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Common riding

Common riding is an annual tradition observed in towns of the , where mounted participants ride along the historic boundaries of communal lands to affirm territorial claims and preserve local heritage. Originating from medieval practices of patrolling marches to deter encroachments during the lawless period, particularly intensifying in the , these events evolved from practical boundary inspections into ceremonial festivals blending horsemanship, pageantry, and communal rituals. In principal towns such as —the oldest and inaugural riding, dating its specific commemoration to a 1514 skirmish at Hornshole where locals captured an English flag—and Selkirk, which re-enacts a survivor's return from the in 1513, the proceedings feature the election of a as , processionals, flag ceremonies, and competitive chases, drawing thousands and constituting among Europe's largest regular gatherings. These ridings, held from May through August across about eleven communities, underscore enduring civic pride and historical continuity, with 's sequence uninterrupted since 1703 save for wartime pauses, integrating elements like wreath-layings at memorials, musical proclamations, and social balls that reinforce communal bonds rooted in feudal land management.

Historical Origins

Medieval Border Conflicts and Reiving

The Anglo-Scottish borderlands, spanning the modern and , were marked by persistent conflict from the late 13th century, stemming from the Wars of Scottish Independence (1296–1328 and 1332–1357), which devastated the region through repeated invasions, scorched-earth tactics, and fluctuating control. This instability created a , as central authorities in both kingdoms struggled to enforce amid ongoing hostilities, leaving border communities vulnerable to cross-border incursions and fostering a culture of self-reliant defense. The rugged terrain of hills, valleys, and rivers facilitated swift mounted raids, while depopulated lands offered little resistance, compelling local inhabitants to organize patrols to monitor and assert territorial boundaries against potential threats. Reiving emerged as a dominant practice in this environment, with kinship-based families—known as clans or "surnames" on the Scottish side and similar groups in —conducting organized rustling, , and retaliatory strikes from the late through the 16th. These , operating independently of loyalties, exploited the unsecured to sustain their households amid economic hardship and feuds, with raids often escalating into cycles of vengeance that rendered the a notorious no-man's-land. Historical records document thousands of such depredations, including large-scale "hot trod" pursuits where victims chased raiders across the line, underscoring the causal link between geographic exposure and the necessity for communal vigilance through horseback of marches or boundaries. A pivotal event illustrating this martial ethos occurred on May 1514 at Hornshole, near , where a band of local youths—most adult men absent due to recovery from the disastrous (1513)—ambushed and routed an English raiding party pillaging the area, capturing their banner in a decisive skirmish. This victory, achieved through improvised mounted assault, symbolized the resilience of border communities against English incursions in the post-Flodden chaos and reinforced the tradition of youth-led defense, directly influencing later practices of organized riding to patrol and commemorate . Such incidents highlight how the persistent threat of reiving and drove the evolution of regular mounted inspections, transforming ad hoc responses into structured assertions of communal sovereignty over disputed lands.

Institutionalization of Boundary Riding

Following the in 1603, which unified the Scottish and English monarchies under , the regions experienced pacification through systematic suppression of reiver clans and enforcement of law, shifting irregular defensive patrols against raids into periodic boundary verifications. This transition marked the decline of martial reiving by the early 17th century, as royal ordinances dismantled the marcher warden system and redistributed confiscated lands, yet preserved communal practices for territorial assertion amid stabilizing governance. The Acts of Union in reinforced this integration by dissolving independent border jurisdictions, prompting border towns to formalize "riding the marches" via local charters and customary rights focused on demarcation rather than . In , records indicate structured annual rides by the early , with the first documented — the lead rider—named James Scott in 1703, linking the event to enforcement of grazing commons against potential encroachments. Similarly, Selkirk's status, confirmed in charters from 1535–1536, incorporated riding protocols to validate , evolving from perambulations into organized civic duties by the mid-18th century. Economic imperatives underpinned this institutionalization, as towns relied on common lands for pasturage; annual rides served to physically inspect markers like , deterring disputes over boundaries during early agricultural shifts that threatened shared resources without widespread as in . This continuity reflected pragmatic communal self-interest, where verifying marches annually upheld collective property rights against individual claims, sustaining the practice through the 19th century despite broader legal centralization.

