Artist in residence

Nichola Eddery on making the decision between horses and art, capturing an animal's soul and personality, and her role at the National Horseracing Museum

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Racing is deep-rooted in my family with amazing jockeys and trainers going back three generations on both sides of the family. Two of my earliest memories are watching my mum, Carolyn, winning the ladies' race at Yarmouth and going to the funfair afterwards with my dad, Pat, and Frankie Dettori, who was about 18 at the time, then watching Dad win the Derby at Epsom on Quest For Fame in 1990.

I show-rode till I was 18, went hunting and to Pony Club - I did it all. I rode out racehorses in the holidays and for Dad when he started training. I loved it, but it was never my vision to become a jockey.

From a young age, I carried around a pink satchel full of colouring pencils and I was always sketching. When I was eight, we had our portraits painted and apparently I just sat there for hours watching the artist, which is unusual for a child of that age, then I was sketching next to him and asking for his opinion.

I flourished at school, then at 18, Mum asked me, "Is it going to be horses or art?" I knew then that painting was what I wanted to do forever.