RACE AND SHOWYARD RIDING 251 



to be practically abandoned. The prevalence 

 of wire was one thing which necessitated a change 

 of plan. With the chance of a small bit of wire 

 cropping up here and there, which there always 

 is in a country where it is used, however carefully 

 it may be looked after, and thereby causing a 

 horse to lose ground, racing on an extended front 

 had to be abolished. Then again as Point-to- 

 Point Meetings grew more popular those who 

 made them the medium of a holiday naturally 

 wanted to see more of the racing. So the Point- 

 to-Point, so called, began to be run on more or 

 less circular courses. The first innovation was 

 round a turning flag, the course being some two 

 miles or less out and home. From this to the 

 introduction of two or three or more turning 

 flags was an easy transition, and now point-to- 

 point races are run in all ways. At the time of 

 writing there is considerable discussion about the 

 new rules which the National Hunt Committee 

 have framed respecting Point-to-Point gatherings 

 (October 191 2). 



At one time the National Hunt Committee 

 practically ignored Point-to-Point Meetings. 

 Then it became evident that there must be some 

 central authority and the National Hunt Com- 

 mittee framed a few rules. Somehow, though 

 there has been no friction to speak of, things have 

 not always been quite satisfactory — probabty 

 because those who have the greatest interest in 

 Point-to-Point gatherings have no practical 

 knowledge of Racing. And after all Point-to- 



