NEWS

Battle of the Sexes adds excitment to Family Funday

Kelso Races new season kicks off with Family Funday on Sunday 4^th October. As well as free entertainment for children of all ages, the day’s racing starts with the Border Principals race.

Started in 2004, the Border Principals race has become a hotly contested competition, which has the added spice of this year of three female riders.

The race is a competition between Principals from local towns and surrounding areas of the Scottish Borders. The nomination of Principal varies from town to town. Most are elected by the town’s Common Riding committee, but others, such as Musselburgh, have to endure a two-week election campaign before being announced.

Once elected the principals get to know each other very well. They attend each others common rides are invited to each other’s Town Balls, as well as forming friendly rivalries and long-term friendships. The Border Principals Race at Kelso is seen as very much the climax of the summer activities.

The usual inter town rivalries exist, especially between Galashiels and Hawick and also Musselburgh and Penicuik, but putting those to one side this year’s focus is on the potential lady lifting the trophy.

This year there is a trio of female riders competing. Amongst them is Wendy Dixon, from Berwick, who raced in last year’s event and is looking to better her third place finish. Leigh Skiriving from Penicuik and Lisa Young from Yetholm are also vying for a podium finish

On the day, some of the on-course bookies join in the fun, by offering odds on the race. The favourite is very hard to predict as most people just bet on their hometown rider. But, this year’s Musselburgh’s entrant, Ali Barclay, may be one to watch as he works for local National Hunt Trainer George Foster.

If age and wisdom are pre-requisites for success, then West Linton’s Tommy Davidson should win by 30 lengths!  The 50 year old has finally realised his dream of competing in the Border Principal race and will surely not let anything get in the way of his name being added to the trophy.

Jamie Richardson will be hoping to make it two years in a row for Hawick, as no town has ever won the trophy twice. Hawick are always fierce competition as they do a lot of amateur racing as part of their common riding.

Kimmerston Riding Centre kindly prepares and supplies the horses for the race. To make the race as fair as possible each rider pulls a horse’s name out of a hat and are only introduced to their trusty steeds on the day of the race.

The race is over five furlongs and the riders are assured a thrilling final furlong, as the supporters of each town gather to cheer on their entrant and hopefully rejoice in their winning.

The Border Principals race marks the start of another exciting season at Kelso.

Family Funday is the perfect introduction to racing and has become very popular amongst families, with free entertainment for kids of all ages. Along with free entry for 16 years and under (if accompanied by an adult) and free parking, a day at the races is a great value day out.