THE Saturday morning family explosion! Wake up calls, sock hunts, caffeine lifelines. Children and animals to be fed, hockey for Lara, piano for Jack, granny to be collected, shopping and dental hygienist… and of course jumping lesson at 3pm and the entry for that first one-star to be made. The competition dream lives on.

The reality of life means that for most riders our timetable is a compromise. Our equestrian ambitions are under constant threat from a clutch of competing demands; with family, work and finances forming a three line controlling collar, often holding back riders to such an extent that their horse is handed over to another rider, who will “make better use of Diamond’s great potential”.