IT'S time to reach for the picnic baskets, the binoculars, the car rugs and probably the wellies too, because the point-to-point season is here again.

The long list of meetings in Worcestershire and Herefordshire starts tomorrow at Chaddesley Corbett, near Kidderminster, with the Harkaway Club fixture and runs through until the end of May at the same course, when the Albrighton Woodland Hunt event will be held on Monday, May 26.

By then Worcestershire County Cricket Club should have played about a dozen games - floods permitting - and the warm sunshine and long evenings of early summer ought to be here. We can only dream.

In the meantime there's bound to be plenty of mud to wade through.

Early season meetings invariably mean softer going, while at the back end of the calendar you can often hear the runners' hooves rattling on the hard ground. So as far as punters are concerned it's a case of looking for what goes on what, because over the season the whole range of conditions is likely to be encountered. Horses for courses is very much a principle as far as point-to-pointing is concerned.

One horse to look out for in particular, especially when conditions do improve from the early season slosh, is Euryalus from the yard of trainer Andy Hobbs at Hanley Swan, near Upton-upon-Severn.

Andy's principal owner is Clive Hitchens, a long-time supporter of the sport, and once again he has assembled a strong string with proven performers St Reverien and Lindberg Law likely to lead the way.

But while one of the area's best-known owners Hitchens will undoubtedly be back in the winners' enclosure during the season, point-to-point's most successful jockey ever certainly won't be.

Former three times champion jockey, sheep farmer Julian Pritchard from Ledbury, has been forced to retire after a serious race riding injury last May, when he broke the top of his right leg where it enters the hip joint. He rode a record-breaking 386 point-to-point winners and a further 34 National Hunt winners.

"I've been advised by specialists it's the time to stop," said 40-year-old Julian. "I couldn't have ridden this season anyway and at my time of life there would have been no way back. I'm glad the doctors made the decision for me.

"I have never gone out just to ride the safe ones and I didn't want to come back and worry about the next fall. I'm just glad to have had the support of so many people over the years. It's all been such good fun."

In Pritchard's absence, ex-champion jockey Richard Burton from Shropshire is sure to benefit from some of his rides, as will riders such as Adrian Wintle, Liam Payter and Adam Wadlow.

Another long-time sparring partner of Pritchard, Tim Stephenson from Castlemorton, near Malvern, is soldiering on and he has half-a-dozen runners in his yard, the pick of which could be Up Our Street, which ran promisingly at Brecon, mid Wales, last season.

Another horse to keep an eye on is Metallic, once owned by Irish legend JP McManus, so at one stage it obviously showed promise. However, the horse never made it on to a racecourse in the McManus colours and was subsequently resold.

But it has won a point-to-point and could easily come good again.

Worcester trainer Mike Hammond has now moved his yard from Eastbury, on the edge of the city, a mile or so down the road to the village of Lower Broadheath, where is he making his mark as a National Hunt trainer. Following the switch, his wife Zoe has taken charge of the point-to-pointers and although the stable will be sending out fewer this season, King's Reply is worth following early in the season, while Sabena Canyon could score later on.

Another two to look out for are Inch Royal and Run for Churchtown from the Upton-upon-Severn yard of Claudia Wilesmith.

Finally, one of the area's best-known names Nicky Sheppard, who runs the yard at Eastnor, near Ledbury, with her husband Matt, is making steady progress after a horrible fall while out hunting in early November. After nearly two months in hospital, she is now back home and, according to her husband: "She is in good form and spirits."

It will be asking a lot for her to add to her career tally of more than 100 point-to-point wins this season, but knowing Nicky that will be her aim and everyone in the sport wishes her well. So raise a glass of champers from the picnic basket to a brave lady.

While the experienced hands of point-to-pointing look forward to another season, 2008 has already proved an exciting time for one young Worcestershire rider. Clare Mitchell, aged 19, from Cradley, near Malvern, scored her very first win at the recent Heythrop meeting at Chipping Norton, Gloucestershire.

In fact, race riding runs in the family, for Clare's uncle is Ronnie Hyett, the former National Hunt star, who rode in three Grand Nationals. So she wasn't short of advice.

Clare was a very successful junior showjumper herself before getting the racing bug when she went to work at John Spearing's yard at Kinnersley, near Upton-upon-Severn. She said: "I had 10 rides last season when I was really learning the game and my best finish was a second.This year I have had four rides, finished second twice and now I've had my first winner. It's brilliant."

The win came on her mother Karen O'Neill's 10-year-old bay gelding Cross the Highman, which formerly ran out of Jonjo O'Neill's yard at Jackdaw's Castle, near Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, and was owned by JP McManus.

Clare, who by day works for Williams estate agents in Foregate Street, Worcester, said: "He was a winning hurdler, but at his age he was unlikely to improve and so mum had the chance to buy him."

The horse is trained by Ron and Karen at Riley Hill Farm, Cradley, and is one of those that won't jump a pole on the ground at home, but flies his fences out racing. So a pair to look out for then.

POINT-TO-POINT DATES FOR YOUR DIARYSunday, February 3:Harkaway Club, Chaddesley Corbett, Worcestershire. Secretary, Anne Davenport, telephone and fax: 01572 879267.Saturday, February 16:North Hereford Hunt, Whitwick Manor, Hereford. Secretary, Frank Morgan, telephone 01568 611166.Sunday, March 2:Ross Harriers, Garnons, Hereford. Secretary, Mrs Verity Look, telephone 01989 780255.Sunday March 16:South Hereford Hunt, Garnons, Hereford. Secretary, Liz Morgans, telephone 01989 730418Saturday, March 22:Teme Valley Hunt, Brampton Bryan, Hereford. Secretary, Miss Pauline Duggan, telephone 01544 388489/388258.Monday, March 24:North Cotswold Hunt, Paxford. Secretary, Col RJR Symonds, telephone and fax 01386 852207.Tuesday, March 25:Croome & West Warwickshire Hunt, Upton-on-Severn. Secretary, William Lane telephone and fax 01905 381707.Sunday, March 30:Ledbury Hunt, Maisemore Park, Hereford. Secretary, Mrs Viv Grundy, telephone and fax 01531 650646.Saturday, April 12:Ludlow Hunt, Bitterley, Shropshire. Secretary, Mrs Belinda Clarke, telephone 01746 712113Saturday, April 19:Worcestershire Hunt, Chaddesley Corbett. Secretary, Mrs Charlotte Banks telephone 01886 812285.Saturday, April 26:United Pack, Brampton Bryan, near Ludlow, Shropshire. Secretary, Roger Tydeman, telephone 01588 640196.Saturday and Sunday, May 3 and 4:Radnor & West Hereford Hunt, Cold Harbour, Hereford. Secretary, Mrs Christine Rogers, telephone and fax 0156 8 612324.Monday May 5:North Ledbury Hunt, Maisemore Park, Hereford. Secretary, Mrs Sally Merrick, telephone 01531 640772.Sunday, May 11:Wheatland Hunt, Chaddesley Corbett. Secretary, Mrs Annabel Wadlow, telephone and fax 01746 714205.Saturday, May 17:Golden Valley Hunt, Bredwardine, near Hereford. Secretary, Will Holland telephone and fax 01497 820710.Sunday, May 18:Clifton-on-Teme Hunt, Upper Sapey. Secretary, Mrs Emma Carpenter, telephone 01886 853255.Monday, May 26:Albrighton Woodland Hunt, Chaddesley Corbett. Secretary: Rebkka Fiorani, telephone 07791383566.