Sir, - Reading Mr Tyldesley's letter regarding the Defra inquiry about Middleham gallops in March (D&S, April 11), although I was at the meeting, I did not feel there was any vitriolic attack on the trainers by Mr Tennant's lawyer - in fact I thought he presented the case for the gait owners very reasonably.

The fact that the meeting had to adjourn almost before it started, due to the poor maps of the area being considered, made the trainers' case much less clear-cut.

It was unfortunate that more care was not taken by the trainers' lawyer to see that clear and concise maps were available.

Regarding the rights of the gait-owners - if Mr Tyldesley reads the 1890 Bulmers, under "Middleham" he will see these rights laid out in a very trenchant manner - these are rights from time immemorial, long before racehorses were trained on the moor.

Now that there appears to be a world food shortage looming, which are more important to the economy - sheep or racehorses?

I also wonder how much CO2 is generated by the training of racehorses, the fact that they are boxed and driven many miles to race and even flown to race meetings overseas.

The lights, which burn all night at some of the training establishments, also cause light pollution.

Can we say that sheep are guilty of crimes against the environment?

We have also had the longrunning saga of the road surface in Middleham, a winter of walking over potholes while the county council tried very hard to appease the trainers, who might take them to court again if a horse fell on a surface which was considered unsatisfactory.

The cost of the re-surfacing and the prior removal of the surface must be astronomical - any benefits, supposedly enjoyed from the open day, must have already been swallowed up by the demands on North Yorkshire Highways' budget, and our pockets, as we pay the council tax.

Middleham must not be ruled or suffer from the fact that we lease the Low and High Moors to the trainers of racehorses, and they are able to pass through villages on a road surface which has been laid at a great cost in an effort to please what are - after all - private businesses.

I hope Mr Tyldesley will delve into the history of Middleham Moor, there is lots of information available and many local lectures - he will then see that the gait owners have prior rights, established long ago.

AUDREY E WAUDBY Westwood House Middleham.