For the fifth year in a row Barry O’Neill is crowned leading point-to-point rider courtesy of what heading into the final weekend of the season, was a winners tally of 54.
The season began well for the Kiltealy native with a four-timer in Ballingarry on the opening day of the season and it would be one of three cards that he would win four races at, having repeated the feat at Tinahely in October and last weekend in Tralee.
Tinahely proved to be a particularly successful venue for him during the season, as he also rode one of his two trebles from the season at the venue’s November meeting, with his other three-timer coming at Castletown-Geoghegan in early October.
O’Neill added a further nine doubles during the season which leaves him with close to three times the number of winners compared with any other rider during the campaign.
That domination allowed him to complete a historic feat as he becomes the first rider since the introduction of the point-to-point awards in the early 1980’s to win each of the four regional titles in the same season.
In the west, O’Neill shared that title with Rob James and James Kenny, whilst he was the outright winner in each of the three other regions including a first ever title in the south where he finished the season 11 winners clear of Derek O’Connor and James Hannon.
In all, ten different handlers supplied O’Neill with winners throughout the season but that list is dominated by his principal supporter Colin Bowe. The pair teaming up successfully on 35 different occasions ahead of this final weekend.
O’Neill also rode winners for David Christie, Andrew Latta, Eoin Doyle, Gordon Elliott, Jamie Sloan, Paul Nolan, Richard Rath, Sean Doyle and Warren Ewing throughout the campaign.
O’Neill also rode winners for David Christie, Andrew Latta, Eoin Doyle, Gordon Elliott, Jamie Sloan, Paul Nolan, Richard Rath, Sean Doyle and Warren Ewing throughout the campaign.
