I never set out to be a telly presenter, I just ended up with a good tagline of being the only woman to have ridden round Badminton and Aintree, and the media liked that.
I rode at Badminton in 2000 and I’d started point-to pointing in my gap year, going on to ride in the Foxhunters over the Grand National fences at Aintree, aged 19, on a horse my grandpa had bred.
My breakthrough moment came when a TV company followed me at Blenheim.
I led the dressage then fell at the water, so it was perfect telly! The producer said, “You come across really well on camera, you should think about doing more of this,” and so it evolved.
I am notoriously chaotic.
I was once warming up at Gatcombe when my boss on The Racing Channel called to ask where I was. I was meant to be at Hereford Racecourse and it was 20 minutes before they went on air. I don’t know how, but I completely messed that up! So I juggled it all in the early days, but not very well.
This story is from the April 13, 2023 edition of Horse & Hound.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the April 13, 2023 edition of Horse & Hound.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
'Sorry, but I wasn't feeling it'
Fresh from the opening meet, Tessa Waugh hasn't quite yet been bitten by the hunting bug. Without the crisp autumnal air and cheek-pinching cold she hoped for, it's a sluggish start
New pair pull off a win
A former European Championships pony is on form with his new rider, while elsewhere former showjumpers and eventers take ribbons
Lording it over the rest
Horses who have returned from injury, a second generation homebred and a long format specialist score on the final weekend of the British season
Smith hits flying form
A \"her way or no way\" mare helps Zoe Smith to an impressive ribbon haul and a rider beats his own boss to the top spot
Jankorado hits the jackpot
Paul Sims is triumphant despite his interrupted jump-off preparation and a borrowed horse comes up trumps
Peanut
From \"dangerous, scary\" to hedge-hopping brilliance, hunting has been the making of this unstable but very lovable equine character
She's a corker
Communication, says long-standing and highly respected Belvoir master Lady Sarah McCorquodale, is the key to all, as Catherine Austen discovers
Access all areas Cavalier Centre
The Cavalier Centre is a fully accessible, state-of-the-art equestrian centre designed to improve lives through horse-based activities. Ellie May Forrester pays a visit
'Use it or lose it'
Not everyone wants to reach for the pipe and slippers at a certain age. Becky Murray speaks to some veteran horse-and-rider combos for their secrets of human and equine longevity
A new way forward
Worm control in horses is vital, but established methods will not remain effective for much longer. Tim Mair FRCVS explains why and how we need to change