There is a joint training effort at Brightling Park for the point to point horses, with Rose Grissell, under whose name the horses run, sharing the duties with elder sister Hannah.
Living at Brightling their whole lives, with Gardie and Di as parents, it would have been impossible not to inherit the passion for racing. Hannah and Rose both hunted from a young age, and now ride in point-to-points, having started when they were 16. They are lucky to be supported by a fantastic team with years of experience.
“We hope to give everyone the best fun possible when racing, either as an owner or rider. A day point-to-pointing, (win or lose but preferably winning!), is always a fun occasion – most often being the last lorry to leave the horsebox park, all our owners and supporters join the picnic and debrief at the end of racing”, says Rose.
Their particular enjoyment comes from training for owner riders – whether as a 16 year first-timer or 40 year old old-timer! In 2014, they had three runners in the Aintree Foxhunters, all owner ridden.
Having both the National Hunt and point-to-point yards alongside each other gives horses the best opportunities to succeed. Older horses struggling against the handicapper under Rules can move to the point-to-point yard to freshen up and build confidence, while young horses can start in the point-to-point yard to gain valuable experience before going under Rules.
The aim of our jolly ‘Random Optimist Syndicate’ is to have fun, enjoy sport and the privileges of owning a racehorse without the risk of any capital loss. Each member will get the chance to be directly involved with three or four exciting horses running throughout the season. All horses are on loan for the season and there is no capital expense.
There is likely to be at least one horse racing each weekend throughout the season so you can come to cheer on and enjoy the picnic with likeminded enthusiasts! The cost is £500 per person, all inclusive, to cover costs, for the season ending 31st May. For more information on Random Optimists 2018, please click here.
Contact us
If you would like to find out more about having a horse in training or joining the Random Optimist Syndicate please contact rose@brightlingpark.com or hannah@brightlingpark.com or call 01424 838241.
