Over the stable door: A Royal visit puts etiquette in shade

Fortunately our hounds looked in tip-top condition. They soon relaxed and showed themselves well. The only delicate moment being when our great hope in the dog hound class, Forger, relieved himself on a steward's trouser leg. Luckily the only person not to notice happened to be the steward and Forger went on to take the championship.

His mother Panda (my favourite) took the Bitch title later in the day. She has been a regular in the winners enclosure over the last six seasons. However she could soon be a local celebrity after introducing the weather report on ITV's Calendar alongside Jon Mitchell on Tuesday evening.

Panda rose to the occasion impeccably with her loving nature and saliva-dribbling grin.

The senior Master of our hunt is an ex-president of the show, Michael Bannister from Coniston Cold. He was honoured to escort the Princess Royal when she visited the hounds.

Well respected in the equestrian world, there is no country Mr Bannister would not cross in order to follow his hounds despite being in his 70s. He is a brilliant horseman and a stickler for etiquette, having completed National Service in his youth.

He frowns at ladies wearing trousers – "a skirt is so much more becoming" – and has spent the last five years asking me if I've retired from race riding yet. "You don't want to spoil your looks" he advises. I laugh, pointing to my (four-times) broken nose.

Recently he was unimpressed to observe a hunt servant in sunglasses when leading hounds out at a show, noting it was not the place for fashion. The lad explained he'd left his contacts at home and his spectacles had changeable lenses. Our Master concluded he should go without. The hunt servant duly complied, spending the day struggling to differentiate one hound from another to everyone's amusement.

I chuckled at the GYS when Mr Bannister came to introduce the Princess Royal to the judges and I saw she was wearing her trendy wrap-around sunglasses. I'm sure his face puckered slightly. At least she wasn't wearing trousers.

My 24-year-old hunting mare has just arrived back in the yard after being out on loan. Polly has been in the family 20 years, enjoying everything from Grade A show jumping to 12 years whipping-in. She retired from hunt service at the age of 20. I will be lucky to find another capable of filling her shoes but we need a new home for her to enjoy a quieter life, although she acts like a horse half her age. The last girl to take her was local. She meant well but soon realised she couldn't afford a horse after discovering the cost it entailed, so Polly came home.

Thank goodness the rain has returned. I bought some wintering bullocks

at Otley Cattle Market recently off Geoff Brooke from Calverley. They were cheap and should do well, but the grass has started to burn off. Haylage may be expensive again, the down side to such a wonderful summer. After months of scorching weather, the first downpour brings the customary moaning from the holidaying public about the unreliable British weather. Some people are just impossible to please.

Jo Foster trains horses at Brookleigh Farm, Menston.

CW 17/7/10