Francis Brebner kindly pieced together reports on the Oldmeldrum Highland Games and the Aberdeen Highland Games for IronMind® - both were celebrating big anniversaries.

2010 Oldmeldrum Highland Games
by Francis Brebner

There was a double celebration this weekend in Scotland with the Oldmeldrum and Aberdeen Highland Games.
 
The Oldmeldrum Highland Games celebrated its 80th anniversary and was opened by Scotland’s (and Canada’s) famous journalist Jack Webster.  Despite being a rather cold, windy day, more than 2,000 spectators turned out to see the festivities.
 
A total of seven heavy athletes competed in the second Games in the Glenfiddich League; they included Craig Sinclair, Bruce Robb, Bruce Aitken, Stuart Anderson, David Dowson, Lorne Colthart, and John McLeod.
 
In the first event with the 16-lb. hammer, Sinclair breezed to the win with a throw of 129’ 9”past B. Aitken, who placed second with 127’ 9”, and Robb, who came in third with 118’ 6”.  Unfortunately for Sinclair, he badly injured his abdominal muscles and had to withdraw from throwing in the next event, the 22-lb. hammer, as well as in the stones.
 
The 22-lb. hammer was won by B. Aitken with a throw of 108’ 6”; he was followed closely by Robb with a 107’.  England’s Dowson took third at 94’ 8”.
 
Moving to the 16-lb. shot, Dowson unleashed a vast 52’ 5”put for the win over Robb, who landed in second place at 48’ 8”; Colthart was in third place at 42’ 9”.
 
In the 22-lb. shot Dowson again took the win with a put of 44’ 4”, besting Robb who once again had to settle for second place, with 43’ 8”; Colthart was once more in a firm third place with 36’ 10”.
 
In the 28-lb. weight for distance, Craig Sinclair came back into his own despite his injury to win on his very last throw with a considerable distance of 81’ 3”.  Robb continued in second place with 75’ 10”, with Dowson marginally behind with 74’ 2”.
 
In the next event, which was the British Caber Championships, only three athletes could turn the caber, and it ended in a tie between Anderson and Robb with 12:03; in third place was Sinclair with 12:05.
 
The final event, the 56-lb. weight over the bar, allowed Sinclair to collect his third victory of the day at a height of 15’; in second place was Robb with 14’ 6”, with McLeod and B. Aitken in third place equal at 13’.

Top four, overall:

 
The 2010 Aberdeen Highland Games
by Francis Brebner

The following day at the 2010 Aberdeen Highland Games, more than 10,000 spectators turned out for its 50th anniversary Games.  The same seven heavies (except for Stephen Aitken replacing Stuart Anderson) went all-out for the points in the third Games of the Glenfiddich League.
 
The 16-lb. hammer was won by B. Aitken with a 128’ 5”; in second place was brother S. Aitken with 126’; and in third, Robb with 125’ 7”.  Dowson came in fourth place with 121’ 4”.
 
In the following event with the 22-lb. hammer, B. Aitken notched up his second win with a throw of 105’ 3”.  Robb held on to second place, just marginally pipping S. Aitken with a throw of 100’ 9”; in third place was S. Aitken with 100’ 6”.
 
In the 16-lb. open stone, Robb stormed the win with a put of 52’ 2” over Dowson, who placed second with 51’ 8”, and S. Aitken, who placed third with 50’ 8”.
 
The 22-lb. heavy stone surprisingly was won by S. Aitken with a fantastic put of 42’ 6”, with Robb having to settle for second place with 41’ 4”.  In third place was Dowson with a very noteworthy put of 40’ 9”.
 
In the 28-lb. weight for distance, Sinclair dominated on this day as well with a throw of 80’ 5” for the win.  Robb was well in the rear with 76’ 7” for second place, and Dowson not too far behind Robb with 74’ 6” for third place.
 
In the caber event, Robb kept his winning ways, delivering a 12:00 toss.  B. Aitken made a great attempt with a toss of 12:02 for second place, with S. Aitken in third place with 12:04 and Sinclair in fourth place with 12:05.
 
Lastly with the 56-lb. weight over the bar, Robb got the win this time over Sinclair at a height of 15’; in second place was Sinclair with 14’ 6” and in third equal were brothers S. and B. Aitken at 13’.
 
Next weekend is the Drumtochty Highland Games, the fourth Games in the Glenfiddich League for points, which will have an international presence with Poland’s Wenta brothers and Australia’s Aaron Neighbour as competitors.  Craig Sinclair will miss the next few weekends of Games in order to give his injury a chance to heal, but he hopes to be in fighting form for the Balloch Games.
 
                                                                                                            
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