Prince makes royal ascent from a ditch

When Dani Kirkman decided to take a ride with her 13-year-old cob Prince on a new route at a back road between Crailing and Jedburgh it proved a nightmare experience.

At lunchtime on Monday they came to a steep edged six feet ditch with a narrow footbridge over it.

Prince was going too fast to stop and as he tried to jump over the muddy ditch he landed on his knees on the other side.

Dani then watched on in horror as her beloved horse slipped back into the cavenous ditch where he lay helpless, panting and shaking, and with blood coming from his eye.

Frantic Dani called 999 and within ten minutes firefighters from Jedburgh were on the scene, quickly followed by reinforcements from Hawick and Dumfries.

After three hours of pushing and persuasion the crews were able to free Prince, a Common Riding stalwart.

He was battered and bruised but otherwise unharmed.

Dani, a 25-year-old receptionist at Bisley at Braidwood clay shooting range, said: “It was the most horrific experience but I want to thank the amazing fire service teams, the vets who came from Galedin and the police department. We’ll never take that route again, that’s for sure.”