A trailer-coupling mishap and a wild goose chase searching for lost keys confirm Tessa Waugh’s concerns that she’s suffering from the brain fog that sometimes affects women of a certain age

A Christmas shopping trip turns into a chance to catch up on pony gossip for Tessa Waugh , who is on the back foot as far as present buying is concerned but replete with tales of happy new homes

A swap from four legs to four wheels doesn’t go well for Tessa Waugh , after a rookie error leaves her quad bike stuck in a verge, much to the amusement and disparagement of onlookers

There’s a last-minute change of huntsman for the Bedale opening meet, and hounds do their very best in less-than-ideal conditions

The smell of mud and hot horses in a freezing downpour elevates the spirits, while the eventual toe-thawing in the shower is a cause for jubilation, finds an undaunted Tessa Waugh

HOLLY pedalled along the track, the winter sun low in the sky ahead. She had one more stop, a stand of yew that would provide the final greenery she needed. Humming “The Holly And The Ivy” under her b