Two Stewartry women have been recognised in the New Year Honours List.
Sue Gourlay and Ann Rooke are both to receive British Empire Medals.
They are among eight people with Dumfries and Galloway connections recognised in this year’s list.
Sue has been recognised for nearly four decades of voluntary work.
That includes her involvement with Colvend Public Hall and SWI as well as Colvend and Southwick Community Council, helping to establish the Robin Rigg windfarm community benefit grant scheme.
She also served with the British Horse Society (BHS) for three decades, receiving their order of merit award in 2014.
Sue, who is 79, was vice chairman of BHS Scotland and chairman of BHS Dumfries and Galloway, as well as being a key player in Riding for the Disabled and the British Driving Society.
For many years Sue and husband Frank ran the successful Barend Holiday Village horse riding and holiday complex at Sandyhills.
Sue, who now lives near Haugh of Urr with Frank, said: “I couldn’t believe it – they wrote to me about a month ago to see if I’d accept it and I said I’d be very honoured to.
“I’ve been on the local committee for the BHS for many years and also the Scottish committee as well.
“I’ve always been horsey, we were a BHS approved riding school at Barend and, if you needed to train to take any of your BHS exams, we were the only place in this area you could train.
“We took students and got them through their exams to becoming riding instructors.
“We started purely with a stables for trekking in the mid 1970s and then we developed a riding school with a qualified instructor and became BHS approved.
“I think there’s a photograph of me sitting with my pony when I was four or five. I was pretty wee but my pony wasn’t – it wasn’t a Shetland pony!”
Also receiving the British Empire Medal is Ann Rooke from Castle Douglas.
She is the cleaning supervisor at Castle Douglas High School and has been recognised for services to education and the Castle Douglas Community.
A council spokesman said: “We are thrilled that Ann has been recognised in the New Year honours list. Ann is a valued, well-respected member of staff who is well known within the school community in Castle Douglas.
“Congratulations on this wonderful recognition.”
Mavis Paterson from Auchenmalg in Wigtownshire is also to receive a BEM.
Known as Granny Mave, the 86-year-old’s epic charity rides have raised more than £100,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support.
Stranraer Ice rink manager Gail Munro and Stranraer Development Trust chairman Romano Petrucci also received MBEs, with Anne Croucher, the community champion at the Tesco store at Cuckoo Bridge in Dumfries, receiving a BEM.
And the same honour is to go to Stephen Clegg, whose mum lives in Langholm. The swimmer won two golds at the Paralympics.