Jane Dotchin makes the journey from her home in Hexham, Northumberland, to the north of Scotland every year and has even won awards for her long-distance exploits
A pensioner with impaired vision travels 600 miles every year on her horse with her beloved dog in her saddlebag.
Jane Dotchin, now believed to be 82, has completed the long-distance exploits with Dinky the dog and Diamond the pony since 1972. She's so familiar with the route from her home in Hexham, Northumberland, to the north of Scotland that she is now friendly with business owners and community leaders.
Jane covers 15 to 20 miles every day and then sleeps in a tent during the seven-week adventures. During these periods, the keen explorer lives on porridge, oatcakes and cheese, and carries an old mobile which has a battery which lasts six weeks – although getting a signal can be a problem.
Jane Dotchin travels from Hexham to the Scottish Highlands with her horse and Jack Russell ( SWNS)
Speaking previously, after she received an Exceptional Achievement Award from the British Horse Society, Jane said: "I refuse to go slogging on through pouring wet rain. There are a few different routes I can take depending on the weather. I don’t want to go over hilltops in foul weather but I work it out on the way. I don’t warn them too far in advance because if the weather changes or I stop early then they can be left wondering where I’ve got to."
Jane, who has impaired vision and uses an eyepatch, added: "You've got to be careful when you go on the side of the road because there are bottles and cans, and anything... There are pizza containers, all sorts of things. When Diamond gets frightened, having stepped on something, it is hard to jump back on the road, which can be very dangerous."
The pensioner, who is from Hexham, said the award from the British Horse Society, given for her independent spirit and years of trekking, was "a bit of a surprise". Jane, who used to run a riding school near her home, completes her trek every autumn, as she particularly enjoys the countryside near Fort Augustus that time of the year. Jane has, for most of her life, lived off-grid and worked by hand in her fields to care for her horses, including those which were part of her school.
RoutinePost7443 on October 9th, 2023 at 00:08 UTC »
As an ex-Brit the big thing I miss about that soggy country is the fantastic network of footpaths and bridleways that cover the land. We lived forty miles from the coast, and could ride (if we had a horse) or walk to the sea totally off-road. It's very sad here in the USA that land is so very private, despite all the lovely state and national parks.
FastWalkingShortGuy on October 8th, 2023 at 20:42 UTC »
Quite the dog-and-pony show.
margo_plicatus on October 8th, 2023 at 19:59 UTC »
“Jane Dotchin, now believed to be 82, has completed the long-distance exploits with Dinky the dog and Diamond the pony since 1972.”
Taken at face value, this sentence suggests the dog and pony are even more impressive than Ms. Dotchin!
But seriously, I’d be incredibly pleased with myself if I managed such a feat once. I can’t imagine being adventurous and tough enough to do it annually. And to still be so capable at 82… amazing.