Core Traditions and Practices

Riding the Marches and Symbolic Acts

Riding the marches involves groups of mounted riders systematically tracing the historical boundaries, or "marches," of common lands, with stops at key landmarks such as or natural features to inspect for integrity and perform ritual assertions of territorial . This practice originated as a practical measure to delineate and defend rights against potential encroachments by neighboring lands or rival groups during periods of instability. Riders proceed at varying paces, including trots and gallops, suited to the undulating terrain of the , where provide essential mobility over uneven ground historically unsuited to wheeled . Central symbolic acts include the election of a , typically a young unmarried man selected as the symbolic leader and standard-bearer, who carries the burgh during the to represent communal resolve and heritage. Flag presentations, often involving ceremonial handovers, underscore themes of and protection, evoking historical preparations for conflict. Additional emblems, such as thistles or spades, are borne aloft to signify resilience and labor in safeguarding the marches. These rides emphasize remembrance of past conflicts through declarations or somber recitations honoring ancestors lost in skirmishes, reinforcing a collective martial identity without modern political overtones. Events typically draw hundreds to thousands of participants on horseback, scaling with community involvement and reflecting the tradition's enduring core.

Ceremonial Elements and Community Involvement

![Ex Callants in 2018.jpg][float-right] Ceremonial elements of common riding extend beyond the boundary inspection to include processions, musical accompaniments, and ritual declarations that emphasize communal solidarity. In towns like Hawick, the event features cavalcades led by drums and fifes, with participants singing traditional chants such as "Teribus" to evoke historical defiance. Torchlight processions often mark the evening conclusion of riding weeks, as seen in Lauder where they accompany fireworks and civic gatherings, symbolizing vigilance over communal lands. These rituals, performed on specific dates like Hawick's first Friday in June, reinforce shared heritage without altering the core equestrian focus. Community involvement centers on structured roles that promote horsemanship and local among participants, particularly . The , typically a male chosen for riding proficiency and character, serves as and leads the ride, a position selected months in advance through community vetting in . Supporting roles like the cornet's lass and right and left hand men, drawn from peers, assist in guiding the , fostering skills in coordination and tradition-keeping. In , groups provide training and pony access, aiming to groom future cornets and ensuring intergenerational continuity in equestrian competence. Preparations involve town-wide contributions, from route scouting to event logistics, which uphold hierarchies based on merit in riding and service rather than external criteria.

Major Festivals

Hawick Common Riding

Hawick Common Riding is the oldest and inaugural festival among the ' common riding events, held annually on the and following the in June. The event originates from the 1514 skirmish at Hornshole, where local youths, in the absence of adult males depleted by the , ambushed and defeated an English raiding party, capturing their flag as a symbol of defiance. This victory, central to 's identity, is ritually honored through processions that trace the town's historical boundaries and pause at the battle site for flag-dipping ceremonies. The festival's core procession is led by the , an elected young horseman aged 19 to 24 from the local community, who carries the burgh's blue-and-gold banner throughout the . Accompanied by Right and Left Hand Men and a mounted of supporters, the Cornet oversees circuits of the marches, including a principal pre-festival ride-out spanning 24 miles to Mosspaul and back to affirm territorial claims rooted in medieval . These culminate in the main Common Riding weekend, where participants encircle and adjacent lands, reinforcing communal bonds through displays and historical reenactments. In 2014, marking the 500th anniversary of the Hornshole victory, the event drew thousands of spectators to Hawick's streets for expanded celebrations, including grand reenactments involving hundreds of local children and the unveiling of a commemorative . This milestone highlighted the festival's unbroken continuity since at least the early , with records of Cornets dating to 1703 and only interrupted by the World Wars. Hawick's heritage is further evidenced by the preserved 1537 charter, granted by Sir James Douglas, 7th Baron of Drumlanrig, which established the town as a of , delineated common lands, and empowered householders to manage boundaries—foundational elements still invoked in the rides.

