More thrills and spills this week as Daniel dumps two of his jockeys, Baby Horse comes to life and Mrs Horse beats herself in a jump-off. “Oh no, norragen!” said Daniel, unexpectedly confronted by “Auntie” Wendy as he galloped, riderless, to the Clubhouse at Craven Country Ride.

For the second time in three days, Daniel had dropped his rider and run for home. On Thursday, Steve’s third outing on Daniel since his comeback ended in disaster when he was tipped off in the showjumping field. It was just like old times as Steve chased after him, waving his whip and shouting: “Come back here, you little git!”

Daniel ran to his stable only to be trotted briskly back up the lane by a furious Steve, his groin injury forgotten in the heat of the chase.

Sunday saw Daniel again throw Sophie at the Helsinki Steps. “Coast’s clear,” he puffed, outrunning a pursuing Jack on Mrs Horse to clatter into the trailer park. “Oh no you don’t,” said Daniel’s erstwhile trainer, Wendy Wild, jumping out of her car to seize the reins. “’Smy worst nightmare,” gasped Daniel as Wendy got into the saddle and booted him back up the ride.

The previous day, Daniel had almost dislodged Esme in the yard’s showjumping contest. He slammed on the brakes at a black plastic water tray leaving the normally poised Esme clinging round his neck, one leg flung over the back of the saddle. “It’s like riding a fish,” she complained. “It darts about and it’s really slippery.”

Daniel is notoriously difficult to stick to. He is nippy and narrow and falling riders grab desperately for a non-existent mane. Also, he is covered in baby oil and iodine, an effective remedy for sweet itch, sending hands sliding down his greasy neck.

On Friday, Steve got on Baby Horse for the first time in months. He was towed towards the steeplechase fence by a turbo-charged ginger giant who had to be persuaded to take a safer route up the cross country field.

Saturday saw Baby add to his modest rosette collection by gaining a black ribbon for effort with Jack at the yard show. Baby had just the final fence down in a (for him) challenging eight-fence, clear-round course.

In the main class, only two competitors reached the jump-off, Esme and Mrs Horse and Jack and … Mrs Horse. Jack jumped a speedy clear round to set the target. But when Mrs H reappeared in the ring (very) shortly afterwards, she was to beat herself easily with a display of tight turns that left her audience gasping.

As we scraped together enough for a round of drinks at the pub, Daniel’s one-man fan club, John Wilson of Gargrave, told us we could have been in the money. The racehorse, Esme Rides Again, romped home at long odds just as our Esme was getting back on after a year.

Jenny Loweth & Steve Wright