Gina and Berties Dream are so impressive at Barbury, and Sarah Dawson bags more AGA championship points
It’s been sunny on our last few visits to Barbury, but this lovely course is still in our top 5 ‘coldest point-to-point courses in the UK’, although the Mendip Farmers P2P at Ston Easton in 2013 is still officially the coldest we’ve ever been on a point-to-point racecourse (2013 was a vintage year for Siberian pointing weather!). Anyway, enough about the cold – we love it really – here’s some photos!
Mrs S was serving mulled wine to warm everyone up, Mr Ellis got stuck in!
The jocks line up before the IJF charity race.Charity race winners Liz Ampairee and First Hurricane.Georgina can’t contain her excitement when she spots the AGA man!The opening race on the card has been won by team Dawson/Collins/Evans and Watson for the second week running, and Minella For Party has qualified for the Connolly’s Red Mills final at Cheltenham next May!I have a feeling that Tor Collins may comment when she sees this photo…The Connolly’s Red Mills rugs and jackets are always popular with connections.Gina and Berties Dream were very much in control with a superb performance in the AGA sponsored Ladies Open race, Jackie Oliver can be spotted snapping away in the background.Executive Benefit was an impressive winner of the Mens Open race for team O’Shea.We have a great relationship with our fellow sponsors!Arnie (the original AGA point-to-point dog), really wants to try a Mincemeat Muffin but Mrs Ellis is not sharing! The muffins featured in the first ever ‘Picnic Pointers’, which debuted in Go Pointing last week.Brake Hill and Pete Mann have just won the PPORA Club Members Maiden (45&6yo).Best mates but there’s something missing (clue: it’s hat related!).Bookie, Mike Smith bagged the last muffin!We were in the car and heading for home when we spotted ‘Team Barber’ and friends still going strong, so, despite the protests from the passenger seat “get back in the car, I’m cold and I want to go home”, it was too good an opportunity to miss! Sorry Mrs S!
So, we’re two weeks in and everything is shaping up nicely, plus we now have a couple of championship tables! Mrs Dawson is leading the AGA All Comers championship for owners (she really wants that new AGA!), and Gina and Angela Rucker are sharing the early lead in the championship for lady riders.
AGA All Comers Championship for owners!I predict that this will be the most competitive AGA lady riders’ championship ever!
David Simpson - life through a lens 