Making Mischief Oral History Project, 'Orkney Festival of the Horse' full

London College of Fashion

Moira Budge first got involved in the Orkney Festival of the Horse in the late 1970s when her son was about 7. The event is held annually on the island of South Ronaldsay. Traditionally boys would take part in a ploughing match, copying their fathers and grandfathers and using miniature ploughs made from horn or bone. In the mid 1950s, girls started joining in, dressed as plough horses. The costumes were basic at first but have become more and more elaborate. Moira describes an outfit she made for her daughter Amy out of an old school blazer decorated with buttons, ribbons, pom poms and lace. The 'horses' also wear decorated yokes round their necks.