Francis Brebner reported on the Oldmeldrum Highland Games for IronMind®, where a large crowd enjoyed perfect weather and some nice throwing.

Craig Sinclair on his way to winning the 16-lb. hammer.  IronMind® | Photo courtesy of Francis Brebner and Craig Sinclair.


2009 Oldmeldrum Games
by Francis Brebner
 
More than 9,000 spectators flocked to the Oldmeldrum Highland Games yesterday, which is the second Games in the Glenfiddich Grampian Highland Games series.  The weather was perfect for throwing, and after the Games was opened by First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond, our heavies got under way with the 16-lb. shot.
 
This event was won by Bruce Robb with a distance of 52’ 6”; in second was David Dawson of England with 50’ 10”, and in third was Stephen Aitkin with 49’ 4”.
 
Our band of heavies now moved straight into the 22-lb. shot, which ended in the same order as the previous event, with Robb in first at 44’ 1”, Dawson second at 42’ 6”, and Aitkin in third at 41’.
 
In the 28-lb. weight for distance, Craig Sinclair came out on top with a good winning distance of 81’ 1”, leaving Robb in second at 78’ 10” and Aitkin in third at 70’ 7”.
 
In the 16-lb. hammer, Craig Sinclair showed great technique and timing and let fly for a winning distance of 129’ 7”, not bad for throwing a little uphill at these Games.  In second was Aitkin at 124’ 6” and in third, Robb at 118’.
 
The following event, the 22-lb. hammer, again saw Sinclair take the win with a distance of 103’ 9”; Robb came in second at 99’ 1”, and Aitkin third at 98’ 6”.
 
The next event was the British Caber Tossing Championships and the caber was 110 lb. and 21’ long, with not much of a taper from what I remember.  The championships ended in a tie between Robb and Aitkin, who both had 12:00 tosses; third was Sinclair with a 12:10.
 
The final event of the day was the 56' weight over the bar, in which Robb took the win at a height of 15’; second was Aitkin at 14’ and in third was a newcomer to the sport, Stuart Anderson, with 13’.
 
Overall placings:

1.  Bruce Robb
2.  Stephen Aitkin
3.  Craig Sinclair
 
The next and third Games in the series will be today at Aberdeen City.  A total of twelve Games in all make up the series, which begins in early June and ends in September with the grand finale at the Royal Braemar Games, which is the largest Highland Games in Scotland and is attended by the queen and the royal family.