Alison Thomas, 46, carriage driver and trainer, has lost her battle with cancer.
A lifelong competitor with the British Driving Society (BDS), Alison began scoring major successes when she was just 11, including a win at Horse of the Year Show.
Her bubbly personality and infectious laugh made Alison, who was based in Gloucester, a highly popular character.
Despite her illness, she continued to attend events, her last being the BDS Annual at Smith’s Lawn three weeks ago.
This news story was first published in the current issue of Horse & Hound (7 July, 2011)