NEAR MISSES

It was a weekend of delays and impressive driveways.  The budget airline Flybe excelled itself for incompetence and my eventual arrival at Edinburgh was so late that by the time I drove into Glamis, the Presentation was long since over and the officials and competitors were bundled into a convoy of cars and had set off to examine the Routier (and avoid the rain).  Embarrassed by missing the presentation commentary slot and a bit exhausted, I went into the castle, the seat of the Earls of Strathmore & Kinghorne, and childhood home of the Queen Mother, and tried to get a cup of much needed tea.  But as I stepped over the threshold, there was a power cut and the restaurant shut down.  I had to beg a pot of tepid tea – there was a dribble of warm water in the urn – and a slice of coffee cake (the caffeine & sugar were medicinal), and gave the beleaguered teenagers who were trying to run the tearoom a fiver as the till was locked shut.  Melting into a deep sofa, below the high ceiling of what had been the castle kitchens, I flicked through the latest Scottish Field magazine and watched the chaos around me play out.  It was so good to be back in Scotland.

Feeling revived, and awaiting the return of the convoy, I went into the gift shop and attempted to purchase some knickknacks for my daughters, being laced with maternal guilt as it was another weekend away from them following the stints at Compiègne and the Suffolk Show that same week.  But the lovely ladies asked me to leave as they were closing due to the lack of power.  Consolation was found in an enlightening exhibition about all the remarkable women who had lived through the ages at Glamis, and what they had achieved.  Who knew that Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon was the ninth of ten children, who lost brothers in WWI, and saved many of the castle contents from the avaricious flames of a fire when a youngster?

It wasn’t long before organiser Richard Lanni and his team (mainly family – his wife Sandy, daughter Alex, and brother Brian who had come down from Orkney) returned and everyone seemed delighted with the route.  Glamis in early June is Scotland at its finest – the purple rhododendron bushes are at their blousy best and the established woodlands show a variety of planting and different species that is peculiar to the climate of the north-east.  Richard then imparted the news that plans for my accommodation had changed – sadly the son of the man who ran the local B & B has been taken seriously ill and I was to stay with Richard’s cousin who lived about 15 minutes away.  Knowing that there wasn’t much time to turnaround for the evening’s reception and meal, I set off into the hinterland with a set of handwritten instructions – evidently the sat nav wouldn’t get me to the right place.

RED SQUIRRELS & ROMANIAN STREET DOGS

Having crossed the busy (and often treacherous) A90 and circumnavigated Forfar, I turned into a driveway that was framed by a gatehouse and ahead was a long, gentle stretch of road which was lined with more rhododendrons.  There was also signage asking that we should try to avoid running over the red squirrels.  After a few turns I pulled up alongside Carse Grey House –  a beautiful example of Scottish baronial architecture.  It certainly was a pleasant surprise – Richard had mentioned nothing of the magnificence of his cousin’s home.  But the place seemed deserted and although the doors were open, no one was around.  So, I contented myself with trying to make friends with Nigel, a fluffy black dog who barked continuously while concealing himself in the roots of a bush.  Normally I can coax dogs into affection, but Nigel was not to be persuaded.  It transpires he was rescued from the streets of Romania – where Melissa (Richard’s cousin) and James (he took on his grandparent’s home and the restoration project has been daunting) had both lived and worked, then met.  That day James had embarked on an 84 mile bike ride over the Cairn O’Mount and when I turned up, was reclining in a darken room, recovering.  Melissa soon returned with her excited five year old daughter Anastasia who had just had her first ever carriage ride alongside Ewan MacInnes.

QUICK CHANGE

Having realised Melissa and I shared a great deal in common – she is a dressage rider and also a trustee of the World Horse Welfare charity – it was a quick change to return to Glamis for the evening’s activities.  Those staying on site had changed into their best clothes, which for many of the men meant kilts or trews, and they had enjoyed a private tour round the castle.  We then went to a restaurant in the village for the evening meal.  This is a key part of an AIAT weekend – the conviviality and friendship that is nurtured is a core philosophy of the movement.  I spent the evening sitting opposite Brian Galloway of Houghton harness makers – a man with an encyclopaedic knowledge of his trade.  Then there was the inevitable nudge in the ribs to stand up and sell a few lots by auction to raise much needed funds to support the event.  The generosity of the Lanni family in providing items for the raffle and auction must be lauded.

A TREAT FOR DRIVERS

Sunday morning brought more rain and poor Kim Pearson, who was undergoing her presentation judging, was in the thick of it.  English judges Claudia Bunn and Elizabeth Cartwright-Hignett are well conditioned to the wet, but it must have been more challenging for Italian judge Enzo Calvi and his wife Emanuela.  But the rain soon moved on and although the going was wet, mud wasn’t too much of an issue.  The classes for the traditional turnouts then departed with timed intervals for the drive and ‘Difficulties’ and all returned beaming, saying how wonderful and scenic the route was.

MODERN CARRIAGES

Not all AIAT events include a class for smart, modern type turnouts but to boost the numbers, Richard had done so.  Up stepped Alex & Maureen Hogg, long term competitors, judges and general experts on all aspects of driving.  They judged the presentation, with two sets of marks as opposed to the three that the traditional turnouts have, then competitors went out on the drive.  Maureen later helped judge the cones while Alex soon became one of Richard’s righthand men.  Their son Aaron and his partner Elly were running the timing and start and finish gates.