Selkirk Common Riding

The Selkirk Common Riding is an annual equestrian festival held in the town of Selkirk on the second Friday following the first Monday in June, drawing over 400 riders in one of Europe's largest cavalcades. It originated from medieval practices of riding the marches to demarcate and defend the burgh's boundaries and common lands within the royal Ettrick Forest, where strict forest laws under Scottish kings restricted local access to grazing and resources, prompting burghers to assert their rights through perambulation. As a with records dating to at least , Selkirk's status granted privileges over adjacent forest territories, linking the event to feudal assertions of communal property against royal prerogatives. Central to the ceremony is the election of the , a young resident selected through community nomination and vetted for character, who leads the procession carrying the burgh standard as a symbol of historical continuity from the in 1513, when 80 Selkirk men departed and only one returned. The , along with attendants, receives the flag in a formal , followed by the "Casting of the Colours" in the Market Place, where the standard is dramatically thrown to the ground thrice to commemorate the fallen and invoke protection for the marches. This role emphasizes leadership and civic duty, distinct from other ridings by its ties to Selkirk's sole survivor's legacy—archer Fletcher Johnne—who purportedly brought back the banner. The event's structure reflects preserved trade guild traditions, with multiple incorporations such as the Hammermen, Fleshers, and Merchant Company each fielding standard bearers who cast their distinct flags during the procession, maintaining feudal-era divisions among craftsmen whose economic roles, including wool processing in the Borders' historic textile trade, underpinned the burgh's prosperity. These color-distinguished standards—often bearing guild-specific emblems—highlight communal organization rooted in medieval craft hierarchies, where guilds regulated markets and defended shared interests. Rides follow verifiable historical routes, extending from the town center along the Ettrick and Yarrow waters into surrounding valleys, including the Yarrow Valley, to inspect boundaries marked on 19th-century maps such as Sheet VII.7, which delineate limits and paths used for perambulation. Participants the Ettrick River at Philiphaugh and key landmarks like the Philiphaugh , ensuring the integrity of lands historically contested under forest laws while fostering town-wide participation across social strata. This guild-led format underscores Selkirk's emphasis on collective over individual heroism, differentiating it through its layered ceremonial casting by multiple bearers.

Langholm Common Riding

The Langholm Common Riding is an annual festival centered in , a town in the Eskdale valley of , , distinguished by its emphasis on traversing and hilly boundaries of the town's common lands. Held on the last Friday in July—a date formalized in 1919—the event features a of riders inspecting the marches, or borders, of the Ten Merk Lands, including areas such as Common Moss and Kilngreen, marked by historical pits and . This focus on rural circuits sets it apart from more town-centric ridings, with routes navigating the undulating terrain surrounding the River Esk. Originating from a 1759 Court of Session ruling that resolved land disputes by affirming the burgh's communal rights, the mounted tradition began in when Archie Thomson, landlord of the Commercial Inn, led the first horseback patrol of the marches. was integrated from that inaugural year on the Kilngreen, later shifting to the Castleholm in 1834 for expanded facilities, with further relocations during 1939–1957 to Milntown before returning, illustrating post-early-19th-century enhancements to the program. A , selected via public ballot since 1890, leads as , accompanied by right- and left-hand men, in a that proclaims the ancient fair rights and verifies . The event routinely attracts thousands of spectators—up to 7,000 in some years—filling streets and fields, which supports local through visitor influx for , races, and adjunct activities like athletic and wrestling, though quantified economic data remains limited in .

Jedburgh Cornet and Ride

The Jethart Callant's Festival, incorporating Jedburgh's traditional riding of the marches, features the annual Callant—a young local man elected to lead processions while bearing a ceremonial —as its central figure, a role emphasizing leadership and boundary guardianship revived in the . Inaugurated on February 7, 1947, by a local committee initially focused on pageantry tied to Border Games, the festival expanded to include multiple rideouts affirming the burgh's extent, drawing on medieval practices of communal patrols to deter and mark territory against neighboring claims. Key rideouts span late June to mid-July, with routes commencing at Abbey Bridge End and proceeding through landmarks like Market Place, Exchange Street, and outlying tracks to sites such as Bonjedward House and historical points including Redeswire, site of the 1575 skirmish. These paths traverse terrains historically linked to , established as an Augustinian priory in 1138 by King David I and raised to abbey in 1154, encompassing former monastic granges and farmlands that shaped the town's medieval domain and continue to define its marches. Upon concluding each ride, the Callant plants his in the town center ground, a act of territorial that underscores the event's role in perpetuating empirical delineation amid potential encroachments, fostering generational of riding skills in a prone to rural depopulation. The extended itineraries, often involving communal gatherings at dawn or overnight halts at remote markers, reinforce practical competence among participants, countering erosion of such abilities in contemporary settings.

