Awards Venue:
Jury’s Waterford
Champion Rider: J.T. McNamara (32 winners)
Champion Lady: Lulu Olivefalk
Champion Novice (Under 21): S. McGonagle, G. Elliott
Northern Champion: A.J. Martin
Southern Champion: T. Lombard
Eastern Champion: J.P. Berry
Western Champion: J.T. McNamara
Horse of the Year: Stay In Touch
Champion Senior (OVER 33): A.J. Martin
Personality of the Year: Bart Arnold
Leading Sire: Buckskin
RIDERS TABLE
32 J.T.McNamara
20 T.Lombard, A.J.Martin
18 E.Bolger, P.Cashman
17 B.Hassett
15 Paul Crowley, E.Gallagher, L.Lennon
14 N.D.Fehily
13 W.M.O’Sullivan, R.J.Patton
12 J.P.Berry, D.P.Costello
11 T.N.Cloke
10 J.A.Collins
9 G.Elliott, P.F.Graffin, B.R.Hamilton, P.M.Kelly, S.McGonagle
8 A.Fleming, D.M.O’Brien, J.G.Sheehan
7 A.G.Costello, J.L.Cullen, R.Flavin, J.Motherway, J.S.Vance
6 J.Bright, P.Buchanan, P.M.Cloke, C.A.Murphy, B.Potts
5 M.A.Cahill, W.Ewing, G.J.Harford, D.M.Keane, R.P.McNally, D.A.Nugent, Lulu Olivefalk, K.O’Sullivan,
4 J.A.Boland, J.P.Brennan, P.J.Burke, D.W.Cullen, F.P.Cunnigham, Diane Duffy, N.Geraghty, R.Geraghty,
T.Gibney, R.Hurley, V.T.Keane, J.O.McGurgan, J.P.McNamara, D.Murphy, J.P.Murphy, J.G.O’Connell, Rose Ring,
M.Spillane
3 J.A.Berry, P.J.Crowley, D.P.Daly, E.Fehily, P.Fenton, A.Fitzgerald, F.M.Hanley, J.Lombard, P.McAleese,
P.P.O’Brien, J.F.Robinson, J.M.Roche, J.R.Ryan, D.Valentine, D.Whelan.
2 R.J.Barnwell, K.Beecher, D.M.Christie, G.Clugston, A.J.Costello, P.P.Curran, J.P.Dempsey, B.N.Doyle,
P.Fahey, D.E.Finn, J.E.Finn, Barry Fitzgerald, P.J.Gilligan, R.Marrion, J.O.McGrath, G.J.McKeever, A.McNamara,
B.Moran, T.J.Nagle, K.F.O’Donnell, A.D.O’Leary, N.W.O’Neill, B.O’Sullivan, D.Quaid, K.M.Roche, R.M.Sheil,
J.J.Smyth, L.J.Temple, N.W.Toal, Lucy Townsley
1 I.T.Amond, W.L.Andrew, C.Andrews, J.P.Baragry, J.Beamish, P.P.Brennan, I.Buchanan, V.J.Burke,
A.G.Cash, Barry Clohessy, J.T.Codd, P.J.Colville, C.J.Cosgrave, M.Costello, M.Cronin, B.J.Crowley, G.Crowley,
T.W.Cullen, A.J.Dempsey, Lillian Doyle, D.Duggan, D.J.Duggan, M.J.Dunne, Carol Durkan, R.J.Egan,
T.J.Farrell, M.P.Fitzgerald, D.W.Flavin, R.H.Fowler, L.J.Gracey, D.Hassett, M.T.Hogan, Mary Hogan, T.P.Hyde,
J.Johnston, J.T.Keeling, N.C.Kelleher, R.D.Lee, D.P.Magner, C.J.Maguire, L.D.McBratney, P.J.McCrickard,
R.M.P.McNally, G.Mulcaire, P.G.Murphy, J.V.O’Brien, C.M.O’Donovan, E.J.O’Grady, P.O’Keeffe, D.O’Meara,
J.F.O’Meara, G.J.Power, K.Ross, Kate Rudd, M.D.Scanlon, J.A.Smith, A.P.St George, B.Walsh, R.Walsh,
S.L.Wrynn.
