I saw Mum, Iris and Babs soar across it as one, and then, where we should have been, Mona, making a meal of it as she got too close and her horse cat-leaped, allowing us to see daylight between Mona's ample behind and the saddle, almost unsettling her. It was too much for Bobby Summer's youngster, who wrenched the reins from his rider's hands and leaped it much too fast, causing him to peck badly on landing and Bobby to fall down the neck, hat over eyes, just managing to stay put. His horse, however, out of control, staggered about and cut up the next horse who had to swerve violently to avoid him.

"Over here!" called Hugo, but I'd already seen it. A stretch of wall which, although it was higher, hence everyone avoiding it, nevertheless didn't have half the field causing chaos in front of it. Cold, gray, solid and uninviting, I felt Farthing consider it, taking in its height and girth, plus, courtesy of the slope, the rapidly disappearing ground before her. She cocked her ears intelligently, got the stride exactly right, and flew over. Beside me Hugo's sensible gelding, a very old hand, did exactly the same as he sat still and tight. We beamed in pleasure at one another as we landed safely and galloped on, so pleased to have got that out of the way, and a glance behind told us Shona and the boys were over too, albeit in the middle of the jostling muddle that we'd avoided.

On we flew; across three more fields, these with open gates, which many sensible people took and who can blame them, but some braving the walls like Sean, who was still making them look easy. Mum and her crew followed suit, a couple of young farmers who were not to be budged, and then Hugo and me. It occurred to me that I was obviously going to be jumping everything today, which I hadn't planned to do on a young horse in her first season, but it couldn't be helped. Where Hugo went, I would go too. I had a quiet word with Farthing and she got the picture. Shona was in the same boat behind me. No way would she be taking the open gates with these two boys beside her, but she was on the safest of mounts, which I suspect she was rather glad about now, as the red-haired boy suddenly shot past us on the gray she should have been riding, thoroughly out of control, the mare's head high, mouth well above the bit.

“Turn a circle, Tommy!" Hugo roared.

Happily Tommy heard and managed to yank with all his strength on his left rein and bring her up beside us.