David Simpson: Baring all for a great cause *H&H VIP*

Opinion

It was great to be back on a point-to-point course on Sunday at Barbury. Communication is one of my favourite subjects and I applaud the organisers for their use of an innovation.

A series of text messages were sent by Steven Astaire to keep racegoers informed of going changes and roadworks. The service is free for subscribers and it would be good to see this innovation adopted by other fixtures.

My summer and autumn have been taken up with a very worthwhile project. This involved a brave group of point-to-point ladies, led by Leanda Tickle, who have bared all to raise money for the Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF). The result is a calendar — The Big Reveal — which is now on sale for £10.

While this concept doesn’t appeal to everyone, our offering is classy with a touch of humour. The Big Reveal has been well received within the pointing ranks and wider racing community.

All of the costs for design and print were covered by sponsorship so every penny goes to the IJF. It can be purchased at the early-season point-to-point meetings, from the IJF at ‘under Rules’ racecourses, and at davidseverywhere.com.

The reasons for doing the calendar were brought into focus a couple of weeks ago when one of the participants, Tabitha Worsley, took a horrible fall at Ludlow. Tabitha — August in the calendar — is now recovering at home following surgery.

I look forward to seeing her back in the saddle soon.

Ref Horse & Hound; 30 November 2017