SHE may have had to deny accusations that she asked for an interview to be changed to make her look better, but yesterday Clare Balding was all about the good PR as she cut a ribbon at an Oxfordshire riding club.

The TV presenter and author officially opened the new all-weather manège at Letcombe Regis Riding Club near Wantage.

After watching a short display on the new surface, Ms Balding stayed for lunch in the new Letcombe Regis village hall and talked to the guests about her life and her new children's book, The Racehorse that Disappeared.

The club's Richard Pitman said he was 'delighted' Ms Balding was able to do the honours and open the 'unique' new facility.

The new manège is the results of years of fundraising and efforts by the club, and in the end ten charitable trusts and grant bodies helped fund it.

Mr Pitman said: "It is unique for a village club to have such a facility to ensure year around riding whatever the worst of the winter weather.

"It is post and railed and gated with a super-soft surface of finely shredded quality carpet and underlay.

"Our riding field was bequeathed to the riding club 40 years ago so it's poignant that we have managed to get the finances together locally."

The good riding news comes after the couple who run Huntersfield Equestrian in Little Coxwell near Faringdon are moving it to a new, bespoke facility several times the size in West Challow on the other side of Wantage from Letcombe Regis.

Journalist Ginny Dougary said Clare Balding or her PR team had asked for an interview in Saga magazine to be altered, but the magazine editor and Ms Balding denied the claim.