Spotlight on Point-to-Pointing

Throughout Racing Staff Week, we are turning the spotlight on industry staff from all areas of the sport. Today it is the turn of point-to-pointing. Carl Evans, spoke to Natalya Irvine, who works for Champion Point-to-Point trainer, Tom Ellis, about her love for the sport and what her job involves day-to-day. Keep reading to find out more…

Originally from Burnley, Lancashire, 20 year old Natalya Irvine currently works in Warwickshire point-to-point trainer Tom Ellis. She says:

I started working for point-to-point trainer Tom Ellis and his wife Gina Andrews two years ago. Tom has been Britain’s champion trainer twice while Gina has won the women riders’ title eight times.

They run a big yard with three large barns of horses, and the daily work is not very different from working in a licensed yard. We begin mucking out at 6.30am – we just push the wet beds out the stable door and a tractor picks it up – and start riding at 7.30am.

We take breakfast in the tack room after first lot – anyone who has fallen off has to buy cakes – and at this busy time of year we’re riding six lots, but we are usually finished about 1.30pm. We then take a break until 4pm when we go back to the yard, skip out beds, apply any medication, sort rugs and feed about 5.30pm. After that those of us who live locally often hang out in the tack room, have a few laughs and then we might get a take-away.

There are lots of reasons why working in a point-to-point yard suits some people. We don’t get pool money given to staff in licensed yards, but we get a competitive wage and we’re well looked after. If we need anything we speak to Tom or Gina and they sort it out.

I’m in the job for the experience, particularly of schooling and race riding. I school over fences regularly and I’m lucky to have my own horse who I ride in races. I’m hoping to get more chances, and so I ride out for other trainers on my day off.

Point-to-point racing takes place at weekends only, and while Tom is happy to travel all over Britain for a race there are plenty of tracks within an hour or two of the yard. That suits staff who need to get home at a reasonable time if they have family or a horse of their own at home.

Everyone loves going to the races. It’s family orientated and very sociable and we all share the picnic. We park the lorry and all the owners come round and we have a good time – in racing under rules the owners and trainers go one way and the staff take the horses back to the stables. It’s more inclusive in point-to-pointing.

I love my job – it’s hard work, but it’s worth it!