Rebel Border Reivers Kidnap English Lord
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, from Berwick, Northumberland was captured by the rebel riders as he was out walking.
But instead of foul play afoot, Lord James found himself at the centre of some colourful preparations for the fifth Borders Festival of the Horse.
And in exchange for his freedom, Lord James pledged his allegiance to the forthcoming festival.
Border Reivers and Scotland rugby stars Ross Ford and Garry Law took time out of their busy schedules to help stage the aristocratic abduction.
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 May 17th-28th.
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, will take on a Roman and Reivers theme with a series of guided rides across the historic Borders landscape.
Lord James 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!”
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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