South Midlands Area Secretary, PPSA Chair and PPA Board member Ilona Barnett (pictured left) lives on a farm in Warwickshire with husband Andrew and 15-year-old son Archie.
Her day job is General Manager of Stratford racecourse and she spends most weekends during the point-to-point season either stewarding or acting as a Meeting Secretary.
She took time out of her busy schedule recently to talk to Jake Exelby about her time in racing and pointing… and what she’s been up to during lockdown.
How did you get into point-to-pointing?
My father was a fighter pilot in the Air Force so we travelled but, as a teenager, we lived near Ampton and I rode out for the Turners. I fell in love with a horse of theirs called Daybrook’s Gift and started going pointing. While I never race-rode myself – I wasn’t brave enough (!) – I still hunt. I’m Secretary of the Warwickshire Hunt Supporters Club and normally go out two or three times a week.
Who have been your favourite horses?
Titus Andronicus, who was bought relatively inexpensively by Heather Kemp. She had a lot of fun with him. And (leading East Anglian horse) Fort Hall. I’d have loved to have owned him – he was consistent, tough and fun.
Which jockeys have you most admired?
Nicola Bothway, Josie Turner’s daughter. She was a really stylish rider. Among the men, Rory Lawther, a proper old-fashioned jockey who was as tough as they come.
What's your favourite course?
Cottenham. I’ve got a long association with the Gingell family, who have helped me a lot over the years. I’ve worked there in various guises and it’s a fast but fair course whose facilities – grandstand, saddling boxes and toilets that flush (!) – are ahead of their time for pointing.
What do you love most about pointing?
The camaraderie’s amazing, as well as the passion and enthusiasm shown by those who are involved in the sport. Every weekend, we just get on with it and – whatever the weather – we still manage a smile.
What's been your personal funniest moment in the sport?
When I was secretary of the Warwickshire meeting, a girl came up to me and asked if I had a pair of long rubber gloves. I said I had a lot of things, but not those, and asked why. It turned out she’d dropped her phone in a portaloo!
As for people, Nolan Best makes me laugh. He’s got the driest sense of humour and never let’s me forget the time I walked to the start at Kingston Blount rather than accept a lift. I went to the wrong start and had to do a walk of shame across the course.
What's been the best moment of your time in the sport?
We had a horse called Cuban Skies – a real character by Strong Gale who had a Timeform squiggle when we bought him. Leading him in when he won at Paxford, with Andrew on board, was a real highlight.
What are your ambitions for point-to-pointing?
I’d love to encourage more participants – qualification certificates are down to below 2,000 now – but that’s easier said than done and I’m not sure how to achieve it.
How has lockdown affected you from a racing perspective?
Although I wasn’t Chair of the PPSA when racing stopped at the time of the first lockdown, we immediately started planning to restart. Pointing’s been able to follow the example of racing and my role at Stratford has helped – the BHA and the local council have instructed Stratford what to do and we’ve used that as a model for pointing, such as racing behind closed doors.
All the Area Secretaries have worked really hard to put fixtures on, developing protocols for dealing with councils, health and safety and ticketing, and we’ve all spent hours on Zoom. But there’s never been a moment we haven’t thought we’d be able to race again – everyone’s been so positive.
What do you think about hunter chases with professional riders?
It’s not perfect, but it's necessary to keep hunter chasers, so is essential in the short-term. It’s being reviewed in mid-February, so will hopefully change soon.
What do you think we should do with the rest of the pointing season?
Be patient, be prepared and get ready to start as soon as we can. As I said, there have been so many Zoom meetings and we’re constantly tweaking the fixture list.
Have you been watching the live streaming? What do you think?
It’s not perfect, but it’s great for pointing behind closed doors. I hope it continues, as it’s a valuable tool for promoting the sport.
What do you think the effect of lockdown on pointing will be?
In the short-term, some horses and owners are bound to move to Rules, but I hope they come back. Rules racing and pointing are very different – at a point-to-point, an owner gets full access to their horse, they’re close to the action and they can picnic at the lorry.
The market for pointers may be weaker for a while as horses bought to sell haven’t had the opportunities to race, but I think it will recover. Pointing’s been mentioned a lot on ITV at the moment, which is good for the sport. However, it’s tough for the selling yards, who are professionals in an amateur sport. If we still had pointers, we could just put them out in the field, but it’s hard when your living depends on it.
What else have you been up to during lockdown?
When you live on a farm, the animals don’t know it’s lockdown. I’ve been feeding the sheep, lambing and we have three horses at home, who have a routine. I’ve also had a lot more time to tidy the house – which Andrew and Archie think is a good thing – and have been creosoting fences. Then at the weekend we go ferreting. (Ilona advises a Google search for readers who don't know what that is!)
What have you most enjoyed about lockdown?
The quiet roads. I can’t run the racecourse from home and it now takes me just 15 minutes to commute, rather than 40. And some Zoom calls are hilarious – people can forget to mute their sound so you hear some hilarious things in the background.
Tell me about a book, film, TV series or some music you've enjoyed?
I’ve been binge watching Lucifer, which is a supernatural American series. And the lead character is called Tom Ellis!
What has irritated you most about a family member, friend or colleague?
Andrew never answers his phone, even when it’s ringing next to him. Mind you, he says I’m always on the phone, which must be equally annoying!
What are you most looking forward to when lockdown is over?
Going racing again and eating out. I’m the only cook in the family – Andrew has been known to put a pizza in the oven with its wrapping on - and am fed up of choosing what to eat.
What would you be doing if you weren't involved in racing?
Either a pathologist or a fighter pilot like my Dad!
Who’s your non-racing hero?
Is there such a thing?
What’s your life ambition?
To stay healthy, although my family would like me to find a filter between my brain and my mouth!
Tell me something I wouldn't know from asking these questions?
My father-in-law was a prominent showing judge and – through him – we’ve got into showing horses in the summer through Retraining of Racehorses, including our former pointer Catch Tammy.