To redefine your idea of ‘age is just a number’, meet 80-Year-Old Jane Dotchin, who for the 40th time, has packed her saddlebags and embarked on an adventurous trek from her home in Hexham, Northumberland to Inverness, Scotland.
Since 1972, Jane has been making this annual trip on her 13-year-old horse, Diamond, travelling 600 miles on horseback.
Jane carries everything she needs for the trip on her back, including her tent, food, and a few essentials.
She does all of this while wearing an eyepatch and intends to continue the practise for as long as she can. Jane’s passion for long-distance hiking began when she trotted through the West Country 40 years ago.
She brings her disabled dog, Dinky, along with her in a saddlebag.
Dinky, who has deformed front legs, rides in a saddle bag and cuddles up with Jane at night.
My mother would look after my other ponies but she wasn’t that keen on looking after my Halfinger stallion, so I rode him down to Somerset to see a friend, which is about 300 miles.
She got a taste for the open road after that first trip, and she’s been visiting friends in Fort Augustus, near Loch Ness, Highlands, every fall since.
Jane’s epic journey generally takes around seven weeks, depending on the weather, and she uses it as an opportunity to say hello to individuals she has met over the years.
Kyuki zindagi khul kar jeene ki koi expiry date nahi hoti!