Jan wins in 'ride of her life'

This was her first flat race and it was by quirk of fate that she partnered this German-bred eight-year-old horse in the event.

Jan explained: "I have always ridden and competed in other disciplines, such as show jumping and dressage, but have had an ambition to ride in a race. I had started to ride out at trainer Lydia Richards' yard in Funtington and a friend told me about the charity race at Newbury in aid of the Tildy's Trust.

"I applied for the race and was accepted. Lydia and I started to look for a suitable horse to ride in the race, a couple came up and they fell through, and I was left 10 days before the race having got all my sponsorship money, with a place in the race and no horse to ride."

She was sitting in the hairdressers having her hair cut, and told the hairdresser of her plight. The person in the next chair, Jo Snell, overhead and offered to help.

For full story see Sussex Horse World, West Sussex Gazette July 15