The 2017-’18 point-to-point started in cold conditions last October and ended in sunshine at Ballingarry, Co. Tipperary, on June Bank Holiday Monday and the national titles are with Colin Bowe, Barry O’Neill and Sean O’Keeffe (shared) and they deserved all that came their way during a very successful season.

BARRY O’NEILL . Champion national point-to-point rider again.

Barry O’Neill is champion rider for the second consecutive year (58 wins this year compared with 66 a year ago), Colin Bowe takes the handlers’ championship for the sixth time (shared with his neighbour Donnchadh Doyle in 2015), and Sean O’Keeffe, Taghmon, shared the novice riders’ title with Cork-born Wexford-based Shane Fitzgerald, who levelled on 11 each with two winners over the weekend.
Fitzgerald was aboard the Michael Goff, Monageer, trained Est Illac, running in the colours of Derek Tobin, Enniscorthy, and the 12 lengths winner of division two of the maiden race for four year old geldings at Kinsale on Sunday.
Meanwhile, other Wexford connections were making hay at the first of two days at Ballingarry. Colin Bowe saddled Queen Of The Court for Patrick Hennessy, and with Rob James up, won division two of the five year old mares maiden race by two and a half lengths.

COLIN BOWE wins his 6th national point-to-point handlers’ championship.

James had a remarkable season and finished third in the national riders’ championship with 42 winners, just behind Barry O’Neill and Derek O’Connor (50), with the injured Jamie Codd in fourth spot with 39 winners.
James Walsh, Preben, Shillelagh, who had a seasonal total of eleven winners finished off his best season with a one length victory on Trumps Benefit, trained by John Paul Brennan for his wife, Marie, at Moonasootha, Camolin, in division one of the maiden race for five year old geldings.
Jamie Scallan from Tomhaggard won on Highstreet Roller for Matthew Flynn O’Connor, Jimmy O’Rourke had his second win of the weekend on Roisin Hickey’s Kensukes Kingdom in the Winner of One, and aaron Sinnott, (22), from Enniscorthy, won on Gemma’s Flame for Hugh Finegan.
The final point-to-point weekend of the 2017-’18 season kicked off with a Saturday evening meeting at Kinsale where Barry O’Neill was assured of retaining his championship title with a double success.
He partnered Fiercly Forgie for John Halley in the second division of the maiden race for five year old geldings before teaming up with David Christie to take the Open Lightweight Race by four lengths with Eddies Miracle.
Denis Murphy, Ballybay Stables, The Ballagh, saddled Thelongwayaround to win the first division of the maiden race for five-year-old geldings by three lengths with Jimmy O’Rourke, Silversprings, Bridgetown, in the saddle.
Congratulations to everybody on a memorable point-to-point season and the awards will be presented at a gala night in Clayton Whites Hotel, Wexford, on Saturday, June 9th.