Putting our sport in the frame

CAERPHILLY husband-and-wife team Alun and Shirley Sedgemore, pictured right, are well known to point-to-point fans.
For the past 20 years, Alun has been taking pictures of horses and riders and Shirley has spent many happy hours sitting by their trailer showing them to the many owners and riders who have in time become their friends.
Alun said, “Taking photos at point-to-points is exciting. You never know how they are going to come out and some horses are more photogenic than others.”
He added, “There is such a friendly atmosphere at Welsh meetings.”
However, on one occasion at the Vale of Clettwr in 1999, Shirley was standing safely, or so she thought, behind the roped area at the start when a horse got loose and struck into her.
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She ended up in hospital with a broken collar bone and 10 stitches in her head. If proof was needed of the couple’s popularity the huge number of get-well messages Shirley received was evidence.
Alun has noted that when riders look at the photographs he has taken of them they are more interested in their position in the saddle rather than the quality of the picture.
He has taken thousands of photographs and is toying with the idea of producing a book. So if there are any publishers reading this article they can contact him at his address below. Alun says it was former Welsh champion rider Tim Rooney who introduced him to the sport.
Back in 1984, farrier Tim, who used to shoe their daughter’s pony, suggested that they visit the Tredegar Farmers point-to-point. They took his advice and have been hooked ever since.
Meanwhile, Stewart Peters’ latest book, The Irish Grand National – The History Of Ireland's Premier Steeplechase (Published by Tempus at £20) is to my mind his best yet.
Bentom Boy who won in 1984 was trained by Tim Rooney’s uncle Willie Rooney and ridden by Tim’s cousin Ann Ferris the late trainer’s daughter. Not many people know that Willie Rooney originally came from the Vale of Glamorgan, but perhaps more about him in a future article.
Over the years, this race, first run in 1870, has been won by some really good horses such as Prince Regent, Arkle, Flying Bolt, Brown Lad, Fortria, Tied Cottage and Devon Orchid to name just some of them.
The race soon established itself as Ireland’s most famous steeplechase and this lavishily illustrated book with photography by Pat Healey is a winner.
Welsh point-to-point champion rider Tim Vaughan is making a name for himself as a trainer and saddled his fifth winner last week when Kings Euro, owned by Rhondda retired greengrocer Norman John, ploughed through the mud to land the Empower Training Novices Hurdle under Richard Johnson at Uttoxeter. Kings Euro won three point-to-points this year with Tim in the saddle and should be one to watch when he goes novice chasing.
Later in the afternoon, Johnson was successful on Insignia for Carmarthen’s Alison Thorpe.