moved on, it would be hard to tell that any race had transpired at all.
Amateur Only
While traditional horse racing requires professional jockeys and horses, P2P racing is the opposite. In fact, only amateur riders and horses are allowed to compete in the races. Anybody with professional experience is automatically disqualified from competing.
Likewise, horses raised on professional breeding grounds are ineligible for competition. Only those who are raised on regular farms by unlicensed breeders can compete. However, many professional breeders do run secondary farms that are unlicensed. They keep these this way so they may be able to compete.
Volunteer Organization
Traditional horse racing in Ireland is organized and overseen by one of two governing bodies: Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) or the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB). These bodies supervise all races and ensure that no disrepute comes to the sport.
Contrary to this, P2P races have no input from the HRI or IHRB. In fact, they have little to no regulation and are organized solely by various hunting groups and committees. As such, riders who would like to compete must have a Hunters Certificate issued by a valid hunting group.
These groups and committees often operate on a solely volunteer basis when organizing and running a P2P event. This makes the entire affair feel more personal for all attendees, as most have input into helping the event succeed. It also means that a race can be scheduled whenever a particular group or committee wishes.
P2P Is a Star Breeding Ground
While P2P racing is not open to professionals, all horses competing in any event must be thoroughbred. The only exception to this is if a club explicitly allows the participation of horses that do not fit this criterion.
Because of this rule, P2P is often seen as the breeding ground for horses that have the potential to make it professionally. Although these horses may have never won an award, doing well in P2P and having favourable stats generally means they will excel in traditional racing, too.
For this reason, many horses who have won their first, second, or third P2P race can be sold at a much higher price than they could have fetched prior to participating. Also, it is not uncommon for P2P horses to move into traditional racing.
Family Affair
Although it is possible to take your whole family down to the racetrack with you, traditional racing is a more formal and stricter affair—a place where your family may feel slightly restricted or beholden to convention.
On the contrary, P2P racing is significantly less formal and more relaxed, and it welcomes families to join for the day. Aside from having a less stringent dress code, the facilities (or lack thereof) create an overall more casual event.
Because of this, P2P races attract large numbers of families. In many cases, these families turn up for the races without wanting to place wagers—something the government appreciates. Instead, they are there simply for the fun of it and the electrifying atmosphere these races can generate.
