Scottish Highland Games Association

Action packed afternoon at sunny Birnam

SHANE FENTON reports from Little Dunkeld

In contrast to the previous few weekends when the Games at St Andrews,Perth and Crieff were affected by the rain , the games park at Little Dunkeld was bathed in warm autumnal sunshine for the 135th Birnam Highland Games.

There was good entries for the running ,cycling and heavy events. The biggest prize of the day is the £150 which goes to the winner of the Open 200 metres handicap, and it headed south of the border with Kendal's Jason Aubrey taking the tape in 21.69 seconds to pip Nina Cessford,TLJT with Fraser Neil,Kelso in third. Earlier in the dat the latter retained his 90 metres title edging out Hawick veteran John Paxton and Kelso's Dave McKay. Paxton gained some consolation with victory in the 90 metres Veterans handicap. Ths scratch 100 yards championship was won by 2017 New Year Sprint winner Greg Kelly, East Kilbride. who recently won his first senior Scottish vest in an international meeting in Manchester.

Another runner following up a win from the previous year was Craig Angus,Moorfoot who surged home ahead of a big field to win the Open 400 metres handicap from Felix Noble ,Germany and Jason Aubrey,Kendal. Angus,who won the Youth's 800 metres in 2017 just failed to land a double when he chased home Sean Bates,Tullibody in the Open 800 metres handicap, this was Bates' first ever win in the senior ranks.his father Willie who won at Stirling the previous week finished in third place.

In the Open 1600 metres Alistair Gibson, Boness was attempting to make it three wins in a row following victories at Perth and Crieff, he had to settle for the runners up spot on this occasion with victory going to John Thomson,Glenrothes, Rebecca Burns,Edinburgh AC finished in third place.

Edouard Lecrivain's good season in mioddle distance races continued, the Aberdeen AC athlete raced to victory in the Half Mile scratch championship from Kelso duo Colin Welsh, and Dwain Paterson in 2:05.73.

The Youth 90 metres handicap resulted in a photo finish between the backmarker and frontmarker, the previous week at Stirling, Tiegan Gibb,Leithenburn lost out in a photo finish, that wasn't the case on this occasion with the camera showing she had inched home ahead of Liam Wood,East Kilbide in 10.27 with Grace McWhinnie,TLJT in third. Gibb who was giving the winner 24.5 metres of a start had better fortune in the scratch Youth100 yards championship crossing the line a clear winner from Borders duo Finn Douglas TLJT and Ben Lyall,Kelso. The promising East Kilbide sprinter then finished second again in the Youth 200 metres just failing to reel in winner Annabelle Murray,TLJT who broke the tape in 23.42. As she did in the 90m Grace McWhinnie finished in third.

The Youth 800 metres saw games debutant Peter Bradshaw Slelmorsley come home a comfortable winner from Aaron Glendinning,Leithenburn and Matty Fleming,Kelso. The latter is in fine form at present, following an 800m win at Stirling he raced to victory in the Youth 1600 metres holding off the late challenge of Gaspard Lecrivain,Aberdeen AC and Rhys Nuttall,Anstruther.

8 riders took part in the cycle events, the opening 800 metres was won by Paul Gallacher,Kirkcaldy from Paul Anderson,Perth and Kyle Cartmel,Dufftown. It was a similar first three in the 1600 metres. The 3200 metres produced the race of the day among the bikers with backmarker Charles Fletcher,Grantown on Spey getting up in the shadow of the post to deny the evergreen Davie Mathieson,Newburgh with Kyle Cartmel in third. Fletcher then made it a double with victory in the Deil tak the Hindmost

It was a great day for Stuart Anderson,Lochearnhead in the heavy events winning six disciplines outright and sharing another.David Colthart won the 16lb shot putt and was first equal with Stuart Anderson in the 22lb shot. The remainder of the afternoon then belonged to the Lochearnhead thrower who scored wins in the 16lb and 22lb hammer contests, the 28lb weight for distance, 56lb over the bar , caber and millenium stone.

The World Haggis Eating Championship saw victory go to Alistair Ross who was winning for the second time following his win in 2016.

Published: 2018-08-25 21:51:41