Some of the newcomers of note to the List (Riders who make their first appearance to the list. In most cases this is their first winners but not all)
C.J. Cosgrave - (Northern Amateur)
B.J. Crowley - (English Based professional with Venetia Williams formerly with Joe Crowley)
T.W. Cullen - (Brother of professional John)
Diane Duffy - (Summerhill lady rider. Caused an upset at home track when delaying Enda Bolgers record on
her own Herb Superb)
P. Fahey - (Kildare amateur formerly with Jessica Harrington and winner of ’02 Galway GPT handicap on
Quadco)
A. Fitzgerald - (Borris amateur. Formerly with Michael Hourigan where looked after Dorans Pride. Rode first
point winner on Deejaydee. Rode Garruth in points also. Won GPT Handicap at Galway twice on Gamekeeper
for Pat Hughes and champion bumper at Punchestown ’03 for Nicky Henderson)
D.W. Flavin - (English based amateur with Kim Bailey)
R.H. Fowler - (Son of trainer John)
V.T. Keane - (English based professional. Rider of Latomne)
J.T. Keeling - (Donabate amateur. Son of Ivan Keeling leading points rider in early eighties of approx 40
winners)
P.G. Murphy - (Nurney amateur with Tony Mullins)
R.P. McNally - (Meath Rider. Now English based professional with Paul Nicholls. Winner of Paddy Power
Chase Leopardstown on Inis Cara for Michael Hourigan. Cousin of Gordon Elliott)
P.P. O’Brien - (Limerick rider. Former professional. Rider of Barrow Drive??)
J.F. O’Meara - (Former amateur with Charlie Swan)
J.R. Ryan - (Meath Amateur. Rode Cregg House to win a Maiden)
G.J. Power - (Carrick On Suir trainer/rider linked to Joe Crowley)
Kate Rudd - (Sister of former Irish National/Galway plate winning professional Tom)
R.M. Sheil - (Racecourse Manager at Fairyhouse)
R. Walsh - (Champion Irish Rider. Grand national Winning rider(Papillon) & son of TV personality and former
top point to point rider Ted)
SUMMARY
- 1998 was the year always to be remembered for ‘The Record’ Willie Rooney had long been the man credited with riding more winners in point to points than any other rider but in recent years Enda Bolger had been closing the gap. At Balingarry aboard Elegant Lord he rode his 402nd winner to put himself on top of the pile in an eighteen year career that included 7 championships. In 1984 he rode a record of 33 winners in one season, in ’94 he beat Adrian Maguire’s record of 38 when he kicked in 42 winners and now with winner 402 he holds the record for the winning most point to point rider of all time
- 1998 however saw Enda Bolger lose his hold on the Champion Hunter Chaser award. Having taken it three times to ’96 with Elegant Lord and in ’97 with Dixon Varner he gave best to Wilbar and Stay In Touch. Although the Costello trained Stay In Touch was credited with the leading horse award Wilbar was given the vote in Mike Barretts end of year book.
- Elegant Lord returned from injury in this ’98 season and put up a brave display to finish runner up at Liverpool in the Foxhunters and although beating Wilbar in Leopardstown William Flood’s improving gelding got the better of the former champion in a rerouted Champion Hunter Chase held at Navan due to weather and track problems at Punchestown. Wilbar also coasted to victory in the Joseph O’Reilly. Stay In Touch found only Earthmover too good at Cheltenham going down by eighteen lengths but managed to beat Lucky Town by a neck at Fairyhouse under Dermot Costello.
- The leading rider saw John Thomas McNamara with 32 winners ensure a new name was on the cup taking the title by 12 winners from Tony Martin and Tom Lombard on 20. McNamara however took a crashing fall a week from the end of the season that saw him lucky to ride again due to injuries received to his pelvis when Pride Of The West hit the ground in the last race at Balingarry only hours after Enda Bolger had broken the record. There is still a constant reminder in hanging under the stairs in McNamara’s home of this fall as Healy photographers captured the moment that the champion’s season ended. He even had to give his acceptance speech from Hospital via telephone link on awards night.
- Gordon Elliott and Simon McGonagle divided the Novice title on 9 winners apiece with Elliott needing a disqualification at the end of the season to lift his score to nine.
- Johnny Berry took the Eastern award. It was well deserved title for the rider of 61 winners in his pointing career.
- Tony Martin took two awards with the Northern and Seniors award both going the way of the Meath rider who finished the season on 20 winners to tie for the runner up spot with the Southern Champion Tom Lombard.
- The Personality of The Year award went to Bart Arnold who leads the way in coverage of Pointing in the Cork & Waterford area. Having begun with an old Volkswagen van and two speakers he has since revolutionized coverage of pointing in Ireland.
