This is where it all began for me. In the town where I grew up, Westhoughton, Lancashire.
Mr Eckersley owned the local riding stables on Wigan Road. I used to go there after Sunday school, to help lead the lucky children on their pony rides. For my 'help', I was allowed to ride the school horses bareback, to their fields. How lucky I was, if their fields where a mile or two away! Never giving thought to the danger from cars and lorries going by, so close I could touch them with my feet. I would learn that lesson harshly, many years later. Ignorance is bliss.
As a 12 year old girl, who's parents couldn't afford riding lessons, as there were three other brothers and sistersto raise, I did what I had to, to be around the creatures I loved so much. I lived and breathed them, as I do to this day.

Read my story about Eckersley's Farm

From Eckersley's Farm, I went away to work with horses, when I left school at age 15.
There was no holding me back in those days. I may not have known what I was doing, but I was bloody-well going to do it anyway!

After spending a year with Roz Boughton, at Ashendon Farm, near Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, where I found out there was a lot more to breaking horses than having the guts to jump on their backs!. I went to work for Don and Liz Harrington, at Wooley Grange Stables in Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire.These days, the Harringtons are doing very well, as importers and trainers of Polish and Russian Arabians, for the Arab racing industry. In the seventies, when I worked for them, I gained lots of experience with field hunters and young horses, and hunting with the Avon Vale hunt. I have fond memories of working for Don and Liz. I was delighted to read an article about them, in a horse magazine, when I returned to England in '96-97. After a couple of years, I went to work for Guy and Margaret Luck of Lower Redstone Farm, outside Maidenhead, Berkshire. From there I worked for Brigadier Langdon of Faccombe Manor, outside Newmarket, Hampshire.
Here I am doing what I thought I was born to do, on Brigadier Langdon's favourite hunter...

Jumping is the one thing I always dreamed about. As a little girl of 5 or6 ,I can remember watching The Horse Of The Year Show' on tv , thinking the world revolved around it. Harvey Smith and David Broome were two of my favourite showjumpers. One of David Broome's horses was "Mr Softee" I loved that horse and my heart went over every jump with him and if he didn't win, there would be tears.
He was a big chestnut gelding and for some reason, I've always been drawn to them.
In fact, the first horse I ever owned was a five year old, running quarterhorse, chestnut gelding named "Shamdeedoo", or,'Sham'.He was a handfull and then some. I sold him when I became pregnant with my son, Craig, in'83.

Another horse event I found exciting, was Badminton Horse Trials, Britains top three day event. I attended the cross country phase on several occasions and found the obstacles to be formidable, to say the least.
One visit was particularly memorable, as I ran into Prince Charles! He was on horseback with other members of the royal family, observing the cross country jumping.
I had a brief conversation with him. Well, I wasn't about to just let the moment go by without making a complete fool of myself.I mean, when would I get another opportunity?
I asked him the name of his horse and he told me 'Greenshield'. To which I responded "did you buy him with Greenshield Stamps?" (Green Stamps in US). That's why he's smiling in the picture. He then told me to be careful not to catch a chill, as I was wearing a tank top trying to get a bit of sun. I could swear he was flirting with me, well, he did make me blush. Then I asked him to "smile for the camera". To which he replied, " I never do to order". And he smiled anyway.

One of the most talented, natural jumpers, I have ever owned was Danny, a fifteen hand Arab gelding I picked up for $250. from a man who had him as a boarder. His owner had abandoned him without paying the board bill. He was truly special. I lost him tragically when we were hit by a car while out riding one evening. The driver said the sun was in his eyes and he veered off the road, hitting us from behind. I was thrown clear, but Danny was hit below the hocks. The impact broke his leg and he had to be put down. That incident affected my confidence in many ways and the loss of my friend was almost unbearable.

I became known in the area, as someone who would work with 'problem horses'. One horse I'll never forget is Nathan. He had been sent away for training, several times, with disastrous results and was now labelled as 'unmanageable'. Sounded like a problem horse with my name on it- I was right!

Second only to Nathan, in terms of being a challenge, was Man Tann.

As well as working other people's horses, I also picked up several horses at the local livestock auction near Riverside CA. Mikes Auction was the place to go on Saturday nights! One thoroughbred I bought there, turned out to be a super jumper."Seeker"was an ex-racehorse, who had sustained a fractured sesamoid bone. His heart was big and he really loved to jump, but his legs wouldn't hold up to the work, so I sold him as a trail horse.

A few years later, I came across a cute Arab filly at the auction. Her name is Rannayya