You might have seen the racehorse 'Where's Jeff' that runs in the colours of my fabulous owner Andrew Pollock. Well this is Jeff Atkinson, who he's named after. He's what I call me chief drainage officer. I have given him that title and I think it fits him well.

Where's Jeff got his name because when there's a problem with drains on the farm the first thing anyone says is 'Where's Jeff?'

Jeff's been putting in new drains.

We've worked out exactly where they go. Meself, Jeff and Pete the Farm Manager have set them out, 12 yards apart down running west to east as the ground falls. These drains will take water from the middle of the course across into the open drain at the back of New House Farm which runs parallel with the flat gallop. The area needs draining is called Middle Sike, and it's part of Sheriff Hutton Ings. Ings is wet land y'see, marshy, boggy, so it's hardly surprising that it's causing me problems in the winter.

I'd love to put up the maps and show you but I don't want them fellers from the Ordnance Survey to sue me or whatever they do so I'll just describe it here and sketch it out on a notepad below.

Water enters the land drains on the ings, flows to the pump house and then through a series of drains it is taken to Bulmer Beck. Bulmer Beck becomes Spital Beck at Barton Hill and then the water ends up in the River Derwent by way of Braithwaite Beck just south east of Howsham.

It's a long journey for the water but it's better there than on me Point-to-Point course and I don't want it waterlogged this year.

Trust in Jeff Atkinson. He'll sort it out. On Friday the drain machine is coming and it's a big beggar and if I get chance I'll put some pictures up.