Pantomime producer

Nicky de Neumann on running away to the circus with her childhood pony, the freebie pantomime star and creating the magic of Cinderella on horseback

- Martha Terry

I'm not from a horsey background. When I was six, I really wanted a pony. My mum said we couldn't afford one so I saved every Christmas and Easter. By the time I was 11 I had £500 and bought a four-year-old Welsh cob called Jester. I loved jumping and would hack an hour and a half to shows, but Jester wasn't going to take me to Hickstead. So instead I taught him tricks; he learnt jousting and we went off with the circus.

I was just a typical horsey kid. I loved all the fast stuff: hunter trials, showjumping, gymkhanas, anything with speed. I went to this amazing old guy called Rodeo Dave for work experience when I was 14 and he was incredible. He used to trick-ride on a bull! I thought, "I want to do this," and he said, "I love this kid, she's mad!" So I joined his team.

In 2005, I ran away to the circus with my childhood pony Jester. I did a double act with the amazing, late Nell Gifford, and solo trick-riding for two years, followed by a spell with Zippos Circus. Rodeo Dave gave me the foundations, then at Giffords the cossacks taught me to Roman-ride.