Hello folks, Evening Press here.

It's been a very exciting time here at our Norton stables this week.

We've had our very own royal visit - well, council visit, anyway, which in our little horse-world is just as thrilling as a royal visit.

Ryedale District councillor Elizabeth Shields came to see us and I got my lovely face all over the paper again - much to the annoyance of my next door neighbours, who are getting a bit jealous.

Not that they had anything to be jealous about, I can tell you. The councillor and myself were highlighting the dangers of ragwort - a horrible plant that can kill horses.

It was all in a good cause, but I had to get a little bit too close to the evil weed for my liking. It was enough to make my stomach churn.

Although all us horses know to stear well clear of the stuff, apparently if it is not pulled up and burned it can be cut during hay-making and accidentally fed as fodder.

And it leads to a slow and painful death. Yuk. The thought if it has been giving me nightmares, so I've been doing lots of cantering and swimming to take my mind off it.

The one thing that would really take my mind off it would be my first race. No date has been set yet, but my trainer Tim Etherington is still looking towards the end of this month.

He says he will make some decisions next week, but he reckons I'm coming along nicely.

It's all very exciting - I can't wait to get out there.

In the meantime I'll have to make do with publicity shots in the paper, and following my mate Yorkie, who finally gets back to work tomorrow when York City kick-off.

About time too. He only seems to work for a few months then gets all summer off to sit in the sun.

Lazy lions - they never do as much work as us horses.

Regards,

Evening Press

Updated: 12:33 Friday, August 10, 2001