ONE of the oldest and most popular point-to-point meetings in the country looks like being cancelled for the first time because of the foot and mouth crisis.

Kilworthy Point-to-Point, run by Lamerton Hunt, was due to be held on March 24 — with Spooners and West Dartmoor Hunt's Cherrybrook races in early April.

Now these events are unlikely to be held — impacting widely on rural people and the riding fraternity.

Clerk of the Kilworthy course Michael Smale said, to his knowledge, it was the first time the event had been cancelled.

'It's one of the oldest in the country,' he said. 'The Jockey Club are reviewing the situation on March 23, but we haven't carried out any work on the course because of the epidemic — I would say that the point-to-point is definitely a no-go at the moment.'

He said it was 'very disappointing' for everyone involved in the event, which he said raised valuable income for the Hunt.

'There's a lot of hard work done by the owners of the horses and the trainers. Obviously, some people have taken their horses out of training, but there are people who rely on it for a living, so their income is being cut as well.'

Mr Smale said if the disease was contained and the crisis receded, a meeting would be held with farmers to decide whether Kilworthy Point-to-Point could be held later in the year.

Frank Yeo, secretary of Spooners Hunt, said a decision had not yet been made on the Cherrybrook races.

'We are looking at it day-to-day. The next three or four days are critical. If there are no more outbreaks and it looks as though it's going to go no further, we may see lifting of the movement restrictions.'

Mr Yeo expected a decision on the point-to-point would be made next week.

Yvonne Watson, of Bridestowe, has five horses which she and fellow trainer Jo Channon have been working up to peak racing condition.

'I'm gutted,' said Yvonne. 'We can't actually get the horses out at all. We have put eight months work in. The horses are 100 per cent fit, but they are just out in the field.

'I can't see any point-to-points taking place this year. We just have to sit tight and wait.'

Yvonne said the effects of the outbreak were wide and far-reaching.

'You have to think about the feed merchants, and we won't be having the farrier in because the horses aren't working.

'We don't know where we will be able to get hay or straw. Everybody is affected. We can't feel sorry for ourselves when you think of people losing their whole livelihood, but there's no compensation for us, for the feed merchants and everyone else.'

Ken Heard, of Hughslade Farm at Okehampton, has three horses on his beef and sheep farm which would normally be racing at point-to-points.

He said despite the fact he owns a gallop, he cannot exercise the horses on it because he has to cross roads to get to it.

'We're very disappointed but we have to think of everybody else. I don't see it starting up again this year.

'We are just letting our horses down, not feeding them such high protein foods as they are not getting so much exercise.

'We are pretty depressed, just living from day to day, waiting to see what's going on, doing all we can to keep everything out and biding within the law.'