Alexander is getting a coterie of admirers. A holidaymaker stopped Steve as he rode the chestnut thoroughbred down the lane last week. “What a beautiful horse,” he said.

A visitor from Ramsbottom asked to take photos of him as he slumbered on a comfortable straw bed in his stable. The keen photographer, Chris Wood, sent us some lovely images of the reclining racehorse.

But we saw another side to Alexander on Saturday when we took him to Skipton Horse Trials for a personal saddle fitting.

We feared we might have trouble loading the thoroughbred, and thought Daniel would be a calming companion for him on his first trip out. But Daniel, noticing we were using The Boss’s trailer instead of our own to give the tall chestnut extra headroom, refused to go anywhere near it.

“It’s the wrong box!” he said, backing determinedly into a wall.

Daniel was left in disgrace in his stable, where he proceeded to rip off his travel boots. “Wont be needin’ them today,” he said.

At the horse trials showground, Alexander decided it was race day. With other horses everywhere and commentaries blaring, his neck grew alarmingly in length as he craned out of the side of the trailer. His eyes rolled, his nostrils flared and his noisy neighing was matched by his frustrated booting of The Boss’s trailer.

A worried Jenny called local event rider David Elms, who had already competed on his mare Waltzing Matilda, to ask for help. Esme bravely sat on the quivering racehorse for the saddle fitting with David holding the headcollar rope, as we had forgotten the bridle. “If it kills me, you’re the first person I’ll be coming back to haunt,” Esme told David.

David put Alexander back in the trailer, disappointing the racehorse who was geared up for a chance to compete. By the time we got him back home he was white with sweat. But a hearty tea calmed him down and he then happily trotted off into the field.

On Sunday, Daniel was good as gold as he walked into our trailer for West Craven Show. “S’pose I better be’ave today,” he said.

Braving the heat, Daniel hopped into the very competitive Novice Class jump off, where he scampered round a twisty course to finish a creditable seventh place and earn himself a special oat tea.

Steve Wright and Jenny Loweth