JANE STEPHENSON

THE 39-year-old died in April, having suffered from cancer.

She cared for and competed the Blue Chip horses, owned by the feed company’s founder Clare Blaskey, for the past nine years.

Mrs Blaskey said Ms Stephenson “always had a smile on her face, a stroke for all the horses and a kiss for Blue

Chip Forever”. She added that Ms Stephenson had formed a “fantastic partnership” with Blue Chip Forever, who was known as “Jools”, and the pair won more than 70 dressage classes together from novice to advanced medium.

They also took three regional titles and three national sport horse titles, as well as finishing second in the medium final at the winter dressage championships in 2016.

The combination, who also appeared in the Blue Chip All

Star Academy television show, had been aiming to compete at international level.

“Jane also loved to teach children, working many weekends at the local riding schools showing them how to ride and take care of their ponies,” added Mrs Blaskey.

“She taught my granddaughter Isabella to ride, and in the holidays she would spend the entire day in the stables with Jane.”

Ms Stephenson represented Britain on vaulting teams as a child and also bred her own dressage horse, Nanwass Special Agent, from her mother’s mare.

Her funeral takes place at Ashover Church in Ashover, Derbyshire, on 3 May at 2.30pm.