Members of the horse-racing community have spoken of their shock after the death of a promising young rider who was found dead at her mother's home in the Cotswolds.
Anna de Lisle Wells, aged 23, is believed to have taken her own life at her mother's stables in Temple Guiting, Gloucestershire, on March 1.
Miss De Lisle Wells, from Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, was a talented jockey who was due to compete in an amateur race at next week's Cheltenham Festival.
She was due to ride Mighty Montefalco in the Christie's Foxhunter Chase, the top amateur race at the festival.
Miss De Lisle Wells, a graduate of Reading University, was crowned West Midlands Novice Champion when just 16.
She also competed in point-to-point racing and had appeared before in amateur races at the Cheltenham Festival.
A spokesman for the Jockey Club said: "What has happened is a tragedy and our thoughts are with Miss De Lisle Wells' family."
Paying tribute to his sister, Miss De Lisle Wells' older brother James, aged 27, said she had a passion for a number of sports including racing.
He said she was known as "Anna blue eyes" and described her as a shy but always approachable person, as well as brave and determined to be a winner.
"She was incredibly brave, she had some pretty bad falls but she always got back on the horse," he said.
Miss De Lisle Wells spent her gap year in Australia and New Zealand where she did bungee jumping and worked with horses. Her brother said she had been looking forward to Cheltenham but had suffered recently from depression.
"It was clear Anna was suffering from depression. The problem was she was always loved by everyone else but she was at times not able to look after herself," he said.
Miss De Lisle Wells lived with her boyfriend, Matthew Price, near Ross-on-Wye and worked as a grain buyer.
On the day she died - March 1 - she had been helping out at her mother's stables and had taken the day off to school the horse she was due to ride at Cheltenham.
An inquest into her death was opened and adjourned to a date to be fixed at Cheltenham Magistrates' Court.
Sarah Oliver, chief executive of the Amateur Jockeys Association, is close friends with the De Lisle Wells family.
Miss De Lisle Wells' mother Alison is a secretary for former jockey and trainer Jonjo O'Neill. Her father Peter was previously a top amateur jockey.
Mrs Oliver said the family was devastated by Anna's death. She added: "Anna will be greatly missed within the sport that she loved, and beyond.
"All those who knew her are devastated by this tragedy and the thoughts and prayers of all of us are with her family and friends.
