Jane Dotchin is an 80-year-old woman who has been taking an annual trek since 1972 with her pony and dog. The 600-mile trip lasts about seven weeks from her home in Hexham, Northumberland, to Inverness.
Diamond is Dotchin’s 13-year-old pack pony, and it was her 4th year joining her on the trek. She is also the 4th generation of the ponies Dotchin has raised over the years.
Dinky is a 10-year-old dog with deformed feet, so he can’t walk for long. He does love to sit in the saddle bag on Diamond’s back and watch the world go by.
Dotchin has a patch over one eye and brings whatever she needs with her. She has a tent, food, and some other necessities. The only thing she worries about is crossing busy roads.
Some drivers aren’t considerate of horses and don’t slow down. Diamond may run into the wrong part of the street if she gets frightened. Dotchin is confident she can keep her pony at ease.
Due to her eyepatch, Dotchin has trouble reading maps. Since she takes the same route every year, she doesn’t need a map anyway because she knows the way by heart.
Dotchin also enjoys taking the same path because she meets the same lovely and kind people. If anything happens to her, she knows there will always be people around to help.
