Rebel Border Reivers 'kidnap' English lord
An English lord was kidnapped by a gang of rebel Border
Reivers - including two members of the famous Reivers Rugby
Team.
Lord James Joycey, of Berwick, Northumberland, was captured
by the rebel riders as he was out walking.
But instead of foul play afoot, Lord Joycey found himself
at the centre of some colourful preparations for the fifth
Borders Festival of the Horse.
And in exchange for his freedom, Lord Joycey pledged his allegiance
to the forthcoming festival.
Organised by The British Horse Society (Borders) and sponsored
by leading Borders Animal Health, Equine and Agricultural
Merchants Borthwick Burn, the popular Festival of The Horse
will take place from 17 to 28 May.
There will be more than 40 events over the 12 days including
stable open days, horsemanship demonstrations and competition
events.
Borthwick Burn is a Buccleuch Group company, overseen by the
Duke of Buccleuch whose family includes the famous Reiver,
Bold Buccleuch.
This year the Festival of The Horse, is taking on a Roman
and Reivers theme with a series of guided rides across the
historic Borders landscape.
Lord Joycey said he hoped his "abduction" would
help highlight the traditional festival.
He said: "Not many people today can say they have been
kidnapped by Reivers, so it was an opportunity to recreate
a bit of history while knowing my head would stay safely on
my shoulders.
"While the Borders Festival of the Horse is certainly
a worthwhile event, it wasn't worth losing my head over!"
Border Reivers and Scotland rugby legends Ross Ford and Gary
Law took time out of their busy schedules to help stage the
aristocratic abduction.
Information
For more than 350 years, up to the end of the 16th Century,
the great border tribes of both Scotland and England feuded
continuously among themselves.
Robbery and blackmail were everyday professions. Raiding,
arson, kidnapping, murder and extortion were an accepted part
of the social system.
This project is part funded by the European Community Scottish
Borders, Dumfries and Galloway, Tyne-Esk and South Lanarkshire
Leader+ 2000-2006 programmes
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