Outlined below is a summary of Hunter Certificate arrangements for the 2017 – 2018 season, and of the changes that will apply to the following 3 seasons.  This information reflects the MFHA’s press release dated 18^th August 2017 and is reproduced here with permission of the MFHA.

Hunter Certificate Registration 2017 – 2018 Season

The MFHA have confirmed that existing arrangements for obtaining and registering Hunter Certificates remain unaltered for the 2017 – 2018 season.

Hunt Subscriptions 2017 – 2018 Season

Existing arrangements for Hunt Point-to-Point Subscriptions are unaffected for the 2017 – 2018 Season

Hunter Certificate registration 2018 – 2019 Season and beyond

The MFHA have also announced that for 2018 – 2019 there will be a centralised process for obtaining and registering Hunter Certificates.

A standard fee of £160 per horse, plus the Point To Point Authority/BHA administration fee of around £100, will apply to all Hunter Certificate Registrations.

The Hunter Certificate Form will require the signature of a Master, or authorised Hunt Signatory.  The Hunt providing the signature will receive the full £160 standard fee.

The £160 fee will be fixed for three years, i.e. for the 2018 – 2019, 2019 – 2020, 2020 – 2021 seasons.

The registration and payment process will be managed by Weatherbys.

Hunt Subscriptions 2018 – 2019 Season and beyond

The standardised £160 Hunter Certificate Fee is “fee to be able to run a horse in Point-to-Points” it is not a Hunt Point-to-Point Subscription.

Individual Hunts will determine whether or not an additional amount, a Hunt Point-to-Point Subscription, is payable by those wishing to hunt.

In line with current practice there will be no requirement for a horse to have hunted in order to run in a Point-to-Point.   However, it should be noted that some Hunts have restricted Owners their Members’ Race to horses that have been properly qualified out hunting with their Hunt.

Owners of Point-to-Point horses are very much encouraged to bring their horses out hunting where it is safe and sensible to do so.

Why has the MFHA decided to make this change?

The decision to review current Hunter Certificate arrangements was driven by concerns raised regarding the fair and consistent implementation of mandatory regional rates, and latterly advisory regional rates.

During the first half of 2017 the MFHA conducted a survey of Hunts to determine the support and opposition to a proposal to implement a centralised system for collecting Hunter Certificate fees.

The proposal attracted widespread debate and divided opinion.  However, the outcome of the survey supported a centralised approach by a majority of two to one.

The proposals outlined above are the MFHA’s response to this outcome.

2017 – 2018 Hunter Certificate Forms

The 2017 – 2018 Hunter Certificate Form will be added to the national Point-to-Point website www.pointtopoint.co.uk in the near future.   We will post a link in our Useful Links section of www.ppora.co.uk when this becomes available.