Horse-power mission marks birthday

A highlight was riding along Devon's Dastardly Drive through the Erme Estuary

A Tetbury woman has celebrated her 50th birthday by completing a year-long objective to ride across 50 counties in the UK.

Stephanie Dale began her mission in September 2008 with Roger, her 19-year-old Clydesdale cross cob, and the aim of raising £2,000 for charity.

"I decided to mark the start of my fifth decade last September by doing something which I don't think anyone else has ever done before," said Stephanie.

"Horse riding and carriage driving in 52 counties has been a real challenge physically and has been an incredible experience whilst supporting worthwhile charities."

In just one year, Stephanie rode through five counties in Scotland, four in Northern Ireland, four in Wales and the rest in England, raising money for two charities along the way - Riding and Carriage Driving for the Disabled and the Oak and Furrows Wildlife Rescue Centre.

Stephanie visited Wanlockhead, the highest village in Scotland.

She added: "One of the most stunning places my husband, John, and I carriage drove Roger in was alongside Derwent Reservoir in Northumberland.

"The April sun was sparkling off the water and Roger went down to the reservoir's edge to take a long cool drink."

But the adventure wasn't plain sailing all the way: "The hardest place I rode was in Wales where I covered Monmouthshire, Torfaen and Blaenau Gwent on a six hour ride up mountains, through bogs, across gullies and down slag heaps near Blaenavon."