Country diary: A plucky band of riders wade into the waves | Cal Flyn
Written by Cal Flyn from the Guardian
Kirkwall, Orkney: The Riding of the Marches is a revived tradition that clatters through the streets to the golden sands of Scapa beach
August is the highlight of the agricultural calendar in Orkney. Many parishes and outlying islands host their summer shows before the county show in the capital, Kirkwall, rounds off the festivities in a grand finale, where the very glossiest cows, curliest-horned rams and fanciest ducks vie for champion titles.
The county show is a major local event – many shops, offices and cafes in the town close for the day (a sign on a glass door: “Gone to see the pretty coos”). But for the islands’ equestrians, it is but a warm-up for the eagerly awaited Riding of the Marches that takes place the following afternoon, when dozens of riders and horses – manes plaited and hooves oiled – gather in front of St Magnus’s cathedral before clattering through the town streets.
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Written by Cal Flyn from the Guardian
Kirkwall, Orkney: The Riding of the Marches is a revived tradition that clatters through the streets to the golden sands of Scapa beach
August is the highlight of the agricultural calendar in Orkney. Many parishes and outlying islands host their summer shows before the county show in the capital, Kirkwall, rounds off the festivities in a grand finale, where the very glossiest cows, curliest-horned rams and fanciest ducks vie for champion titles.
The county show is a major local event – many shops, offices and cafes in the town close for the day (a sign on a glass door: “Gone to see the pretty coos”). But for the islands’ equestrians, it is but a warm-up for the eagerly awaited Riding of the Marches that takes place the following afternoon, when dozens of riders and horses – manes plaited and hooves oiled – gather in front of St Magnus’s cathedral before clattering through the town streets.
Continue reading...
Since you’re here …
… we have a small favour to ask. More people are reading the Guardian than ever but advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. And unlike many news organisations, we haven’t put up a paywall – we want to keep our journalism as open as we can. So you can see why we need to ask for your help. The Guardian’s independent, investigative journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. But we do it because we believe our perspective matters – because it might well be your perspective, too.
If everyone who reads our reporting, who likes it, helps fund it, our future would be much more secure. Support the Guardian – it only takes a minute. Thank you.
