‘There's no better place'

Whether planning a holiday or moving lock, stock and barrel, discover the best of Scotland with its Caribbean-style beaches, terrific training terrain and popular native breeds, says Becky Murray

- Becky Murray

THERE’S something majestic about Scotland, a land like no other. Home to native breeds including the much-loved Clydesdale and the Eriskay pony, Scotland is famed for its scenery and visitors are welcomed with open arms to a unique sense of camaraderie.

But a proud Scot can be a force to be reckoned with and when it comes to equestrianism, they rightly have much to be proud of with top studs, medal-winning riders, and training grounds producing past and future success stories. The long, harsh winters and often lengthy travel to competitions certainly teach riders about grit and determination but combined with breathtaking views and islands that offer Caribbean-like beaches, there are worse places in the world to be an equestrian.

A dressage rider who knows a lot about this determination is 19-year-old Rachel Evans, who lives in Shapinsay, a small island off Orkney. Despite there being no British Dressage competitions in Orkney, she qualified for the 2020 Petplan Equine Area Festival Championships at Hartpury (which were later cancelled owing to Covid) with her Connemara gelding Kingswells Midnight Blue. Rachel has her eye on further qualifications and is training towards advanced medium level.

“I don’t have an arena so I have to school on the beach,” explains Rachel, who travels to mainland Scotland throughout the year for training and competition. “I have to ride when others might choose not to, you have to make the most of it. There’s usually one unaffiliated competition in Orkney a month, but because I’m not on the mainland of Orkney it’s still a 25-minute boat journey to get there… and the boat doesn’t run if the weather is too bad!