Steeplechasing and point-to-pointing are closely linked. Steeplechasing was given its name in 1752 because of the competitive instincts of two sporting Irishmen: Messrs O’Callaghan and Blake who, in County Cork, wagered their skills against each other as to who could win a no-holds-barred contest across country on their fine steeds.

 

They started at the Buttevant Church steeple and finished at the similarly steepled house of worship at Doneraille, four and a half miles away. They jumped everything in the way including hedges, Irish banks, ditches, stone walls, gates and iron bedheads. You name it, they jumped it! Most importantly, both steeples had to be in sight of each other. This was then the birth of steeplechasing as we know it today. These horse races undoubtedly continued and blossomed in both Ireland and mainland Britain and became an outlet for enthusiasm and gambling by the general public.

 

But what about Fife? To start with, the racing was held at Bruntshiels Farm near Ceres. The very first race, on 19th March, 1892 was the Welter Race, which was won in “under 20 minutes” by a hatless Sir Ralph Anstruther of Balcaskie riding Aide de Camp. He finished in a “sea of mist” after his opponents had taken the wrong course! Bruntshiels staged the point-to-point from 1892 to 1897 and from 1905 to 1909. Runners were a little scarce, fallers were many and finishers few, but it was hugely enjoyed.

 

As important is when the point-to-point moved to Balcormo Mains in 1924 on the Montrave Estate of Sir John Gilmour. The course of some three and a half miles comprised 21 jumps, 16 hedges, three post-and-rail fences and two ditches. The start was close to Carlhurlie reservoir. The first race at Balcormo Mains was a Welter Race, which Captain R. Cheape won on Rufus. There were five contests – all over three and a half miles with weights ranging from the Welter Race at 14 stone or over, to the Light Weight Race at 12st 7lbs or over.

 

The Point-to-Point was held at Balcormo from 1924 to 2019. There was no racing between 1939 and 1949, because of the second World War, and in 2011 and 2012, bad weather took its toll on the ground and the events had to be cancelled. The course changed dramatically from pre-War times and it ended as two-and-a-half circuits, all within view of the spectator enclosures. From 1924 to 1939 there was only one circuit – the three and a half miles being achieved by starting at Carlhurlie and racing to the south of Balcormo Mains.

 

Apart from being the most northerly point-to-point in the British Isles it would lose hugely in both revenue and character were it not for its deserved accolade as Scotland’s finest annual al fresco party. Starting in the mid 1950s, it grew and grew as Fife, Perthshire, Angus and even Edinburgh society folk came to understand the wackiness of it all. Picnics too became larger and more sophisticated.

 

The late Sir Jimmy Gulliver really took the biscuit. At 10am, his station wagon would arrive with appropriately liveried attendants who would set up a mahogany table with all the silver trappings and formal chairs, whatever the weather! Sir Jimmy would arrive just before noon in time to have a full luncheon with his friends, waited on by his butler, chauffer and a couple of footmen. Champagne and fine claret flowed. Nobody quite emulates this excess today, but for many years plenty of Fife ‘society’ made sure that they parked their vehicles on the front row – by fair means or foul.

 

The decades of racing at Balcormo threw up plenty of stories. Tim Black, who lived at Teasses, only one and a half miles away, often competed but he had one horse, named Arran Baron, who preferred home to galloping a couple of circuits at Balcormo and regularly deposited Tim at the fence nearest his stable and idly trotted home.

Then there was another enthusiastic, if almost-blind amateur jockey, who wore contact lenses to see. When he bit the dust, which was often, he almost invariably lost one of his lenses and was seen crawling around on his hands and knees searching for the wretched piece of clear plastic. Meanwhile, ambulances were mobilised assuming he was hurt! At least he got a lift back.

 

Many well-known horses competed at Balcormo as it represented a very fair test, especially for embryonic steeplechasers. The whole list of that elite bunch would take up too much space, but I must mention at least three: Gayle Warning, Moor Lad and Flying Ace.

 

After Sir John died, Fiona and Jim Drysdale made the very brave decision to take over the running of this mammoth event and, with the help of Lady Gilmour, Sir Nicholas Gilmour and a committee, they very successfully resurrected the Fife Point-to-Point, it having nearly gone off the map with the two blank years in 2011 and 2012. The latest chapter started in 2022 when the Point-to-Point moved to the permanent course at Overton in Lanarkshire, it ran for a second year in 2023.  

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A new chapter is beginning for the Fife Point-to-Point going forward into 2024 and then 2025.  Louisa and Henry Cheape are preparing a brand new Point-to-Point Course at Pusk, near Leuchars in Fife.  This will be used in 2024 to run a variety of fun races, leading forward to a full Point-to-Point in 2025.