Before I worked for top riders I had loads of preconceptions about what top event horses were like - to ride, to look after, to be around.

It didn’t take long to realise I’d been wrong on all counts …

I’d planned a slow start to our BE season this year….

Reality instead saw us anything other than slow in every direction!

Our Bed’Oscar awards (Best for Sensitive Schnozzers, Best for Belted Budgets, Best for Minimal Muckheaps etc) go to….

When I left Andrew Nicholson’s yard to ‘set up on my own’, I was ready for hard graft, excited at the prospect of making my own decisions and was champing at the bit to ride as, when and how I felt was right at any one time. It was, I thought, all about the riding – and as even Andrew had admitted I was ‘useful’ at that, what more did I need?

It turns out, quite a lot…