The Brandywine Hills Point To Point, featuring horse and pony races, children's activities and a parade of foxhounds, will be presented on Sunday, April 7, at Brandywine Red Clay Alliance's H. E. Myrick Conservation Center, 1760 Unionville-Wawaset Road, West Chester. Gates will open at 11 a.m., and the first race will begin at noon.

The 81st running of the Brandywine Hills Point to Point will feature riders on horses competing in long-distance races around the center's property where competitors will jump fences, walls and streams. "The pony races are all on the flat. The other races are a steeplechase race, which is a timber race," explained event organizer Betsy Stefferud, administrative assistant for the Brandywine Red Clay Alliance. "They will be jumping post and rail fences and log jumps and jumping stone walls. Most of them are post and rail (obstacles), which are three and four feet tall."

The Junior Field Master Chase will kick off the day at noon followed by the Small Pony Race, the Medium Pony Race, the Large Pony Race and the Leadline Pony Race. The featured jump races will begin at 1:45 p.m. with the Ladies Race followed by the Amateur Apprentice Race, the Novice Timber Race and the Open Race. The day of racing will conclude with the Side Saddle Race.

Visitors will be stationed along the course to watch the horses and the riders. "We are not in an enclosed area; it's all out in the fields," said Stefferud. "The steeplechase race is over a 3 and 3-and-a-half-mile course over fields and (around) twists and turns. It (covers) nearly all of the 318 acres of our property."

There are no tickets needed for entry; rather, attendees pay set fees to park. "You can purchase general admission or preferred parking near the finish line per carload," noted Stefferud, adding that parking can be reserved in advance or on the day of the event.

Stefferud said that the event generally attracts between 500 to 1,000 spectators, depending on the weather, many of whom tailgate in the parking areas, bringing food and beverage. Refreshments may be purchased on-site from Saloon 151.

Also featured during the day will be an antique car display and a parade of fox hounds by the Radnor Hunt Foxhunters. "They will do the parade right after the bouncy pony races, which is one of the kids' activities," said Stefferud. "We have bouncy ponies and kids come up and have a little race. It's something fun for the younger kids to do."

Attendees will also have an opportunity to win prizes, including artwork, restaurant gift certificates, Devon Horse Show box seats, Hall of Fame Phillies tickets with parking and golf for four at Honeybrook Golf Club.

Proceeds from the event, presented by Radnor Hunt Foxhunters and the Hounds Foundation, will benefit the Brandywine Red Clay Alliance's environment education and watershed conservation programs.

The H. E. Myrick Conservation Center is located in Pocopson Township along Route 842, 6 miles west of West Chester and 3 miles east of Unionville. For more information and to purchase parking passes, call 610-793-1090 or visit http://www.brandywineredclay.org. More information is also available at http://www.facebook.com/BrandywineHillsPointtoPoint.