Midlands Pointing Logo
Main Site >

Fixture Secretary Timeline

First and Foremost

Liaise with your Area Secretary.

Appoint persons for key roles:

  • Health & Safety
  • Sponsorship
  • Hospitality
  • Trade Stands

April/May/June/July

Meetings:

National PPSA Committee and representatives from the Point-to-Point Owners & Riders Association (PPORA), the Master of Foxhounds Association (MFHA), PPA and the British Horseracing Authority (BHA).

Area Secretary to contact Fixture Secretary:

Problems experienced throughout the season.
Ideas for changes / improvements to the Regulations & Instructions.
Discuss fixture Applications Notification of new Clubs, meetings (Must be received before the 1st MAY)

Minutes circulated to Fixture Secretaries (FS):

PPORA x 2 (Committee meeting as well as the AGM at Stratford Racecourse at the end of the month).
Point-To-Point Authority Board considers proposals put forward following the PPSA / PPORA meetings.

AREA meetings:

  • Confirmation of dates for provisional fixture list. AS to liaise with other AS over clash of dates etc.
  • Changes relating to Confined hunts – AS / FS to liaise with MFHA.
  • Discuss APRIL meeting of the PPSA.

June

FIXTURE APPLICATION – Issued by the Point-to-Point Authority (PPA) – to be returned by the end of JUNE with the relevant fee (see note on “Deadline” below).

PLANNER PAGES – The Point-to-Point Racing Company (PtPRC) to circulate planner page for changes and updates for the forthcoming season.
N.B An agreed timetable for the production of the Planner will be circulated. The production process is on going during the months of June through to October. It aims to be published by the end of October.

DEADLINE 30th June

  • Forms to be returned – any Hunt / Club not doing so will incur a £250 fine.
  • Confirmation of Confined Hunts finalised in readiness for inclusion on page of National Planner.
  • Fixture Application forms to be returned – any Hunt / Club not doing so will incur a £250 fine

July

ACCOUNT FORMS – must be returned to the PPA. Please complete and return the Levy form with 90 days of your fixture where possible and not later than the 30th June, unless your meeting is in May or June, in which case the deadline is 31st July.

August/September

Fixture Fees agreed by AS will be invoiced from the PPA to each FS and is to be paid before the meeting.

National Sponsorship to be confirmed for the season so as to be included in the planner.

Point-to-Point Stewards Seminars.

Point-to-Point Secretary Workshop.

Meetings:

  • National PPSA Committee and representatives from the Point-to-Point Owners & Riders Association (PPORA), the Master of Foxhounds Association (MFHA), PPA and the British Horseracing Authority (BHA).
  • Confirmation of various proposals and changes in readiness for the forthcoming season.
  • Confirmation of the fixture list so that it can be submitted to the PPA and ultimately the BHA for approval and publication.

October/November

Regulations and Instructions sent to FS by PPA – to be distributed by the FS to relevant people who require them on the day of their meeting. i.e. Stewards, Judge, Starter Etc.

PPA send pre-season mail out to FS, Clerk of the Courses (CoC) and Local Course Inspectors. Detailing changes for the forthcoming season and including all relevant paperwork. PPA also sends relevant information DIRECT to Senior Vet and Doctor.

Three Months Before Your Meeting

FS must have made the following appointments:

Medical – Senior Doctor, additional doctors as required by the BHA Instructions for Point to Point Steeple Chases, Paramedics and First Aiders. 2 Doctors AT &Q and Paramedics or 2 Paramedics and 2 non AT & Q doctors.

Veterinary – Senior Vet (MUST have attended the BHA Equine Casualty Management Course), additional vets (minimum of 2) as required by the BHA Instructions for Point to Point Steeple Chases, horse ambulance, flesh knacker wagon and Farrier.

When appointed the FS should ask for written confirmation from all the below:

  • Stewards (inc. Chairman) 
  • Commentator / Announcer 
  • Clerk of Scales 
  • Declarations team 
  • Judge, runner & time keeper 
  • Starter & team 
  • Tote (If necessary) 
  • Faller spotter (for both horses and riders) 
  • Fences Stewards / Attendants 
  • Flag man 
  • Number cloth attendant 
  • Horse catchers 
  • Racecard vendors 
  • Car park attendants 
  • Paddock Stewards 
  • Gate attendants 
  • Valets 
  • Fence menders 
  • Police – if required 
  • Miscellaneous i.e. People to help with the organisation of the presentations, drivers for Vets and Doctors if required.  
  • Health & Safety Risk Assessment 

FS to ensure the following equipment will be available:

  • Tents, Tables & Chairs (Secretary’s tent, declarations / changing rooms, medical & hospitality)
  • Toilets (changing rooms / general / disabled)
  • Number board
  • Scales – make sure that these have been calibrated in time for the meeting
  • Signage
  • Number cloths
  • Paddock numbers
  • Radios
  • Public Address system
  • Printing of all necessary paperwork – Declaration Forms, Judges Result cards etc (refer to the BHA Instructions for examples)

General things to be done:

  • Check that Sponsors have been contacted and the necessary arrangements made for them
  • Contact Bookmakers
  • Catering
  • Bar licences
  • Video / photographer (if necessary)
  • Source a printer for the racecard – Liaise with your Entries Secretary (ES) and person appointed to look after sponsorship in readiness for advertisements that need to be included
  • Contact the Pointer or alternative Form Guide person
  • Make sure that you have the mandatory adverts – Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF), Countryside Alliance (CA), Talking Point (TP) and anything relevant to your Area
  • Notify Police / hospitals of your meeting date.
  • Check that all the necessary paperwork with regard to insurance (Abandonment, Public Liability etc) is in place. If it has been arranged by your hunt get written confirmation.
  • Contact trade stands

Two Months Before Your Meeting

Contact previous year’s winners so as to reclaim trophies.

