A pioneering safety gate-catch is set to make life easier for horse riders, writes Tim Hughes.

Leading trainers and Olympic riders gathered at an Oxfordshire farm to endorse the Equi-catch, which is designed to reduce injuries to horses and their owners.

The device which has been billed as the safest ever gate-catch has been developed by inventor Phil Evans, from Woolstone, near Wantage. It was launched at a champagne reception at the home of Woolstone-based international show-jumper Graham Fletcher, in the shadow of the Uffington White Horse.

Lending their support were Olympic rider Rodney Powel, trainer and broadcaster Richard Phillips, model and horse enthusiast Tracy Bailey, and former Radio One DJ Bruno Brookes.

The catch allows gates to open in both directions, meaning riders are not forced to back-up to open them. The device has also been welcomed as a boost for disabled countryside users. The catch, endorsed by Swindon Borough Council and the National Trust, is set to be fitted to footpath gates around the country.

Mr Evans who was left partially disabled after falling 20ft from a hay stack on the Ridgeway said: "This is the safest gate-catch ever. It has been praised by vets and will remove the suffering of thousands of horses."