Sport
Tributes pour in for ‘First Lady of Point-to-pointing’ following death of Cynthia Higgon
Tributes are pouring in for Cynthia Higgon, a woman described by many as the First Lady of Point-to-pointing following her death after battling cancer for many years. She was 86.
She will be remembered for giving a lifetime of service to point-to-pointing but also to many other organisations which brought so much pleasure to riders of all abilities, including Riding for the Disabled and the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society.
Born and raised in Gloucestershire, she was introduced to the sport as a young child, and then followed her father into the mastership of the Pembrokeshire Hunt when she moved to the county in 1964. She subsequently held a mastership with the Pembrokeshire, and had 14 seasons as field master to the South Pembrokeshire.
“My first recollection of point-to-pointing was as a child,” she once said in a newspaper interview.
“On Easter Sundays it would be church in the morning, family lunch, then to Ryalls Court to clean the numbers on the number board for the Croome point-to-point on Easter Tuesday.”
She also took great pride in seeing pony races being held at some of the county’s point-to-points.
“The young are the future,” she said. “Already in Wales we have produced some super horses and quality jockeys, and when I see trainers such as Peter Bowen, Evan Williams and Tim Vaughan doing so well, I feel honoured to have known them.”
Cynthia Higgon continued following hounds on the back of a thoroughbred until she was well into her 80s.
Paying tribute to her commitment to the sport and her outstanding horsemanship this week was Beverley Thomas, who succeeded her as the West Wales point-to-point secretary.
“One of her finest legacies is The Planner, which she was instrumental in instigating and which she stewarded all her life,” she said.
“She was a key organiser at the Royal Welsh Show at Builth Wells and was incredibly resilient, as we saw in her recent battles with cancer. She initiated inter-hunt relays at shows all over Wales and if you asked Cynthia to do something, she gave it her all. Nothing was too much trouble for her and if there was a fundraising event, she was there.”
Cynthia Higgon was a familiar face at meetings as a steward and owned and trained point-to-pointers including Sir Noddy who, in 1989 won three on the bounce, and was a candidate for the country’s leading novice, while Terrierman was named after her husband, Peter.
But perhaps Cynthia is best known for her administrative skills which saw her become chairman of the PPSA (Point-to-Point Secretaries’ Association) which organises meetings and has a key role in creating the fixtures’ list. She was also the West Wales area secretary for over 40 years.
“For me she was the First Lady of point-to-pointing, and when I became chairman, she was often the first port of call, and was always there with ready advice,” said Robert Killen, who is the current PPSA chairman. “I always respected her views, and we had a lot of laughs too. She was enormous fun.”
The Cynthia Higgon Award for services to administration within the sport has become a treasured piece of recognition for officials around Britain and is presented at the National Dinner and Awards ceremony each year. For many years she presented it in person.
Following her retirement, Cynthia Higgon continued to be a great supporter of point-to-pointing in Pembrokeshire.
“She always took a great interest in everything we were doing and gave a lifetime of service, not only to point-to-pointing but so many other organisations connected with riding,” added Beverley Thomas. “Our thoughts are with her family at this very sad time.”
WALES’ search for a first win in this year’s Women’s Six Nations continues after a tough afternoon at Rodney Parade saw them fall 40-14 to a dominant Ireland side.
Despite a strong start and an early try from Carys Cox, the home team quickly lost control of the match as Ireland ran in six tries – two apiece from Linda Djougang, Aoife Wafer, and Dorothy Wall.
A second-half score from late squad addition Hannah Bluck gave Wales a glimmer of hope, but it was little more than consolation in front of a record crowd of 3,568 at the Newport venue.
Ireland’s forwards proved too powerful throughout, and Wales’ defensive frailties were exposed time and again. The defeat marks Wales’ fourth consecutive loss of the tournament, and they now face a must-win match against Italy to avoid finishing bottom of the table for a second straight year.
Wales began with purpose, with stand-in fullback Lleucu George causing problems early. Her clever kick down the flank forced an error from Ireland’s Amee-Leigh Costigan, allowing Cox to dive on the loose ball for the opening try.
But Ireland soon found their rhythm, capitalising on soft tackling and set-piece pressure. Djougang muscled over after a burst from Wafer, who soon added one of her own as the visitors took control.
Even a yellow card for Ireland fly-half Dannah O’Brien – shown a card for dangerous contact – did little to help Wales. The Irish maintained their dominance with Wall crossing just before half-time to put them 21-7 ahead.
Ireland continued their charge in the second half, with Wall securing the bonus point shortly after the restart. While Cox and Jasmine Joyce-Butchers tried to spark a response, handling errors and turnovers repeatedly derailed Welsh attacks.
Bluck’s try, created by strong carries from Carys Phillips and a sharp offload from Keira Bevan, gave fans something to cheer. But Wafer had the last word, bulldozing her way over from the base of the scrum to seal the win.
