Cook relishes European comeback

Tine Cook's mother Althea was also a successful international show jumper

Olympic bronze medal winner Tina Cook is in search of the top prize at the European Eventing Championships at Fontainebleau in France this weekend.

The 37-year-old, from Rustington in Sussex, is on Miners Frolic for her first European event in eight years.

She told BBC Sussex: "It's exciting to be back in a British team competing.

"The Olympics are a massive highlight in anyone's career but you should never dismiss the Europeans. It's a really tough competition."

Cook, the daughter of four-times champion jockey and renowned Grand National-winning steeplechase trainer Josh Gifford, took bronze in both the team and individual events in Hong Kong in 2008.

And she still wants to keep competing, adding: "It is a job for us, not just riding on a sunny day.

"The enjoyable part of it is getting to this level and competing for your country.

"My husband thinks I'm fairly mad, and he knows he's fairly down the pecking order.

"But he enjoys his golf while I go riding."