THERE can be few who would disagree with horsescotland’s recent decision to bestow its 'lifetime achievement' award upon Jackie Low-Mitchell and her late husband, Dugald, for their contribution to equestrianism in Scotland.

While show jumping and sports horse breeding in particular may have benefited from their efforts, most people who came in contact with them would recognise their enthusiasm for all things equine and, more importantly, the people involved with them.

This enthusiasm has been infectious and their encouragement towards others boundless. It's something they have obviously passed on to their daughter, Sandra, who made the evening a family affair when she picked up the award as 'Participation Coach of the Year'.

Much has been written about Dugald, undoubtedly a legend in his own lifetime. However, I am sure he would have been the first to admit that his greatest strength lay in his wife, Jackie, who was completely taken by surprise when called forward to accept the trophy from rugby personality, Doddie Weir.

Acknowledged as one of Scotland’s most talented horsewoman, it’s a great pity that the present generation of competitors have been deprived of watching her ride, as it was a pleasure for those of us who did.

Hard pushed to select a moment in her long distinguished career as a show jumper, she is reluctant to mention her many victories but warmly recalls that one of the most memorable occurred at the Horse of the Year Show, at Wembley, when she was first to go in the puissance class with Pat Roger’s famous grey, Sky Rocket IV.

More recently, she has taken a special interest in the breeding side of the Balcormo Stud, near Leven, with mares and foals filling the view from her kitchen which looks south to the River Forth.

Talking of breeding, it was good news to learn of a return to form for two of Scotland’s most successful offspring, Scott Brash and his famous show jumping mare, Ursula Xll, who took the €500,000 CHI5* Grand Prix in Qatar at the beginning of March.

It is a welcome and amazing return to form for the 16-year-old mare which had been sidelined due to injury for almost two years.

Her career to date has been outstanding and a credit to her breeders, John and Mary Turnbull from Culross. Peebles-born Scott needs no introduction and as one of the world’s leading riders – he was awarded an MBE in the 2013 Honours List for services to equestrianism following a team gold at the London Olympics in 2012.

Now based in the south of England, he is well placed to travel to continental Europe where attractive prize money is luring most of Britain’s top show jumpers.

By the time this edition has been well read, the Prime Minister will have triggered Article 50 and along with it Britain’s formal notice to quit the EU.

One can only but wonder how Brexit will impact on equestrian competitions as well as the equine industry in Britain. However, that is only one of the many quandaries surfing the political waves at the moment and I suspect low on the agenda for those ministers involved.

Should that uncertainty not be sufficient, the prospect of another referendum and with it potential independence for Scotland, I suspect that Scottish ministers have given this no more thought than their mainstream counterparts.

Perhaps it is a bit premature to suggest orphan status for Scotland, however I suspect that it will take a bit more than Scott Brash and Ursula to keep the door open for our equines and equestrians to continental Europe.

Currently, there is a bureaucratic ease of movement of horses between the UK, Ireland and France, (the tripartite agreement) a long-standing arrangement forged prior to the formation of the EU, revised in 2014, which mainly concerns FEI competition horses as well the racing industry.

Time will tell whether or not it will last the test of time post-Brexit. However, I suspect that it will be wealth of the racing industry which will exert most influence when push comes to shove.

Who mentioned racing? My March column would not be the same without mention of the Cheltenham Racing Festival, of which I have waxed lyrical in the past.

With so many of the season’s winners withdrawn early doors, I have to admit not to have been so enthused this year, although there were some good moments.

Best for me had to be the victory in the Cheltenham Gold Cup of Sizing John, a wonderful-looking British-bred Thoroughbred trained in Ireland for well-known Yorkshire owner, Alan Potts, who made his fortune from the development of a revolutionary grinding machine for the coal industry named The Sizer.

This gave rise to the prefix of horses in his ownership including the 2011 Queen Mother Champion Chase winner, Sizing Europe.

I was interested to learn that the winning jockey, former Grand National winner, Robbie Power, did a bit of show jumping in his youth and no wonder, as he is son of the famous Irish show jumper, Con Power.

Trained in Ireland by Jessica Harrington, she complemented the success of the Irish trainers led by Willie Mullins, who seems little the worse for having lost 60 horses from Michael O’Leary’s powerful team of race horses, with four winners on the third day of The Festival.

With more than 50 Cheltenham Festival victories under his belt, this year he stood second best to fellow Irishman, Gordon Elliott, whose mentor was the great trainer, Martin Pipe.

While Pipe was among the best, arguably revolutionising the modern methods of National Hunt training, none has bettered the record of former champion trainer, Michael Dickinson, who saddled the first five places in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1983. The previous year he saddled 12 winners on Boxing Day, a feat which placed him the Guinness Book of World Records.

Most would agree that the hero of Cheltenham had to be the leading jockey, Ruby Walsh, who has led the others in six of the last eight festivals.

His 15 winners in three years and a total of 32 wins to date sets him well above the record of the ‘champion jockey’, Sir AP McCoy. Like first-mentioned, Jackie Low-Mitchell, as a rider he is a joy to behold and a master of his craft.