EARLY BEGINNINGS

I ENJOYED reading about Lady Wright (“The heroes of old”, 9 July) and it reignited many happy childhood memories from the ’40s and ’50s when my family would holiday in Durley. My uncle was gamekeeper (as his father before him) to Lord Cardigan the Earl of Ailesbury and I’d spend hours going around Savernake Forest with my uncle in a horse and cart.

However, my lasting memory is when Lady Wright sent her groom over with a small pony for me to ride – I’d not been on

a pony before. We went through the forest and by the end of the “lesson”, I could rise to the trot – I was hooked. I then went on to have my own pony, joined the Pony Club, showed ponies for an owner, then in the late ’60s met my husband while hunting in Cheshire. Fifty years on, we are still involved with horses, having provided ponies for the children and grandchildren for hunting, showing and Pony Club activities.

We now own an event horse who competes at British Eventing novice level and we love to follow him around the country. And we have been fortunate to meet many like-minded people who have become long-lasting good friends.

If it had not been for Lady Wright introducing me to ponies all those years ago, my life may have been very different but certainly not as exciting.

Jane Morris Pwllheli, Gwynedd