Hawick Highland Games 2010 - An Insider's View

[cessna152towser]

I'm assuming the "Chieftan's Lass" is sort of a honorary position like "parade queen" etc.?

By a local tradition the town's principal horseman of the year, known as the Cornet is always an unmarried man who was born in the town, and his girlfriend or fiancee is the Cornet's Lass. So when we started highland games here in the south of Scotland and then decided that the Cornet would also be Chieftain of the Games it was appropriate that his Lass should also play a part. The young male horseman who is picked as Cornet is formally appointed at the beginning of the horse ride-out season which begins at the start of May, though from a practical point of view the Common Riding Committee make the choice many months beforehand.