Spuds and me personally (horseanally) witnessed the following event. However, Spuds has been assured that if he discloses the identity of the person concerned then he, like me, will end up being gelded. All that can be said is that she hunts with the Blankshire.

It is a Sunday in October, and the VWH Hunt are holding their annual Hunter Trial in the lovely Cirencester Park. A lady competitor in the novice pairs event is having trouble at a rather unfriendly trakehner (a fence with water beneath), and her horse has twice refused the obstacle. At the third and final attempt, just as the horse refuses again, a face pops out from behind a bush at the side of the fence. The rider, frustrated by her horse's stubbornness, lets fly a volley of fluent personal abuse directed exclusively at the unfortunate animal.

"Oh, I'm sorry", said The Princess Royal (for it was her face that had popped up), "I thought you were coming from the other direction"

Realisation dawned slowly on the rider as she completed the course and put a name to the hastily-glimpsed face. Realisation that her hopes of social advancement and selection for the Olympic team had now all vanished. One assumes that the Princess Royal also went sadly on her way, imagining that perhaps there is less support for the Monarchy than she had previously thought.