Highland Games: USA/Larry Brock Win at Glasgow . . . Bruce Robb Wins at Cornhill and Markinch

It was a big weekend in the Highland Games world, with Team USA and Larry Brock winning at the Glasgow (Kentucky) Highland Games and Bruce Robb earning a pair of victories in Scotland, at Cornhill and Markinch.

Francis Brebner filed these reports with IronMind®.

2010 USA vs. Canada
by Francis Brebner

The USA vs. Canada Team Championships took place at the Kentucky Glasgow Highland Games this past weekend and attracted big crowds. 

There is no doubt that Larry Brock is on a winning streak at the moment and he proved this again by smashing several records and was in a league of his own.
  
In the first event with the 22.7-lb. Braemar stone, Craig Smith took the first victory for the U.S. with a put of 41’ 2”.  In second place was Canada’s Jason Johnston with a put of 40’ 6-1/2”, with Larry Brock in third with a throw of 40’ 1-1/2”, which left Larry well pleased indeed.
 


Moving into the 16-lb. open stone, Canada’s Matt Doherty produced a record-breaking put of 53’ 2-1/2” that broke the old record of 52’ 5” held by Craig Smith.  In second place was fellow Canadian Greg Hadley with 50’ 5-1/2”, and Brock was once again in third by a neck with a throw of 49’ 5-1/2”.  
 
In the 56-lb. weight for distance, it was a clean sweep for the USA, placing one, two, three, as Brock let fly with a effortless throw of 45’ 9-1/2” for the win, with Smith in second place at 43’ 1-1/2” and Kerry Overfelt in third place at 40’ 9-1/2”.
 
So far this season Brock has established himself as number one in the world in weight throwing and he did not disappoint the crowds in the light weight for distance with his record-breaking throw of 88’ 1-1/2”, which smashed the old record of 87 held by Overfelt.  In second place was Overfelt with 81’ 3”, followed by Smith in third with 79’ 5-1/2”.  
 


As if this were not enough excitement, in the next event with the 22-lb. hammer Brock pulled out a record-crunching throw of 117’ 7-1/2” for the win, besting his old record of 116’.  In second place was Canada’s number-one thrower Greg Hadley with a respectable throw of 109’ 7” and in third place was Kerry Overfelt with a disappointing throw of 106’ 9”. 
 

In the 16-lb. hammer, Brock showed he had a lot more left in the tank as he thrilled the crowed once again with a world class throw of 143’ 2”, which decimated the previous record, also held by Brock, of 139'.  Hadley landed in second place at 133’ 7-1/2”, with Overfelt in third place with a throw of 124’ 11”, well below his par. 
 

The caber event was won by Canada’s Hadley with a perfect 12:00 toss, followed by Brock in second with 11:30 and Lyle Barron in third with 2:00.
 
The 20-lb. sheaf toss was won by Mark Valenti at a height of 32’ 11”, with a three-way tie for second between Brock, Johnston, and Overfelt at 31’.


In the final event with the 56-lb. weight over the bar, the spinners were the winners, with  Brock in first place with 17’ 6”, and Overfelt and Smith tying for second place at 17’. 


Team Championships


1.  USA, 124 points
2.  Canada, 164
 

Overall

1.  Larry Brock, 15.5 points   
2.  Greg Hadley, 36

3.  Kerry Overfelt, 37
 


2010 Cornhill Highland Games 

by Francis Brebner

The first Games in the 2010 Glenfiddich Grampian Games series got off to a great start this Saturday with the Cornhill Highland Games.
 
A total of seven athletes made up the field, with big names like Craig Sinclair, Steve Aitken, Bruce Robb, David Dowson, Stuart Anderson, John MacLeod, and Bruce Aitken, who was making a comeback after a break of a few years from the sport.
 
In the 16-lb. light hammer, B. Aitken pulled out a nice throw of 133’ 6” for the win over Sinclair, who placed second with 129’ 11”.  In third place was S. Aitken with 124’ 7” and in fourth, Robb with 119’ 8”.
 
