With the vast majority of leading point-to-point jockeys nowadays working full-time in racing, and therefore professional in all but name, it is refreshing to see the true amateurs achieving success. A notable example would be David Maxwell – although he has not yet ridden between the flags this season – along with the recently retired Darren Edwards. Christy Furness, London-based but a Yorkshireman to his core, would be another ‘corinthian’. He rode his first winner of the season last weekend on Camdonian at Sheriff Hutton, a 37th success of a career that includes victory at Cheltenham on Monbeg Chit Chat in 2021. Jake Exelby spoke to Christy afterwards to find out why he travels up and down the country every weekend to fuel his passion for pointing.
How old are you, where are you from and where are you based now?
I’m 34 and grew up near Thirsk in North Yorkshire, where my parents have a farm. I now live in West London and work for the investment bank Panmure Liberum, where I raise money for private businesses. I got married to Stefeni in June – she’s so supportive of what I do that she was happy for me to ride at the Stratford Hunter Chase meeting the night before our wedding. We decided not to run in the end!
Stefeni’s not horsey but she’s become a point-to-point widow and traipses round the country after me. It was great to ride a winner for her on Pillowman at Witton Castle.
Do your colleagues know what you get up to at the weekends? If so, what do they think?
They’re very supportive. Rich Ricci is our CEO so we occasionally chat about racing – well, he talks about the top end and I talk about the bottom end!
How do you cope with all the travelling back and forth from London?
I go back every weekend to go hunting and racing. I get a train after work on Friday, and Sundays are normally fine, but I had an eight-and-a-half-hour journey back from Alnwick this week – there were no trains south of Peterborough, so I had to get a bus to Bedford, train to London then another bus home!
Talk me through your career in racing so far and how you got into point-to-pointing in the first place?
My family have always been involved with pointing. Mum rode when she was first married and was Secretary of the Bedale for 25 years, and Dad was Chair of the Yorkshire Area before Fiona Needham. They’ve also always had horses in training, most recently with Keith Reveley.
I wasn’t interested when I was younger and didn’t really start riding until I was 16. Mum had a horse – Malek – with Keith, which I started betting on. It won the Borders National at Kelso, and I caught the racing bug.
Talk me through your first ride… and your first win
I was 22 when I had my first ride on Oaklands Robbie at North Carlton – we were left a very lucky second. I was so nervous on the way there that I wanted the car to breakdown, and I think there were two false starts, which made things even worse. I was at Leeds University at the time, the vet Graham Russ leased us the horse and Clive Mulhall and his wife Marti trained him for us.
My first winner was Bold Ransom at Mordon in 2013. We used to have him under rules with Keith and Mum trained him in points, which was great.
I’ve ridden winners for Paul Frank and Chris Denny, who are family friends, as well as on a spare ride for Chris Dawson but I mostly ride for my parents now.
What have been your career highlights?
Shantou Prince has been the most special horse. I won eight on him and he really got me going. He’s 16 now, Mum’s hunter, part of the family and still a legend.
Winning at Cheltenham on Monbeg Chit Chat was unbelievable – I’d already been placed there on Shantou Prince. We were looking for a nice older horse and he came from Gigginstown. He blossomed after Covid and Gill Walford trained him so well. It’s what dreams are made of.
I was also the first jockey to overturn a BHA whip ban – there was even a story in the Racing Post about it! It was after I’d been fourth on Camdonian at Cheltenham – I wanted to ride at Cartmel so appealed and represented myself. (I ask how Christy got off). I guess my riding style is agricultural! I wasn’t actually hitting the horse, just showing him the whip.
Which horse (not one of your own mounts) would you most like to ride?
Sine Nomine. She’s been such a star for Yorkshire pointing, and her Foxhunters win was great for pointing in general – although she wouldn’t have won if I’d been riding! Robin Tate and Fiona Needham are based in the next village to us.
Which other jockeys do you admire?
Any who win on young horses, and especially those who train them too. So, the likes of John Dawson, Jack Teal, Joe Wright and Will Easterby.
Jack now trains your horses. What made you send them to him?
I know Jack really well and he’s good fun. He’s also a great trainer – he trains his horses individually and really thinks about what he does. The whole family are involved with the operation, we’ve had great success with them, and you can’t knock their record.
I wouldn’t be able to do what I do without the help of people like the Teals, the, Walfords, and Andy Geraghty in Ireland, who has found all the horses we’ve owned, going back 30 years – as well as my family and friends of course!
What's your favourite course?
Any track in Yorkshire! I think I’ve won at all of them except Hutton Rudby. Alnwick’s also a lucky track for us.
What do you enjoy most about pointing?
There’s a great scene in Yorkshire. We do it as a family – Mum still rides them and gets them fit before sending them to Jack – and I’ve made a lot of friends as a result. The weekends are always enjoyable, but I also push myself to be competitive and enjoy the thrill.
What are your ambitions in pointing and racing? How long do you think you’ll continue?
No comment. I’ve been saying ‘this is my last season’ to Stefeni and everyone else for the past four years!
Your mother Grania is closely involved with the BHSA. What do you think will happen to pointing after a hunting ban?
It’s a difficult question, and the divergence between hunting and pointing started when you no longer had to qualify your horse. I’m on the committee for the Yorkshire Jockeys meeting at Charm Park – I look after sponsorship – and it’s hard to put on a meeting, as you need so many volunteers. There’s been some rebranding – the likes of Bedale Races and Scarborough Races – which is probably the right thing, but I hope money still goes to the hunt.
The rescheduling of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance fixture at Sheriff Hutton caused some controversy. Do you have a view on that?
There seemed to be a lot of decision-makers involved. Rescheduling a meeting is a nightmare and I think people should be able to do so if they want to – it’s for the good of the sport – and there should be more collaboration between areas. Fewer meetings mean owners miss out and they’re having a hard enough time with Covid and rising costs. More meetings mean more chances to have a winner.
What are your non-horsey hobbies?
I help Dad run the farm – both from London and at the weekend. It’s a mixed farm, with 100 head of cattle, 500 sheep and a few hundred acres of arable. I also enjoy watching cricket – Joe Root’s my favourite player, of course!
Tell me something I wouldn't know from asking these questions
I very nearly gave up on my first ride back after the second Covid lockdown when I fell off at Revesby Park. Luckily I kept going, as I’ve had the best four years of my career.
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