"Well, considering my season has now ended I thought things would be a little quieter, but this doesn't seem the case! I suddenly seem to be very busy again as some of the horses are back in, shoes on and off we go again.

This is the case with Joe (Jorrocks Curtis) and Bob (Good Sport II) and also Harry (Azeb). They have all had a sufficient break and so will all be hacking around the roads for a month now; let’s hope the weather holds out - walking on the roads can be very cold at times. Brian (Opposition Express) went home for a holiday – he has worked well this year and now needs time to mature.

I have just bought a new horse though from Susan Cox, a very nice four-year-old grey gelding called Charlie, who is jumping a few fences but is green. Exciting prospect to either keep or to sell, but he seems very amiable so far and pleasant to have around. He jumped out of his field today, which is always a good sign, especially as he did so from a walk and suffered no cuts or bruises. This now means we have 13 in and my holiday is not very close in sight at present! Not a problem as long as the weather isn't like Wednesday (rain, rain and more rain) everyday. My Anky jodhpurs are a godsend – they are completely waterproof and make a thoroughly miserable day not bad at all. They are also fleece lined so very warm – a must have if you want to stay dry and look good this winter, waterproof trousers are not nearly so cool!

I have spent most of this week preparing for Daisy Dick’s wedding. I was very excited about it as I have been looking forward to it for a long time. I am so pleased that she has met such a lovely man, Mr Charles Berkley. The wedding was near where she lived. The church looked beautiful, as did Daisy – her dress was divine. The whole thing was flawless from start to finish – amazing food, fantastic band... Great fun and a night to remember – I wish them all the best for the future.

I have started planning my winter in more detail now – I will be appearing in several places for demonstrations, talks etc. I'm looking forward to a busy schedule, I prefer to be busy, although I have plenty of social occasions pencilled in too."