Horses

Horses have been a very large part of my life, riding from as soon as I could walk — 'Lightening' a little black pony followed by 'Terry' a dun. From 11 I had to ride whatever was in the stable to be re-schooled. We had a floating trophy of a bronze horse sculpture for a year; I sat looking at it, longing to make bronze horse sculptures myself.

Arriving in Somerset after 9 years in London, I went to a friend who had a foal from a mare bought at auction, and I paid £150 for "Foolish Fred" — a 4 month old thoroughbred foal. Together we had the most tremendous fun in 2 years of competing from novice to advanced eventing, elementary dressage, national championships at Goodwood and Spillers open dressage and jumping. We completed Wylye international 3-day event, but Fred suddenly died in the spring of his 9th year.

An allergy to chemicals caused me to close my business. Fred had died, my son gone to NZ, the cat died at 20 years old — I had no money, no job, no education. So I went to Zimbabwe to teach myself to be a sculptor. I made wax horses and cheetahs, took them to South Africa and found a foundry where I could stay and help cast them into bronze.

"It took a long time to make my own bronze horse sculptures — but it was worth it."