LONG DISTANCE VIEWING

The cones course was set both within and out with the arena.  Maureen and I sat at one end, while Alex Lanni was dispatched to the far end to wave her arms and communicate to us how many balls were being knocked down as they were well camouflaged against the grass.  Enzo, Claudia and Elizabeth were stationed on the steps leading up from the arena and so had a bird’s eye view of proceedings.  The course proved to be challenging and although no time penalties were issued, the balls popped off the cones in all sorts of places.  One of the most proficient rounds of the day came from Faith Szczuka and her tandem of seasoned Welsh D eventing ponies whose eye for a line through the centre provided a flowing, efficient drive.

WELSH DRAGONS

In the CIAT section, Modris and Alison Kesans, who have become Attelage aficionados, took the single horse class and the overall championship with their elegant Monnington Verdi and American Drop Front Phaeton, making their 12-hour journey from Swansea worthwhile.  In reserve was the single pony class winner, Ruth Martin and her versatile Welsh Section C Merioneth Tymesti Ap Storm, who had also won their eventing class at Hopetoun FEI the weekend before.  Ewan MacInnes was the only entrant in the horse pairs class so took that ticket – it had been a busy week for Ewan as he had accompanied wife Jane to the Suffolk Show for her judging stint, while at the same time moving to a new house.

There were lots of additional special awards, for best whips, best traditional Scottish turnout, native pony and Highland, which meant that nearly everyone got something extra.  Gilly Chippendale from Cumbria definitely got the award for the best mane and tail driving her delightful grey Fell Stennerskeugh Smoke and they were second in the pony class.  Behind her in third was Kirstin McBride from Annan and her Highland (they got that award) Little Fenwick Kaitlin; in fourth was Jean Clarkson from Dumfries and her coloured cob Drumruck Hugo, who was in a class of his own in the best moustache category.

In the single horses, AIAT regular Alan Ross from Aberdeenshire, formerly a police dog handler and protection officer, took second with his coloured trotter mare Maggie, who always returns from the Routier looking as if she wants to go again. Alan bought his varnished Four-wheeled Dog Cart by Croall & Croall of Edinburgh at the Lord Ballyedmond dispersal sale in Cumbria and the turnout is ideally suited to Attelage – they took the best Scottish prize.  In third was a still damp Kim Pearson who was accompanied by her highly knowledgeable father James, driving her Welsh cross bay stallion JD’s El Dorado to a Lawton Beaufort Cart; in fourth was Nigel Matheson from Perthshire with his daughter Kirsty’s Padoy, a Friesian x Welsh Cob with a natural presence and obvious kind nature.

In the contemporary section, Annie Rushton-Green won the single pony class and championship with her exuberant rescue pony Jim; Audrey Barron form Arbroath and her Highland pony Kincardine Bluebell were second.  Lorraine MacIndoe and George the Cob took the horse class, Faith won the multiples, and in a class of their own was Claire Armet from Edinburgh with Alexandra the donkey who caught the eye of donkey fan, Claudia Bunn.

THE FUTURE

There was much chat over the weekend about the future viability of the event.  If Carlsberg made driving venues, then Glamis fulfils the dream.  Falling in the same week as Compiègne and Suffolk, it lost a few entrants, and there are the age-old comments about it being too far north for some to travel – although us Scots are well seasoned in making the journey south without question.  That event organisers might be liable for covering the cost of running these types of weekend is another issue which needs to be addressed – perhaps it’s time for an AIAT society in this country (another debate).  But every single person who came to Glamis relished the chance to spend time amidst such a stunning backdrop, and those who travelled the furthest were the most lavish in their praise.  In some form, the event will continue, be it at Glamis or a venue a bit further south.  Big demands are placed on the organisers, all of whom are volunteers, not least someone like Sandy Lanni, who managed to produce a buffet lunch to feed the masses, endless cups of tea and coffee, while operating under thin canvas and pelting rain, yet always armed with her ever ready humour and infectious smile.

END NOTE

Having returned the hire car safely – there were no fights in the Green Motion portacabin this time (there were two when I collected the car) – it was pure chaos at Edinburgh airport.  The summer schedule had been introduced that morning and at the same time, the security staff were being audited.  It took 1.5 hours to get through the scanners and down to the departure gate, but true to form (thankfully for once), the Flybe (‘Flymaybe’) flight was delayed.  While awaiting any sort of information or communication (it was a long wait), I got chatting to an extraordinary lady who is a professional medium, who was on her way to the Channel Islands with her daughter.  Her name is Paula O’Brien and we’ve stayed in touch.

Having waved off Paula at Southampton airport, I boarded the train to Basingstoke, only to learn that there was a problem with faults on the line, and there were delays.  Thankfully there was a good book in my bag – ‘How to Fail’ by Elizabeth Day.  Apt reading.

My grateful thanks go to the wonderful photographer Fiona Brims who provided the images.  Please do refer to Fiona’s website for more images from Glamis CIAT or her other equestrian photos – www.fionabrimsphotography.co.uk