Other Notable Events

Common Riding occurs annually on the first Saturday in , featuring a of over 300 horses around the town's , a referenced since the 1600s and reinstated in 1911 after a lapse in the 1800s. The event includes ceremonies marking territorial boundaries, drawing participants from the local community to affirm communal land rights. Galashiels hosts the Braw Lads Gathering in late June, with rideouts commemorating the town's 1337 defense against English forces and featuring ceremonial standards and community parades that echo border reiving heritage. Established in 1930, it incorporates flag raisings and processions along local marches, emphasizing civic pride without the scale of larger festivals. Peebles Beltane Festival takes place in the third week of June, culminating in a Saturday rideout and fancy dress parade that attracts thousands of spectators, fostering community involvement through principal roles and public ceremonies. Recent iterations, such as in 2024, have drawn large crowds to events highlighting via horse processions and symbolic acts. Edinburgh's Riding of the Marches, revived in 2009 after a 62-year , occurs in and involves a 26-mile route with hundreds of riders re-enacting inspections dating to 1579, including parades down Mile. West Linton's Whipman Play, held in early June with a rideout on the first Saturday, is led by the Whipman figure and includes community parades, representing rural traditions of horsemanship and land demarcation. Melrose Festival in the third week of features a Monday rideout ascending the Eildon Hills and a Saturday tour of ceremonies, blending common riding with local pageantry to showcase historical ties across urban and rural settings.

Cultural and Social Significance

Preservation of Heritage and Identity

Common riding rituals empirically transmit reiver-era lore—encompassing 16th-century practices of mounted raiding, defense, and clan-based —through structured annual reenactments that engage participants in symbolic acts mirroring historical necessities for territorial survival amid Anglo-Scottish warfare. Originating in the 13th and 14th centuries as practical patrols against incursions, these events causally reinforce by embedding narratives of martial autonomy in communal memory, with youth selected as cornet-bearers to internalize values of vigilance and horsemanship via direct ritual participation. This mechanism sustains distinctiveness by prioritizing embodied repetition over abstract , countering in cultural transmission observed in non-ritualized societies. The traditions link verifiably to Border national by resisting post-1707 dilution, where centralized governance eroded peripheral autonomies, yet annual marches affirm reiver-derived ethos of localized loyalty against broader assimilation into Lowland or norms. Sustained engagement, evidenced by events drawing over 200 riders and thousands in attendance—such as Hawick's commemorating a 1514 English capture—demonstrates causal efficacy in identity preservation, as participation rates hold firm despite demographic shifts and . Achievements in heritage safeguarding parallel UNESCO intangible cultural heritage recognitions, with the UK's 2023 convention accession explicitly including common ridings among Scottish traditions, yet their longevity derives from internal martial self-reliance rather than supranational endorsement, highlighting ritual's independent role in forestalling cultural erosion. This endogenous dynamic underscores how periodic communal assertion of historical agency perpetuates Border exceptionalism amid encompassing political unions.

Community Cohesion and Economic Role

Ridings foster strong community cohesion through widespread local participation, with hundreds of residents as riders, marshals, and organizers each year. In events like Riding, over 230 and hundreds of riders join the , drawing families and groups into shared activities that reinforce social networks and collective pride in local heritage. committees, supported by an "army of volunteers," handle from route planning to cleanup, promoting discipline and horsemanship skills among participants while building interpersonal trust and cooperation. This intensive annual involvement, though seasonally demanding, yields enduring social bonds, as evidenced by multi-generational participation in roles such as supporters, which sustains -based involvement across years. Economically, Common Ridings drive to rural towns, attracting over 111,830 visitors across festivals in 2014 alone, bolstering local businesses through spending on accommodations, , and services. Individual events generate direct financial returns; for instance, Common Riding recorded profits of £33,000 in 2008 and £17,500 in 2010, derived from ticket sales, sponsorships, and related activities that offset organizational costs. These festivals contribute to the broader £7 million annual economic input from events in the region, aiding rural viability by countering depopulation trends through seasonal influxes that support and sectors. The emphasis on local and volunteer labor minimizes external dependencies, ensuring benefits circulate within communities while enhancing skills like proficiency that have ancillary economic value in tourism-oriented activities.

