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By BETSY BRANSCOME
Rappahannock News Staff Writer
Whatever it may be considered in other jump racing jurisdictions — the Midwest, Pennsylvania, Maryland or Mother England — point-to-pointing is considered, by and large, an amateur sport in the Commonwealth. It was fittimj, then, that former professional jockey Greg Ryan had “regained” his amateur status prior to dominating Saturday’s Old Dominion Hounds Point-to-Point.
With a restored “gentleman jockey” title the Maryland-based rider traveled to the Ben Venue Farm races April 8, winning four starts from four rides, including the co-featured jump races on the extensive program.
Series competition at point-to-points is for conditioned company, made for local runners owned and ridden by part-time horsemen. The open races, however, often draw professionals and sanctioned runners using the relaxed point-to-point competition as preparation for future engagements.
Such was the case with former pro Ryan and his two feature mounts, winners Circuit Bar and Gus’s Boy. Michael Murphy’s Circuit Bar looked every inch the multiple stakes winner that he is, wiring the field in the open hurdle contest. And Commonwealth’s 1991 timber titlist Gus’s Boy had little trouble dishing a four-length beating to the field in the Leeds Don open timber. But for the two stakes-caliber victors, young trainer-rider Gus Brown could have scored a local double with maiden Val’s Music, well-placed second in the hurdle, and with novice Edge Hill Squire in the open timber. Both of Brown’s runners would have won another day for sure.
Ryan warmed up for his feature wins by
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