GRAND National-winning jockey, Ryan Mania, will saddle up this weekend for one of the most important dates in the Scottish Borders calendar – the Galashiels Braw Lads' Gathering, part of the region’s Return to the Ridings season.

Ryan, who won the 2013 Grand National, was the principal rider, or Braw Lad, in 2012 and still has many ceremonial duties to perform for the event, which includes a spectacular Rideout featuring around 300 horses and riders on Saturday 28 June.

One of the riders is Fraser Casson (7) from Hawick who was the youngest rider at last year’s Galashiels event. Fraser met with Ryan ahead of the 2014 Rideout to get some tips for the historic riding of the town’s boundaries.

The Galashiels Braw Lads Gathering is one of 11 Scottish Borders Common Ridings and Festivals held in the region each summer and features a number of ceremonial traditions including the Braw Lad receiving the Burgh Flag, the fording of the River Tweed at Abbotsford, Sir Walter Scott’s former home, and the riding of the town’s boundaries.

Ryan Mania said: “My first Rideout at the Braw Lads Gathering was 21 years ago when I was four years old so it’s great to be able to meet and encourage young riders like Fraser who are continuing the region’s important traditions.” Councillor Stuart Bell from Scottish Borders Council, which is supporting Return to the Ridings, said: “Each Common Riding has its own traditions and customs that are passionately followed by its townspeople, many of whom travel hundreds of miles to return home for the festivities. The Rideouts, across some of the most beautiful parts of Scotland, are an impressive sight and we hope that visitors from Scotland and beyond will visit the region to see them in this Homecoming year.” This year’s Return to the Ridings season is part of Homecoming 2014. The calendar for the remaining 2014 rideouts in each town is as follows: Galashiels – Saturday 28 June; Jedburgh – Friday 11 July; Duns – Saturday 12 July; Kelso – Saturday 19 July; Lauder – Saturday 2 August; Coldsteam – Thursday 7 August.

For further information on the Scottish Borders Return to the Ridings festival, including vantage points for viewing some of the Rideouts, visit www.returntotheridings.co.uk