Bruce Robb Wins the Pitlochry Highland Games
by Randall J. Strossen, IronMind Enterprises, Inc. © 2012
Its official website proudly proclaims that the “Pitlochry Highland Games has been hosting competitors and enthralling spectators since 1852,” and it is one of the very last games of the season—a very nice place for Bruce Robb to notch his latest win, as reported to IronMind by Francis Brebner.
The 2012 Pitlochry Highland Games
by Francis Brebner
The Pitlochry Highland Games in Scotland this past weekend celebrated its 160th anniversary with a warm sunny day which drew more than five thousand spectators.
A field of eight heavy athletes made up the field: Craig Sinclair, Bruce Robb, Lorne and David Coulthart, Stuart Anderson, Jamie Dawkins.
Scotland’s Craig Sinclair, who just recently returned from the world renown Caledonia Club of San Francisco’s Highland games in Northern California where he competed in the IHGF World Highland Games Team Championships had no time for jet lag to set in getting right into the thick of the action.
Opening event with the 16-lb. shot was a very close competition between Bruce Robb and Craig Sinclair with the win just going to Bruce Robb with a distance of 47’ 11’’; in second place just inches behind was Craig Sinclair at 47’ 6’’ and in third place Lorne Coulthart with 44’ 9’’.
In the 22-lb. open shot again Robb and Sinclair were slugging it out round after round with Robb finally clinching the victory over Sinclair with a putt of 42’ 6’’; Craig Sinclair placed second with 41’ 11’’, and young Lorne Cloulthart came in third place with 39’ 7’’.
The next event was the 16-lb. hammer it was a triumphant win for Lorne Coulthart just marginally over Scotland’s number one ranked hammer thrower Craig Sinclair with a throw of 131’ 7’’. In second place was Craig Sinclair with a very respectable throw of 131 ’4’‘and in third place was Bruce Robb with 124’ 10’’.
In the 22-lb. hammer, however, Sinclair showed even though his speed was not up to par in his light hammer, he had not lost any of his strength, winning with a dominating throw of 109’ 4’’. In second place was Bruce Robb with 102’ 5’’and in third, Lorne Coulthart.
The 28-lb. weight for distance was to be Bruce Robb’s third win overall with a distance of 83’; in second place was Sinclair with 81’ 7’’and in third place was Lorne Coulthart.
Moving onto the caber, this was won by Bruce Robb with a perfect 12 o’clock toss, followed by Lorne Coulthart with a toss of 12:10 and in third place was Craig Sinclair
Final event with the 56-lb weight over the bar was won by Bruce Robb at a height of 16’ and for second place there was a tie between Craig Sinclair and Lorne Coulthart at 15’.
Final places:
1. Bruce Robb,
2. Craig Sinclair,
3. Lorne Coulthart
4. Stuart Anderson
Looking Ahead
Next games on the International circuit is Loon Mountain (New Hampshire) where Scotland’s Craig Sinclair is looking forward to going head to head once again with Dan McKim and Mike Pockowski in the hammers after the great series of throws Sinclair produced with a137’ in the light and 119’in the heavy.
Also to mention, Matt Vincent who is on top of his games especially in the stone putts after having a terrific games this past weekend in Estes Park, Colorado, where he putted with the 16-lb stone a massive 64’ 4” but upon verification the stone weighed in at just under at 15.45 lb.
Keep tuned for the outcome of this weekend’s Loon Mountain games to see just how close Matt comes to the world record set by Brian Oilfield in 1979 with a distance of 63’ 1” .
###
The IronMind Forum: discuss this article, talk strength, get help with your training.
You can also follow IronMind on Twitter.