Kelleher: "We have a great sport but we have to protect it"

In many ways things have never been better for the Irish point-to-point scene. The sector's long-established reputation as a prime nursery for jumping talent is evident from the statistics of Grade 1 races in Britain and Ireland in recent seasons.

Riders such as Derek O'Connor, Jamie Codd and Barry O'Neill have set the bar extraordinarily high. A young generation of ambitious and talented handlers has emerged, capable of displaying the stars of the future to maximum effect in the four-year-old maidens which are the shop-window of the game. This has brought an unprecedented level of professionalism to the sport, and has created a highly effective business model for the top producers of young horses.

And yet, just over a year ago, the Irish Point-to-Point Handlers Association was set up in response to what one of its driving forces, Gerry Kelleher, describes as "a crisis for Irish point-to-pointing".