We are building a boat?

Two days ago these fields were under six inches of snow and it was difficult to travel into town....90 mile an hour winds along with torrential rain and a fast thaw mean the fields are now flooded along with my utility room...hey ho!

Lauder....

Lauder is the last of the Border Common Rings held on the first Saturday of August...

It isn't held to commemorate a victory over the English in Battle like many of the other Towns. The Cornet leads his followers round the Marches/boundaries of the Royal Burgh of Lauder with a halt for refreshments at the Waterin Stane and a Toast to Her Majesty. On leaving the Waterin' Stane the cavalcade makes for the Burgess Cairn, the only

surviving cairn, where the Cornet places a stone upon it and on return reports no encroachment on Burgh Land.

Again....here is Kyle with his Dad and Granda....

Following on behind were these three Hunt's Men with ten couples of hounds....not to hunt but to run along side....

Where's Granda???

  

At the Waterin Stane...looks like whisky.....must be to toast the Queen.!

Off to Langholm...The muckle toon!

The Langholm Common Riding always takes place on the last Friday in July. It starts at 5am as the flute band parades the town and ends at 9.30pm as the Cornet hands back the flag in front of the town hall.

But we left home at 6.30 with picnic and horses and after a bit of a hicup with horse tack all went well.

One of the features of Langholm Common Riding is the quaint emblems which are carried in the procession:-

The Barley Banock

First there is the Barley Bannock and the salted herring fastened by a large nail - a "twal-penny nail" - to a wooden platter and flourished aloft on a pole. The bannock symbolises certain of the privileges of the Baron under the obligation of thirlage, while the fish may be symbolic of the Baron's right to the fisheries in the Esk or merely of the necessity of having some "kitchen" or relish to go with the decidedly dry fare of the bannock.
Next emblem is the Spade , the very epitome of the Common Riding, used as it is for cutting sods at different points of the Common and for clearing out the pits which originally marked the boundaries on the Common Moss up Whita Hill.

The giant Scottish Thistle and Crown (look close)

Third emblem is a gigantic Scottish thistle, a most picturesque accompaniment. The origin and purpose of the introduction of the thistle is very obscure. Being the national emblem of Scotland, it may have been adopted as such, or possibly on account of its 'jags' as a warning to anyone who contemplated interfering with the Fair.

The fourth emblem is the floral crown. It has no historical significance, and may have been adopted as a symbol of loyalty to the sovereign.

8.45am and the crowds were gathering....
 

 For the riders the highlight was a gallop through this narrow street.... here comes the Langholm Cornet with his Right and Left hand Men.....

And gallop up this steep narrow hill....

Here come Graham and Kyle...

I was taking my life in my hands getting some of these photos...the horses were coming thick and fast in places....

Must get a copy of this photo.....

It looks great in a frame.....

Next time we saw the horses they were coming over the river.....

And onto the race course for a proper gallop...

Kyle had his first try on a race course although they did go steady....  another good  day out enjoyed by all.

The Mosstroopers Gymkhana.

As Kyle is now a Junior Mosstrooper, he was invited to take part in the gymkhana...it's just for fun...a few pony games, best turned out and handy pony....

This was Kyles first time at this type of event and he came home with two seconds and a third.....no wonder he is smiling!

The last 'Ride Out'!

Saturday saw the last 'ride out' of the Hawick Common Riding season...the ride left for Denholm at around 1pm via Hawthornside, Rubislaw and down into Denholm....Fieron and I had a walk over the fields and waited and waited and waited but it was worth it to watch the horses thundering past us at break neck speed.....

There's the 'Cornet' on a grey horse.....

Granda and Kyle....

Kyle and Layla 

I decided to ride back into town with Kyle and Robin, it's an easy ride back in, all road work, just a bit of walking and trotting...not too much stress on my joints....here we are leaving Denholm....

 Here's the ride coming back into town via Burnfoot....

Back into town at approximately 8pm.

The Big One!

The Hawick Common-Riding is the first of the Border festivals and celebrates both the capture of an English Flag in 1514 by the youth of Hawick at a place called Hornshole and the ancient custom of riding the marches or boundaries of the common land.

The Cornet for the year is elected at the beginning of May, well in advance of the festival proper, when the Provost's Council, on the recommendation of the two previous Cornets (called the Right and Left-Hand Men) invites a young man to act as Cornet. The Halberdier, accompanied by the Drum and Fife Band, carries an official letter of invitation to the nominated Cornet.

In the weeks preceding the actual Common-Riding, on each Saturday and Tuesday, the Cornet and his supporters are out on their ride-outs in the course of which they visit surrounding villages and farms.  Last Tuesday the 'ride out' went to Priesthaugh Farm but the main ride-out, usually two weeks before the Common-Riding weekend, is the twenty-four mile ride to Mosspaul and back.  This is a big ride...over rough terrain..up hills, down valleys and through forests out into the Borderland hills where the weather usually does it's worst....the weather forecast was not good and after last weeks drenching it was a tough decision weather to ride or not as the weather at home that morning was a little rough to say the least!

But we got everything ready and made the decision at 10.45 to load up the horses and off we all went...

Here they are ready to go muster at Backdamgate for a 12.00 start......

Here's Kyle and his Granda heading off up The Loan...ten minutes later there was a really rough hailstone storm.....agghhhh!

This is the first gallop of this ride at Pilmuir...can be a bit tricky but luckily there were only two fallers....hopefully no serious injuries....horse riding is a very high risk sport especially when riding small ponies in among these big horses...Kyle is lucky to have the support of his Dad and Granda!

At the Binks....photo by Fieron

Kyle arriving with his Dad at Mosspaul......photo by Fieron

Kyle was lucky to have a hauder (holder) booked for his pony.....

We picked a good place for a snack....

Time to go back to Hawick.....

What a great photo!

This one photograph makes all of the worry worthwhile!

Sorry didn't mean to leave anyone out...flat battery!

Arriving back in Hawick at 8.15 pm...it's been a long hard day...


I'd like to thank everyone for viewing my photos, videos and blog over the past few weeks and for all of the emails and comments...it's great that everyone can share in this momentous occasion.....In previous years I have ridden this and the other Saturday rides.....it isn't always easy and the riders can hit many obstacles along the way..... Kyle has come so far over the past few weeks in his riding ability and confidence....Kyle you are our 'Hero'!

It turn out fowl????

The first half of Saturday's Ride Out was not too bad.....wind in their faces but on the whole dry weather

Here is the Cornet with his Right and Left Hand Men and the Acting Father just behind.....leaving Hawick at 12.30.

On the way to the next vantage point Fieron and I stopped by to take a photo of Echo and her foal Hailey.

We next saw the horses on the very top of our own hill at The Heights at Alemoor...then on to Philhope Bridge.

 

It was blustery arriving at Philhope Bridge at 3.30.....Photo by Fieron

But by the time the riders left it was a different matter.

But Kyle kept on smiling!

Arriving back in town at around 8pm ...still raining!

That was a hard ride of around 24 miles...it rained all the way home, less than half of the riders arrived back in Hawick....so well done Kyle!