Tomorrow, Saturday, 26^th September Caroline Anns-Baldock will be riding her bright chestnut racehorse down Whitehall at 11.15 to arrive at No 10 Downing Street at 11.30 in the guise of Lady Godiva, whose legendary naked ride through Coventry took place to champion the cause of the local downtrodden peasants. Caroline’s dramatic act is to publicise the need for an official Museum of the Horse for the UK.

Caroline will be accompanied by Mrs Christopher Boyd and Lucinda McAlpine and her committee, including Colin Henderson, ex Head Coachman of the Royal Mews.

Caroline is a unique phenomenon in the horse world. She was one of England’s first three professional female flat jockeys. She has worked in the horse world all her life. She was the antiquarian equestrian specialist at J.A Allens’s, The Horseman’s Bookshop and was literary assistant to Monty Roberts. Her quest is to set up a Museum of the Horse here in the UK. We are the only European country without one to honour the contribution of horses to our society, and yet we are known throughout the world as the home of horse-loving people.

Caroline’s determination to create a museum of the horse has a practical application – she has for many years been collecting fascinating equestrian artifacts from all over the world. She now intends to displayed them in the museum for all to learn from and enjoy. Some of the unique artifacts are from the racing industry and have already been displayed at Bourne Hall in Ewell, Surrey. Caroline has established a committee whose purpose is to fundraise and establish the museum.

Have a look at her website for the museum which is a fascinating mixture of fact, poetry, storytelling, research and travel writing. We wish Caroline all the very best in her quest and hope the weather is not too cold in London tomorrow!

In France we are very fortunate to have the Musée Vivant du Cheval at Chantilly, a museum which is one of the most visited equestrian places in the world.