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Programme
For Borders Festival Of The Horse 2003
sponsored by Millers Town & Country |
The
programme for this year's Borders Festival of the Horse was launched
yesterday at Newark Castle near Selkirk where 'Mary, Queen of Scots'
(in the person of local sidesaddle rider Vairi Wilson) was presented
with a copy of the festival programme by representatives of festival
organisers, the British Horse Society, and sponsors Millers Town
& Country.
The
festival, which is also supported with funding from the Scottish
Enterprise Borders Events Support Scheme, celebrates and showcases
everything that makes the Scottish Borders region Scotland's Horse
Country. No less than 47 events will take place over the nine days
between Saturday 17 and Sunday 25 May.
These
include major established events such as the Floors Castle International
Horse Trials (17 & 18 May), one-off opportunities to have-a-go
at activities such as carriage driving (17 May) and also the chance
for riders to try new sports such as 'hunting the clean boot' with
the Berwickshire Blood Hounds (23 May)!
The
festival also includes a special daily programme of guided rides
(19 - 25 May) giving riders a chance to enjoy the varied and beautiful
riding country of the Borders region. A number of the routes have
been chosen to visit sites associated with local history and culture
- including a Mary, Queen of Scots ride to Fulton Castle on Monday
19 May following part of the route she rode from Jedburgh to Hermitage
Castle to visit the wounded Earl of Bothwell in 1566.
Vairi
Wilson, dressed as Mary Queen of Scots riding MacDuff at Newark
Castle near Selkirk during yesterday's launch.
Chairperson
of the Borders committee of the British Horse Society, Virginia
Scott-Watson said, "The first Borders Festival of the Horse
last year was such a success that we are confident that this year's
will be even better.
"Once
again, there is plenty to see and do - with or without a horse -
and the festival will be an exciting opportunity for both riders
and non-riders to discover more about the world of horses and horse
riding in the Borders, in all its diversity."
Jane
Barr, Retail Manager at Millers Town & Country explained why
Millers were delighted to be sponsoring this year's festival: "Millers
established their first 'R H Millers' store in Peebles in 1978 and
since then we've been supplying goods and clothing to the equestrian
community in the Borders and southern Scotland for 25 years. We're
delighted to celebrate our anniversary by supporting this celebration
of everything that makes the Borders region Scotland's Horse Country."
Programme
leaflets will be available from Tourist Information Centres and
local equestrian outlets shortly and copies can also be requested
by ringing 01835 863020 or emailing: festival@bhsscotland.org.uk.
Full details of the festival will also be available on line at:
www.bhsscotland.org.uk/festival.
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