Ireland now look to cement third place when they face Scotland, while Wales have one last chance to salvage their campaign when they travel to face Italy.
After the match, head coach Sean Lynn admitted the performance was painful: “It hurts. We all feel it. We had moments where we were right in it – we could have gone 14-0 up – but didn’t take our chances. That’s the difference at this level.”
Ireland’s Aoife Wafer reflected on the team’s spirit: “We talk about being the most connected team in the world. That shows in how we play – not just the 23 here, but the girls back home too. Winning away is never easy, so we’re proud of this.”
Wales team: Joyce-Butchers; Neumann, Jones (capt), Keight, Cox; George, Bevan; G. Pyrs, K. Jones, Scoble, Fleming, Evans, K. Williams, Lewis, Callender.
Replacements: C. Phillips, Davies, Rose, John, A. Pyrs, S. Jones, Bluck, Richards.
Ireland team: Flood; McGann, Dalton, Breen, Amee-Leigh; O’Brien, Scuffil-McCabe; McCarthy, N. Jones, Djougang, Campbell, Wall, Hogan, McMahon (capt), Wafer.
Replacements: Moloney, McGrath, Haney, Tuite, Boles, Lane, Higgins, Elmes Kinlan.
Yellow card: O’Brien (36 mins)
Tries – Wales: Cox, Bluck | Conversions: Bevan 2
Tries – Ireland: Djougang 2, Wafer 2, Wall 2 | Conversions: O’Brien 3, Breen 2
FISHGUARD will once again play host to the Wales Triathlon this summer, with hundreds of competitors set to descend on the town for the popular sporting event on Sunday, June 15.
Organised by Activity Wales Events, the triathlon includes a two-lap sea swim in Fishguard Bay, followed by a two-lap cycle from Fishguard to St Davids and a four-lap run along the Marine Walk and out onto the breakwater.
In order to facilitate the bike leg on closed roads, several road closures will be in place throughout the day.
Major road closures
The A487 between Goodwick and Mathry will be closed between 9:45am and 3:00pm.
Between Mathry and Croesgoch, the A487 will be closed from 10:00am to 3:00pm, and from Croesgoch to St Davids the closure will run from 10:00am until 2:45pm.
Crossing points will be in operation at Mathry crossroads, Croesgoch crossroads, and the Llangoffan to Granston junction. Diversions will be signposted, with local traffic routed via minor B roads and through Haverfordwest for longer journeys.
Town centre impact
In Fishguard, West Street will be closed between 12:00pm and 6:00pm for the running stage. Residents will still be able to exit side roads, with diversions clearly marked.
Goodwick residents will be able to exit the town via the Tesco roundabout, which will remain open all day.
Care access and course passes
Care workers will be allowed access to visit clients within the closed sections, but must obtain a course pass via their organisation in advance.
On the day, carers using the route must:
- Follow the direction of the race
- Display their pass clearly
- Keep hazard lights on at all times
- Exit the route as soon as safely possible
Further information
The event attracted over 1,000 athletes last year, and organisers anticipate another strong turnout.
More information can be found at: www.walestriathlon.com/athletes/event-info
Road closure details are available at: community.walestriathlon.com
For course pass enquiries, contact: info@activitywalesevents.com
All matches complete as season concludes
THE 2024/25 season of the South Pembrokeshire Short Mat Bowls Association – known as The Friendly League – has now officially concluded, with all clubs completing their outstanding fixtures.
The past few weeks saw the following catch-up matches played:
- Carew 8–2 Llanteg
- St Johns 8–2 Cosheston
- Hundleton 8–2 Reynalton
- Reynalton 9–1 Lamphey
- Cosheston 10–0 Kilgetty
- East Williamston 9–1 Kilgetty
Final League Table (2024/25 Season)
| Position | Club | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | S/D | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | East Williamston | 20 | 18 | 0 | 2 | 313 | 158 |
| 2 | St Johns | 20 | 14 | 0 | 6 | 111 | 122 |
| =3 | Carew | 20 | 11 | 1 | 8 | 105 | 111 |
| =3 | Cosheston | 20 | 12 | 0 | 8 | 77 | 111 |
| 5 | Reynalton | 20 | 11 | 0 | 9 | 28 | 104 |
| 6 | Hundleton | 20 | 9 | 0 | 11 | 74 | 97 |
| 7 | Llanteg | 20 | 7 | 1 | 12 | -71 | 92 |
| 8 | St Twynnells | 20 | 8 | 1 | 11 | -97 | 89 |
| 9 | Badgers | 20 | 6 | 1 | 13 | -22 | 82 |
| =10 | Lamphey | 20 | 6 | 0 | 14 | -179 | 67 |
| =10 | Kilgetty | 20 | 6 | 0 | 14 | -262 | 67 |
Congratulations to East Williamston, who finish the season as clear champions with an impressive 158 points and a shot difference of +313.
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