The chair of Aintree Racecourse has died, aged 63.
Rose Paterson was discovered at the home she shared in Shropshire with her Conservative MP husband, former cabinet minister Owen Paterson.
Today, the Jockey Club said: "We are greatly saddened by the death of The Hon Rose Paterson - the popular and highly respected Chairman of Aintree Racecourse and a member of The Jockey Club's main Board of Stewards.
"Rose was appointed Chairman of Aintree in 2014, having been a racecourse committee director at the famous home of the Randox Health Grand National since 2005.
"She was appointed a Steward of The Jockey Club in 2019."
Paying tribute, Sandy Dudgeon, Senior Steward of The Jockey Club, said: "This is tragic news and our thoughts go out to Rose's husband Owen and all members of her family.
"Rose was a wonderful person and involved in so many aspects of our sport.
"She was a skilled Chairman at Aintree, a valued member of our Board of stewards and headed up our Horse Welfare Group.
"She also enjoyed participating at grassroots level over many years.
"We appreciated her contribution very much and my fellow stewards and I looked forward to hearing her sound views on a subject, where she was always sensitive to the best course of action for racing.
"She will be missed greatly for the person she was."
The cause of Mrs Paterson's death has not yet been confirmed.
In statement Owen Paterson, the Conservative MP for North Shropshire, said: "It is with great sadness that I must inform you that my wife, Rose, has been found dead at our family home in Shropshire.
“Rose and I were married for 40 happy years.
"She was a wonderful, caring wife, mother and grandmother.
“Her death has come as a terrible shock to us all.
“I would ask the media to respect the privacy of myself and my family at this extremely difficult time.”
The Patersons live in a countryside farmhouse in Shellbrook Hill, between Overton and St Martin's.
Mrs Paterson, the daughter of the fourth Viscount Ridley, married her husband in 1980 and had two sons and a daughter.
