The soaring voice of commentator Mike Tucker, who was so skilled at creating a dramatic atmosphere, was much missed at the Magic Millions Festival of British Eventing this year. Mike, who lived and farmed just down the road from Gatcombe Park, near Tetbury, died suddenly in March; he was an integral part of the commentating team at the Festival.

One of his many equestrian interests, which spanned not only eventing, but racing and breeding, was the retraining of racehorses, and his family presented the Mike Tucker Memorial Trophy for the highest-placed rider local to Gatcombe Park in the ROR/NTF Retrained Racehorse Event Championship.

Angela Tucker and her son, Andrew, once a member of The Festival’s famous Menial Task Force, were on hand to present this to Tom McEwen, who was brought up nearby and could hardly have be more local now – his horses are stabled at Gatcombe Park, which he describes as “a great honour and privilege”.

Tom finished second on Dream Big, a seven-year-old bay mare previously ridden by New Zealander Lizzie Brown.

Mike Tucker’s many friends in the equestrian world should look out for his forthcoming autobiography, The Man Behind the Mike, which will be published by Quiller Press later this month. He was in the middle of dictating the story of his fascinating and eventful life to writer Jane Wallace when he died.