An Oxfordshire solicitor is due to put two of her prized charges through their paces in a Team Chase in Bicester next weekend.

Belinda Walkingshaw, 45, a partner at Hemel Hempstead firm Pickworths, who lives in Wallingford, is up at 6am tending and riding her horses Bruce, Mani and Jack.

She is now preparing for the qualifying event at Bicester, sponsored by Pickworths, where she aims to secure her place in the national Team Chase event which takes place in March.

Belinda bought her first horse with £2,000 left to her by her grandmother and she has kept and bred ever since.

Bruce, now 13, and Mani, 11 are ridden by two ex-jockey Rowan Cope and Ben Pauling, who is assistant trainer to Nicky Henderson in Lambourn.

Team chase consists of a team of four horses riding the fastest time around a two-mile course of natural fences.

“The jockeys are such great lads, so competitive, brave and full of spirit – it's not something I could carry off.

“So I prefer the working of the horses, the training, the behind-the-scenes stuff, getting the horses right.”