Riding enthusiast Kim Peters from Bowhill Stables, near Selkirk, has been flying the flag for Scotland in Denmark.
She was heavily involved when the Danish Tilters were in the Borders in May, helping to reintroduce the equestrian sport to Scotland after an absence of centuries. She supplied horses in order that local participants could try their skills in her Bowhill arena.
And last week Kim went to Sonderborg in southern Jutland to get the feel of the ring-riding festival there. She took part in competitions on the Friday and Sunday, and also in a small village’s ring-riding festival on the Saturday. For her tilting efforts on Sunday, she won a Copenhagen china bowl.
Kim says the most moving part of her visit was carrying the Saltire in a procession through Sonderborg, pictured, along with more than 500 other riders and eight bands – including the town’s 30-strong pipe band.
Each group of riders from other towns carry a Danish flag with the name of their town on it. Since Kim was the only Scottish participant this year, five volunteers from the local tilting association were appointed “Guardians of the Saltire”, riding ahead and on either side of her, wearing blue sashes.
The tilting link has already led to several visits between riders from Sonderborg and Selkirk, with more anticipated in the future.
A newspaper supplement devoted to the Sonderborg ring-riding carried a half-page report on the Scottish visit in May, and the Reiver statuette presented to the delegation on that occasion by Scottish Borders Council convener Graham Garvie now has its own place in the ring-riding museum.