Criticisms and Challenges

Gender Dynamics and Equality Concerns

In Scottish Borders common ridings, the election of the cornet—a symbolic leader selected annually as a young, unmarried individual to represent martial readiness rooted in 16th-century border defense practices—has historically been restricted to males, reflecting the events' origins in male-dominated raiding and traditions. This limitation persists in major events like Hawick's, where no female cornet has been elected despite broader participation reforms, as the role evokes selection of physically capable warriors from eras when women were not combatants. Hawick's 2018 decision to lift a longstanding ban on women riding in the main marked progress in participant involvement, allowing female riders alongside males after decades of exclusion that dated to 1932, yet leadership positions such as remained unchanged, prompting criticisms of incomplete . In November 2019, a local report highlighted instances where female participants reported being "ignored and derided" during events, with the organizing committee accused of failing to adequately promote mixed-gender involvement or address complaints, fueling debates during that year's where candidates urged further anti-sexism measures. These concerns led to external pressures, including implicit threats to public funding from councils scrutinizing the event's compliance with modern standards, though defenders argued such interventions risked eroding the tradition's historical fidelity without evidence of intentional discrimination beyond customary norms. Empirical patterns show persistent low representation of women in and roles across most ridings—contrasting with Selkirk's milestone of its first female —while female attendance and auxiliary participation, such as flag-bussing or spectator roles, have risen, indicating no outright barrier to involvement but a causal holdover from the events' warrior-centric heritage. Equality advocates, often citing these disparities, have pushed for mandatory female eligibility in elections, viewing male exclusivity as outdated , whereas tradition-preserving voices counter that altering core roles would dilute the festivals' authenticity, tied empirically to male historical agency in border conflicts rather than contemporary bias. No verified data indicates systemic exclusionary practices like formal bans on female nominations post-2018 reforms, underscoring that tensions stem more from interpretive clashes over preserving causal historical fidelity versus imposing egalitarian overlays.

Animal Welfare and Safety Considerations

Common riding events involve large groups of riders traversing boundaries on horseback, exposing participants and equines to risks such as falls on uneven terrain or roads. A 1998 report highlighted concerns over horse hiring practices in these events, advocating for improved safety standards to mitigate injury risks from inexperienced riders. Expert consensus from a study on equine welfare priorities identified Scottish common riding hirelings as potentially overused by novice or unbalanced riders, ranking this scenario among concerns like unfit competition horses. However, unlike profit-driven activities, common riding relies on voluntary participation with locally sourced s, and no verified reports of frequent or severe equine injuries specific to these traditions have emerged in or parliamentary discussions on for riders. organizations have not substantively targeted common riding with protests or campaigns, in contrast to high-profile disruptions at commercial horse races.

Modern Adaptations and Future

Recent Developments and Events

In July 2024, Smithsonian Magazine profiled the Scottish Borders common ridings as one of Europe's largest equestrian events, emphasizing their role in commemorating historical border conflicts through mass horseback processions involving thousands of participants and spectators. The COVID-19 pandemic led to widespread cancellations of common riding events in 2020 and 2021, including Hawick's, the first of the Borders festivals, due to public health restrictions; this marked only the fourth such interruption for Hawick since 1703. Events resumed robustly in 2022, with Selkirk's common riding drawing over 250 riders amid easing restrictions. A notable post-2000 occurred in , where full female participation rights were established in , allowing women to serve in all roles previously restricted to men, though core traditions like the selection remained male-led. In 2014, marked a revival milestone by re-enacting the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Hornshole, involving hundreds of local children in historical pageantry tied to the 1514 flag capture. These events have contributed to tourism growth in the South of , branded as "'s Horse Country," with regional strategies promoting trails and to leverage annual festivals amid broader visitor increases; to surpassed pre-pandemic levels in visits and spending by 2023-2024.

Efforts in Tradition Preservation

Local societies in the , such as the Border Reiver Heritage Society, undertake educational programs to instill knowledge of reiver history among descendants and youth, directly tying these narratives to the origins of Common Riding as boundary patrols against historical raids. These initiatives include distribution of archival materials like DVDs documenting rides and ballads, fostering intergenerational transmission of and communal rituals essential to the tradition's survival. To address urbanization's erosion of rural ties, community committees in towns like and uphold ancient charters that delineate riding marches, using annual events to physically reaffirm and communal of common lands—a practice rooted in 13th-century defensive necessities. Funds raised through activities support maintenance of routes and , countering modern infrastructural changes by prioritizing historical fidelity over commercial alterations. Digital efforts, including online repositories of ride histories and websites, enable access to authentic , while promotion highlights the events as Europe's oldest festivals, drawing participants to experience unaltered protocols and bolstering local resilience against . Preservation strategies emphasize unadulterated , recognizing that repetitive communal rituals reinforce and bonds, providing causal stability amid societal shifts toward and transience.

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