White Horse gets a rider

As far as we know, it has never had a rider in its entire 3,000-year history - until now.

But Uffington White Horse, just over the Wiltshire border in neighbouring Oxfordshire, has suddenly, mysteriously acquired one. 

The jockey, which appears to fit in perfectly with the ancient hillside design, was created by the betting firm, Paddy Power, to tie in with the Cheltenham Festival, which runs from 13th to 16th March. 

20 people worked overnight for 6 hours between Wednesday and Thursday (7th to 8th March), using 200 metres of lightweight canvas. 

Each was cut beforehand into five separate pieces and later pinned to the ground, using 500 tiny tent pegs. 

The revamped design, which is bigger than an Olympic-sized swimming pool, can be clearly seen from surrounding villages. 

Paddy Power are already well known for their tongue-in-cheek advertising campaigns, but say they took care to leave the rest of the monument undisturbed. 

The Uffington Horse is believed to have been made 3,000 years ago in the late Bronze Age. The prehistoric hill figure measures 110 metres in length (374 feet) and is formed from trenches filled with crushed, white chalk. 

In the 1180s, Ralf de Deceto wrote a tract proclaiming the horse to be the 5th wonder of Britain. Latterly, it was promoted to 2nd place, only being narrowly beaten by Stonehenge. 

Its unusual shape has also been featured on coins, as long ago as the Iron Age.