LOCAL riders who do not usually feature on the main racecard will try their hand at negotiating the fences at Whittington's point-to-point Easter Saturday meeting in a special charity race on the card.

"It's a bit of fun ..a short-distance event over seven of the 18 fences in the last race on the card involving local riders to raise money for charity," said Chris Hodgson, the Clerk of the Course.

Chris and his team of volunteers are currently hard at work building a couple of new birch fences - an annual task - and ensuring the course is in tip-top condition for the Vale of Lune Hunt's meeting on Easter Saturday, April 7 (first race off 2pm).

The event draws huge crowds at Easter-time and many of them picnic on the car park banking, which has a tremendous view of the entire course.

The big race on the card is the Men's Open, which usually attracts an excellent entry from all over the North and even further afield.

The Members' race for the Hunt Cup is an amalgamated event this year between Vale of Lune and Holcombe Hunt, which stages its own meeting here later in the month on Saturday, April 21 (1pm start).