Going into the 22-lb. heavy hammer, it was a very close competition between B. Aitkin and Sinclair, who duelled with some very impressive throws, with B. Aitken snatching the win over Sinclair with 120’ 10”.  Sinclair was left in second place at 119’ 2”.  In third place was S. Aitken at 110’ 4” and again in fourth, Robb at 108’ 9”.
 
Moving on to the 17-lb. shot, England’s Dowson took the win over Robb with a put of 48’ 1”.  Robb was a very close second with 47’ 2”, followed by S. Aitken in third place at 45’ 3”and B. Aitken in fourth at 43’ 2”.
 
In the 24-lb. heavy stone, it was a very tight group, with Dowson coming out on top once again with a winning throw of 36’ 6”.  Robb garnered second place at 35’ 8”, and S. Aitken took third spot with a put of 34’ 8”, just nudging out brother B. Aitken, who had to settle for fourth place at 34’.
 
The following event, the weight for distance, was a little heavier than usual at 30 lb. and was short at only 15 ft. long.  It was dominated by Sinclair with a top throw of 79’ 6” that obliterated the ground record of 75’ 8”, which had been held by Robb since 2008.  Robb was second at 72’ 8”and third equal were the Aitken brothers at 64’ 10”.
 
In the caber event, which was 18 ft. and 150 lb., Robb and S. Aitken tied with 12:00 tosses.  In third place was Sinclair with 80 degrees and in fourth, B. Aitken with 70 degrees.
 
The last event, the 56-lb. weight over the bar, was won by Robb with a height of 14’6’ with both Sinclair and S. Aitken tying at 14’ and B. Aitken taking fourth place with 13’.
 
Overall
 
1.  Bruce Robb, 32.5 points
2.  Bruce Aitken and Steve Aitken (tie), 27.5
3.  Craig Sinclair,  26.5
 
 
2010 Markinch Highland Games
by Francis Brebner
 
The 2010 Markinch Highland Games this past Sunday was opened by Willie Johnston, the former Scottish international and Glasgow Rangers football player.
 
Rain showers did not deter the large fan club of Bruce Robb, who cheered on their hero throughout the day. This certainly seemed to spur him on in the puts as he managed to beat England’s David Dowson for the first time this season.
 
In the 16-lb. shot Robb took the first win with a put of 53’ 6”, narrowly edging out Dowson, who placed second at 53’ 4”.  In third place was Craig Sinclair at 45’ 9” and in fourth place was Stuart Anderson at 44’ 7”.
 
The following event with the 22-lb. shot was also won by Robb, who notched up his second victory with a distance of 44’ 7”.  In second place was Dowson with 43’ 10” and in third place Anderson with 38’.  Sinclair and John MacLeod tied for fourth place at 37’ 9”.
 
In the 28-lb. weight for distance Sinclair and Robb battled tooth-and-nail all the way, with Sinclair just outgunning the big man Robb with a winning throw of 83’.  Robb took second at 82’ 10” and Dowson third at 74’ 3”, with John MacLeod trailing in fourth at 72’ 5”.
 
In the next event, the 56-lb. weight for distance, Robb took revenge over Sinclair with a throw of 38’ 2” for the win, leaving Sinclair in second place with 35’ 8”.  In third place was Dowson with 34’ 7” and in fourth, MacLeod with 33’ 3”.
 
The 22-lb. hammer was easily won by Sinclair with a throw of 107’ 3”.  Robb came in second at 100’ 7”; Dowson was a close third with a distance of 100’ 4”; and Anderson and MacLeod tied for fourth at 89’ 9”.
 
Next up was the caber, which was 21 ft. long and 140 lb., and it was won by Robb, the only athlete to get a turn—11:48—for the win.  Sinclair landed in second place with an 88 degree turn.
 
The final event with the 56-lb. weight over the bar saw an improvement from Saturday’s Games for Sinclair, who moved up a gear to tie Robb at a height of 14’ 6” to share the win.
 
Overall

1.  Bruce Robb
2.  Craig Sinclair
3.  David Dowson
 
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