MARGARET Runcie, a leading figure in the UK equestrian world, who lived in East Lothian for more than 55 years, died peacefully on Friday, December 23. She was 97.

The Rosslyn Stud, which she founded in 1958 and based at Garvald Grange from 1967 to 1991, produced a stream of champion riding ponies, including a record 18 championships at the Royal Highland Show.

She was also in high demand as a judge, lecturer, administrator and advisor, raising the standard and quality of native ponies across Scotland.

Margaret Mary Power was born on October 19, 1925, in Hatfield, Hertfordshire.

After finishing school in the middle of the Second World War, she joined the Women’s Royal Naval Service, the Wrens, and was posted to HMS Jackdaw at Crail in Fife.

Demobbed in December 1946, Margaret went to Reading University to study dairy animal science.

After working with the National Agricultural Advisory Service, she won a scholarship in 1953 to study for a Masters degree at prestigious Cornell University in the USA. Travelling over on the Queen Mary, among the other agriculturalists was future husband Ken.

They married in 1956 and moved to Langhill, a farm at Roslin which Ken managed for the University of Edinburgh.

Margaret (pictured) had always been interested in pony breeding and Elizabeth Arden was a pony she was familiar with from England.

When she was for sale, she bought her over the phone, heralding the start of her Rosslyn Stud and four decades of breeding and showing.

They moved in 1967 to Garvald Grange, a farm surrounded by 35 acres of fertile grassland ideal for ponies. Soon the stud acquired stallions whose genes perfectly fitted Margaret’s mares to provide excellent offspring.

She also attended the autumn foal auctions in Wales, buying newly weaned foals off the Welsh hills to eventually mature as children’s ponies aged four.

As well as success in the ring, Margaret became influential outside it.

In 1961, she helped set up a Scottish committee of the National Pony Society to promote better standards among native pony owners in Scotland.

The committee worked tirelessly, persuading agricultural shows to put on more native breed classes, setting up a transport pool to share long-distance costs from Scotland to the south, and even co-ordinating a Scotland-wide dried milk scheme for orphan foals.

By the 1990s, Rosslyn Stud had established itself as one of the leading pony breeding studs in Britain, and the fourth generation of Elizabeth Arden’s offspring was picking up rosettes at major shows, in particular Rosslyn Sweet Repose. Never beaten in a show class, many consider Sweet Repose the finest pony Margaret ever bred.

In 1995, the Royal Highland Agricultural Society gave their top honour to her, the Sir William Young Award.

The citation read: “Her success is in large part due to her diligence in all aspects of equine management. She has that intangible asset – flair – which separates her from her peers.”

She was the first equine person and first woman to be awarded this.

By 1997, Margaret retired and moved to smaller premises outside Pencaitland.

She and Ken enjoyed cruises, gardening and walking the dog around many East Lothian locations.

Margaret was also an active member of the Edinburgh branch of the Wrens Association, proud of her links with the wartime generation.

Karen Elliot, branch chairman, said: “We all loved to hear Margaret’s many tales about her life in the Wrens and beyond. She could be relied upon and was always a willing volunteer to represent our branch and the association at commemorative and remembrance services.”

Ken Runcie, himself a noted figure in Scottish agriculture who was awarded an OBE, predeceased her in 2011.

Margaret is survived by sons Charles and Ian, and grandchildren Isobel, Charlotte and Grace.

Her funeral service is held at Mortonhall Crematorium, Edinburgh, on Wednesday at 11am. All are welcome.