CARAVAN company boss Jim Robson is back home after a traumatic 1,620-mile return journey to compete in the world carriage-driving championships in Sweden.

It was the first time that Mr Robson, of Wolsingham, County Durham, had been chosen to represent Britain in the World Single Horse Championships.

At 66, he was the oldest competitor in a field which attracted entries from countries including the US, Germany and Italy.

But it nearly all ended in disaster for him and his 16-year-old Welsh cob, Duke, when the cab door of his horsebox was torn off by a lorry when boarding the ferry for Sweden, at Helsingor, in Denmark.

Trouble struck again for Mr Robson, who has been carriage driving since 1976, when he accidently knotted Duke's reins while competing in the dressage.

"It was a pretty silly thing to have happened and it restricted Duke's movements," said Mr Robson. "It also cost us valuable points."

The final straw was when the judges announced the placings in the individual singles class. While the Dutch judge awarded Mr Robson second place, his Swedish counterpart put him in 40th spot.

"It was certainly a bit of a shock to find that two judges could mark me up with such a vastly different number of points," said Mr Robson.

"I could have done better, but I never expected anything like this."

He was placed 22nd out of the 62 drivers who took part in the event.

Mr Robson was full of praise for Duke, who has drawn carriages for him at championships all over the world.