The principals for this year’s Riding of the Marches in Kirkcudbright have been revealed.
John Picken is Cornet with Sam Barrick his lass.
Diane Warren will be pursuivant with Gemma Scott courier. The lynors will be TJ McCarney, Lily Stalker, Lochmann Spence and Mairi Howard.
Cornet John, 29, has been back working on the family farm for seven years after a couple of years travelling and three years at Newcastle University. He’s captain of Stewartry RFC and if he’s not at Greenlaw, he’ll be socialising or playing
tennis.
Cornet’s Lass Sam is 28 and from Corsock. She is currently a home economics teacher at Wallace Hall Academy in Thornhill.
Previously an active member of Stewartry Pony Club, she is currently on the committee and loves teaching the next generation of equestrians.
She owns two horses and enjoys attending and taking part in local events. She was a lynor in 2016 and has taken part in rideouts for numerous years as well as visiting and participating in other common ridings and festivities.
Pursuivant Diane is originally from Dundrennan and married to Dylan. She now lives in Dumfries and works for the council. She enjoys endurance riding on her horse Murphie as well as supporting all the local Ridings, where she has ridden for many years. She has been courier at Kirkcudbright in recent years and is honoured to become pursuivant.
Courier Gemma, 28 is from Kirkcudbright and is a dairy worker and young stock rearer. She has been attending rideouts since she got her first pony when she was seven and was a lynor in 2017.
TJ, who is 26 and lives in Springholm, is one of four lynors. He works for AMD Contract Services in Dumfries and plays rugby for Stewartry RFC where he has been in the first team for many years.
Lily, 24, works on a farm near Auchencairn, mainly milking cows. She is also studying agriculture full-time at SRUC Barony and is a keen member of Lower Nithsdale Young Farmers. She has ridden for the best part of 10 years, competing and doing rideouts when she can and has taken part in Kirkcudbright Riding of the Marches several times.
Lochlann is 20, from Castle Douglas and in his third year of studying civil engineering in Glasgow. He plays for Stewartry RFC and also enjoys motocross.
Mairi is 26 and spent the first few years of her life in Kirkcudbright before moving to Dumfries. She works as a canine carer for Dogs Trust and enjoys hiking and spending time with her two horses. Both her mum and gran have been Cornet’s Lass in Kirkcudbright in the past.
