On being awarded the MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in June 2003: It is an honor to be recognized in this way but I feel it's not just an
honor for me but an honor for the whole of jump racing. It was a big surprise and I don't know what I've done to deserve it. All I know is it's not for my golf. The only sadness is that Billy Rock, the trainer who started me, has just died of cancer. He'd have been very proud. I must also thank the other main trainers in my life: Jim Bolger, Toby Balding, and of course, Martin Pipe, who is a CBE himself. I am a team who just turns up at the races. Dave Roberts books all my rides and Gee Armytage organizes the rest of my life. Without them both, I'd be stuck, and they deserve a big thank you.
