Fiona Needham adds important Board role to her range of tasks

A second Cheltenham Foxhunter Chase-winning rider has joined the Point-to-Point Authority Board with Fiona Needham now sitting or Zooming with Alan Hill and six fellow members.

Needham added the role to a busy list. At 5.30am she starts the process of training the five point-to-pointers which are kept at her parents' Yorkshire farm, then proceeds to her day job as general manager and clerk of the course at Catterick, with additional raceday clerk duties at Redcar, Thirsk, Hexham and Wetherby. "Have stick will travel" is her mantra. She is also chair of the Yorkshire Point-to-Point Association.

Her knowledge of racing and pointing was filtering in as a toddler from her parents, Pat and Robin Tate. He was a leading rider on the Yorkshire circuit, although Needham says: "These days Dad doesn't ride out much before Christmas. He doesn't like the roadwork, he likes going fast," which is fair enough when you are 83.