Purchase mementoes / best turned out prizes.

Send in officials at meeting form - details of Stewards, doctors and vets to the PPA.

Receive 8 Week Mailout from PPA.

Apply for a Gambling/Occasional Use License, and Tote License if having a Tote.

One Month Before Your Meeting

Check stationary – car passes etc.

Liaise with Area Public Relations Officer (PRO).

One Week Before Your Meeting

Entries Secretary to:

  • Collate i.e. sort race divisions with the necessary consultation when required.
  • Send to printer.
  • Final list to be with the PtPRC no later than 2pm on the Monday following the advertised closing date. i.e. those meetings whose entries close at noon on a Monday must be prepared to have the information to by 2pm on the same day.
  • Final List to be distributed to PRO, TP along with additional information such as going (Form asking for the relevant info will be forwarded to ES by PtPRC).
  • Final list sent to the Chairman of Stewards, Clerk of Scales, CoC, Commentator, press, bookmakers, Tote (if required) and Judge.
  • Owners to be sent Final list along with car pass(es).

Entries Secretary/Fixture Secretary to:

  • Proof read racecard and check all relevant information – no of runners times etc.
  • Print relevant documents for the fixture

Fixture Secretary to liaise with CoC with regard to:

  • Tentage – arrival and site of
  • Sites for trade stands, caterers, bars, changing rooms, medical tents etc
  • Check all trophies have been returned – chase any that haven’t
  • Check Number cloths
  • Keep PRO & TP up-to-date with events.
  • Confirmation time of arrival to course with Medical and First Aid Personnel

On the day of the Meeting

To Take:

  • Clerk of Scales items
  • Declaration Forms
  • Judges & Starters cards
  • Racecards
  • Number Cloths
  • Declaration Board – to record the declarations as and when they happen in the Weighing tent
  • Declaration duplicate sheets
  • Stewards and Betting Notice for Display
  • Entries (if separate ES – make sure they bring them or collect prior to the day of racing)
  • Paperwork – i.e. steward enquiry forms, extra copies of Regulations & Instructions and the National Planner.
  • Health & Safety Paperwork –
  • Accident book
  • Risk Assessment paperwork (liaise with nominated person)
  • Trophies, mementoes & prizes
  • Table cloths, drawing pins and other items of stationary which might come in useful
  • Admission tickets for the gate.
  • Floats (racecard sellers, tote, gate etc).

To Do:

  • Arrange cup presentation and display
  • Make sure that sponsors and officials are being looked after by the nominated person
  • Collect the Levy from the Bookmakers that has been agreed – unless this is organised at an Area level.
  • Pay those people that are due payment
  • i.e doctors / vets etc.

Abandonment/Postponement Procedures:

  1. Under the BHA Regulations, The Stewards of the Meeting have power to abandon or postpone a Meeting and to abandon certain races in the programme.
  2. Regulation 13 (ii): The Stewards of the Meeting have full power, under exceptional circumstances or if the weather or ground is in an unfit state for running to abandon or postpone a day’s racing or to abandon any races. If the Stewards decide that owing to the weather, or other circumstances, a Meeting cannot be held on the allotted day, a letter signed by a Steward and the Clerk of the Course setting out the reason shall at once be forwarded to the British Horseracing Authority Office**.
    A new date may be applied for. If such date be granted and be not more than sixteen days after the original date all entries shall stand good as if the Meeting had taken place on the day originally fixed.
  3. Instruction 1.3 (c) (Page 4): In the event of a re-arranged meeting, it is the Secretary’s responsibility to liaise with the PPSA Area representative and agree an alternative date. Where applicable, the Area representative should also liaise with his/her counterpart(s) in neighbouring Area(s). It is then the Area representative’s responsibility to confirm details with the Point-to-Point Authority who must inform the Point-to-Point Executive at the British Horseracing Authority Office before the meeting can be sanctioned (and put into the public domain).

    ** Although there is no specific regulatory requirement dictating that a PPSA Area secretary must be
    informed of an abandonment, the PPSA advise the following are informed as a matter of course:
    - The Point-to-Point Racing Company/Talking Point
    - The Point-to-Point Authority
    - Area Secretary
    - PRO

After the Meeting

Write and thank:

  • Sponsors
  • Officials
  • Stewards
  • Landowners etc.

Invoice:

  • Sponsors
  • Advertisers
  • Trade stands
  • Caterers

Return all relevant paperwork to the PPA/BHA:

  • 1 Marked Racecard
  • Fines
  • Enquiry Forms

Remind Senior Doctor to return A & B forms - BHA

Remind Senior Vet to return form - BHA

Pay prize money 15 days after the meeting.

If your meeting takes place before May then accounts and Levy Board returns must be returned to the PPA by 30 June. If your meeting takes place in June or July then completed accounts and Levy returns form and return to the PPA by 31st July.

Midlands Pointing Logo