Animal magnetism is impossible to avoid this weekend

Published on Thursday 2 July 2009 12:28

It is all about the animals this weekend with enough creatures to fill several arks.

First out of the stalls are the Hopetoun Horse Trials, which are taking place in the deer park next to Hopetoun House near South Queensferry on Saturday. The deer park is usually closed to the public so the trials offer a rare chance to wander around the grounds while watching the dressage, show jumping and cross country events. Sunday is a bit different as it's an event for ex-racehorses in connection with the Scottish and Northern Ex-Racehorse Club. The various classes will be judged by Lucinda Russell and Peter Scudamore, two names familiar to anyone who has ever set foot in a bookies.

Sticking with quadrupeds, but scaling things down a bit, Glasgow's Tall Ship is currently playing host to All Paws on Decks, an exhibition looking at the history of cats on ships. Cats have been carried on ships for thousands of years for the purpose of controlling stowaway vermin. Apparently, sail power is how moggies managed to colonise every corner of the globe. This exhibition also covers superstitions surrounding cats, ship's cats in film and literature and ship's cats today. Look out for the tale of Simon, a Royal Navy cat on HMS Amethyst, a ship which saw action in communist China. Thanks perhaps to his nine lives, Simon was a survivor of many a hairy incident but he was particularly feted by the crew after he dispatched a fearsome and fat rat which the crew, almost inevitably, had named Mao Tse-tung.

Similarly concerned with pest control and also probably not too keen on communism is the Scottish Game Fair taking place at Scone Palace this weekend. Flycasting, gun dog demos and quad biking are among the mainstream attractions but it would seem a shame to miss the more esoteric delights of coracle-making and dancing sheep.

Meanwhile, Haddington will be rocking to its annual show which is held today at the Haugh, Westfield Farm. A heavy horse parade, sheep-shearing demo, sheaf-tossing competition and vintage tractor parade are among the bucolic highlights, but the stars of the show may well be the Quack Commandos. Previous weekend columns have enjoyed the thought of the Drakes of Hazard duck display team but it seems that they have competition in the form of this troupe of Indian Runner ducks which is herded by a Border Collie from the Scottish Sheepdog School.

That should be enough entertainment for any aficionado of the animal performing arts but there is more. The pony fancy dress competition gets underway at 1pm. I had hoped this involved the ponies doing Stars In Their Eyes-style impressions. Who wouldn't want to see a pony owner lead their charge into the ring and announce that "Tonight, Matthew, Dancer is going to be Freddie Mercury!" Regrettably, it transpires that the fancy dress refers to the riders rather than the horses, but a man can dream.

n For more information, visit www.britisheventing.com; www.scotnorthexracers.co.uk; www.glenlee.co.uk; www.scottishfair.com; www.haddingtonshow.co.uk