5 interesting facts about Jethart Callant's Festival

Jethart Callant's Festival, our local common riding festival, began last Sunday, when the Callant, his henchman, and their mounted cavalcade set off to Morebattle to meet the Kelso Laddie.

Since it's inception, Jethart Callant's Festival has become one of the highlights of the Scottish Borders' calendar, celebrating local history that dates back centuries and traditions that have kept community spirit alive since they were established. If you're looking for a brief overview of the Common Ridings or the Festival, you can our blog that tells you all about them here. For those who have a general idea of what the Festival is already, here are 5 interesting facts about Jethart Callant's Festival that you might not yet know...

Queen's Ride follows part of the route once ridden by Mary Queen of Scots from Jedburgh to Hermitage Castle... and she nearly died on the return journey!

In October 1566, Mary Queen of Scots was visiting Jedburgh when she heard that her loyal supporter (and future husband), the Earl of Bothwell, had been ambushed and injured by Border reivers. She rode 25 miles to see him, along a similar route taken by the Callant and his cavalcade every July, and on the way back to Jedburgh, she fell so unwell that she nearly died!

The Callant and his followers don't travel quite so far as Mary Queen of Scots did in 1566, but they stop at Fulton Tower for a brief stop before heading back to Jedburgh.

Redeswire ride-out commemorates the last battle believed to be the last time that the bow and arrow was used as fighting weapon in this country.

Redeswire ride-out is the longest ride, with the Callant and his cavalcade leaving at 9 am for the Carter Bar, and the site of the Raid of Redeswire in 1575. The Raid of Redeswire was a skirmish between the English and the Scots of the middle marches, which broke out when the usual 'Court of Justice' proceedings turned sour when the two wardens of either nation disagreed on the case of an Englishman, who had not turned up to defend his case. This disagreement rippled through the crowd and before long, both sides had resorted to violence, the shooting of arrows (believed to be the last time arrows were used in battle in this country), and the pillaging of each other's horses and wares.

The Scot's were pushed back down the hillside in the direction of home when they were met by the men of Jethart, declaring their presence with their battle cry 'Jethart's here!". With Jedburgh's contingent joining the ranks, the tide was turned and those on the English side were held to justice in the end. On arrival at Redeswire, the Callant re-enacts that battle cry, giving everyone in attendance a sense of the impact that would've had on the fighting men of the Borders all those years ago.

Only two Callants have served more than one year in their role!

Jethart Callant's Festival began in the 1940s and since then, the Festival has run every year in some form, though on a couple of occasions the Callant has had to serve the town for more than the usual year.

The Foot & Mouth outbreak of 2001 in the UK meant that Steven Turnbull, Callant in the previous year, had to repeat his duties without any mounted ride-outs in order to try to protect the local farmers from the further spread of the disease.

As you may have guessed, the Covid 19 pandemic also resulted in the cancellation of the majority of the 2020 festival, with Euan Munro serving the town as Callant from 2019 through to 2021.

Jethart Callant's Festival is relatively young in comparison to the history it celebrates.

Jethart Callant's Festival began in 1947 when the Border Games Festival Committee decided that some sort of pageant and programme should be adopted, and thus the Festival was born. Though nearly 80 years old, the Festival is one of the youngest common riding events in the Scottish Borders. Hawick's Common Riding and Selkirk Common Riding date back as far as the Battle of Flodden in 1513.

A sprig from the oldest surviving oak tree from the ancient Jed Forest is pinned to the Callant's lapel on Festival Day.

Every Festival Day, on the return journey from Ferniehurst Castle, the Callant and all of those following pause for a short ceremony at The Capon Tree, the oldest surviving oak tree from the ancient Jed Forest, which once covered the lands surrounding Jedburgh. The purpose of the ceremony is for the President of the Callant's Club to pin a sprig from The Capon Tree to the lapel of the Callant's riding jacket. This small token is a symbol of the continuity and enduring spirit of the town and it's people.

Did you know any of these facts about Jethart Callant's Festival? Do you have any other's you could share? Let us know in the comments, we'd love to be able to share more about the area with our guests!