Our round-up of the funny, fascinating and unusual stories this fortnight

Buying great horses isn’t all about six-figure sums and flashy auctions. Luz Wollocombe finds out from top riders about the special purchases that changed their lives

T HE FOX STOOD IN THE shadows of ...

With 36 years in hunt service behind him, Robert McCarthy is one of the country’s most senior and most respected huntsmen. He talks to Tessa Waugh about Crufts, the current situation and life in Northumberland

● It had been, until that point, an ...

A s we edge closer to spring, I find myself daydreaming about morning walks that no longer require five carefully chosen layers just to stay warm. That said, I’m far less confident that a change in se