Not even broken backs will break the spirit of these fearless young jockeys

A few years ago, my daughter (now ten) showed some interest in ponies. I drove her to the nearest riding school every week for a few months, just long enough to start wondering where this enthusiasm might take her, whether she might eventually stumble backwards into the weighing room. It would be pretty handy to have a source in there, assuming she was still talking to me.

It didn't last. Her mother reckons the turning point was a chat in which she explained about the physical risks all jockeys must face. But I'm not sure the youngster is as risk-averse as her parents because her current obsession is artistic roller-skating, in which the participants strap four wheels to each foot and fling themselves around on a concrete floor, no padding or helmets allowed.

Thank goodness for the bravery of youth, without which jump racing could not be sustained. A reader has been in touch to point out that two jockeys, Elizabeth Gale and Will Featherstone, rode their first winners last week, both of them having broken their backs while learning the game in the point-to-point field.