PICTURES: Nearly 3000 at Halkirk Highland Games as grass cyclist makes it a clean sweep
Cyclist Charles Fletcher blazed his way to his third track title at Saturday's Halkirk Highland Games.
The 31-year-old painter from Grantown-on Spey raced off scratch in all six distance races, winning each, along with the crowd favourite, the de'il tak' the hindmost.
The weather gods smiled on the 119th games at Recreation Park with a couple of heavy showers towards the start giving way to a dry, warm afternoon for the crowd of nearly 3000.
Fletcher, a former British grass track champion at both 800 and 8000 metres, was delighted to complete a clean sweep on a heavy, unforgiving surface.
A regular at Halkirk, he rates it as the best on the Scottish circuit. “For grass track cyclists, it is the mecca because it has the most races and offers top prize money.”
He added: “There had been a fair bit of rain in the run-up to the games and the track was pretty slippery.”
Top Scottish surfer Phoebe Strachan, from Thurso, showed her versatility by taking part in all the cycling events.
Absent from the heavy arena was former world champion Vlad Tulacek, who has been an ever-present since makes his games debut at Halkirk in 2019. He had designs on beating his own world best mark of 17 feet four inches he set at the Drumtochty Games last month for hurling a 56 pound weight over the bar.
But the 26-year-old Czech injured himself in the gym on Friday evening and had to scratch.
Scot Kyle Randalls took advantage to land his first Halkirk heavy title after winning five of the 10 events.
Randalls, from Falkirk, who represented Scotland in the hammer, joined the games circuit 12 years ago. He had booked to come to Halkirk in 2020 when it was a casualty of the pandemic. Runner-up last year, the 32-year-old topped this year's standings with 37 points, seven more than local favourite Jamie Gunn, from Gerston.
Randalls won four trophies, including the overall Andrew Ross Memorial Trophy.
Gunn won the 16 pound ball and tossing the sheaf and pipped Randall to win the traditional blue riband event in the heavy arena, the caber.
He also was chosen as this year's winner of the Peter Murchison Memorial Trophy for the best Halkirk competitor at the games.
Tain’s Sinclair Patience came out on top in the farmer’s walk in which the kilted heavies walk as far as they can while carrying two 100-kilo rocks.
The event saw Jamie’s younger brother Shaun being the only person to break a record on the day, creating a new Caithness best. His carry of just over 38 feet nearly doubled the previous best set by Halkirk’s Sam O’Kane in 2022.
Five Young Farmers’ teams from Forss, Halkirk and Bower battled it out in the tug-of-war competition, which was overseen by games chieftain Viscount Thurso.
Victory went to Forss A who defeated Bower by two pulls to nil.
The track and field competition was dominated by Edinburgh all-rounder Allan Hamilton.
He continued the success he has enjoyed over the past decade at Halkirk by winning the sprint double, 400 metres and the three field events.
The 32-year-old member of Edinburgh Athletic Club has represented Scotland at long jump and 60 metres indoors.
He faced a madcap schedule, having driven north after competing at the Langholm Games on the Friday.
Hamilton’s day job is the national talent manager for Scottish Athletics.
The female events attracted just one entrant in Wick mum-of-two Alison Banks.
The 35-year-old housing officer took part in all the sprint and distance events even though her usual schedule comprises training and competing in 10Ks and half marathons.
“I only decided to enter a few days before,” she said. “I plan coming back next year when hopefully I'll have some competition.”
The stage on the games field had been made slippery by the early showers and led to most of the Highland dancing competition being shifted to the games storage shed adjoining the field.
The open entry saw Eilidh Guthrie, from Rosemarkie, secure the 16 and over title; Ashleigh Duncan, from Stonehaven, complete a clean sweep in the 13-16 age group; and Michelle Gordon, from Huntly, win the 12 and under section.
The Waters Cup for the best local dancer went to Eilidh Budge, from Halkirk, winner of the under-12 confined to Caithness class.
Wick dancer Rebecca Sinclair, winner of the senior confined class, took home the Prince Henry Sinclair Trophy for the outstanding performance by a Caithness competitor at the games.
The piping contest attracted eight entries with Angus MacPhee, from Inverness, landing four trophies, including the Andrew Cup as overall winner.
Games president Alistair Swanson led the traditional grand march from Bridge Street to the games field at noon prior to the official opening by Lord Thurso.
The parade included members of Wick RBLS Pipe Band and Thurso and District Pipe Band, who also performed several sets at the games and staged an evening parade on Bridge Street.
Treasurer Carol Robertson was happy with the turnout of 2850.
“It’s a really good crowd, considering everything else that is going on, including Belladrum which was held a week earlier than normal.
“We had a couple of showers early on but it stayed dry for the rest of the day and I think the crowd really enjoyed themselves.
“We also had a waiting list for the stalls and, as ever, we got tremendous support from all our sponsors.”
On a sombre note, the committee remembered long-time games volunteers Peter Blackwood and Billy Manson, who both died earlier this year.
Mr Swanson said: “Peter was for many years captain of sports and Billy was field marshal. Both of them did sterling work for many years for the games as well as for the community.”
There is little time for the committee to draw breath before it has to start preparing for the 2025 games.
RESULTS
Heavy events: 16 and 22lb hammers, 22lb Halkirk stone, 28lb weight for distance, 56lb for weight for height and overall – Kyle Randalls, Falkirk. 16lb ball, tossing the sheaf and tossing the caber – Jamie Gunn, Gerston. 56lb weight for distance and farmer's walk – Sinclair Patience, Tain.
Track and field: Open – 85, 200, 400 metres, long jump, high jump, hop, step and leap and overall – Allan Hamilton, Edinburgh. 800 and 1600 metres – Luke Davidson, Inverness.
Under-16 – 85 and 200 metres – Myles Oliphant, Wick. 400 metres, long jump, high jump and overall – Fletcher Oliphant, Wick.
Cycling: Open – 800, 1600, 2000, 2400, 3200, 4800 metres, de’il tak’ the hindmost and overall – Charles Fletcher, Grantown-on-Spey.
Under-16 – 800, 1200 and 1600, 2400 metres and overall – Ross Eastaugh, Auchenblae.
Piping: Open – piobaireachd, Strathspey and reel, slow air and jig, march and hornpipe and overall – Angus MacPhee, Inverness. March – Norman Gillies, 4 Scots.
15 years and under-18 – march, jig and overall – Glen Miller, Watten. Strathspey and reel – Liam Davidson, Thurso.
Under-15 – march, jig, Strathspey and reel and overall – Morven Miller, Watten. Under-12 – chanter – Emmy Spence, Thurso.
Highland dancing: Open – 12 and under – Highland fling, sean trubhais, sword dance, Hullachan, Irish jig and overall – Eilidh Guthrie, Rosemarkie. Sailor’s hornpipe – Anna Thain, Wick.
13-16 – Highland fling, sean trubhais, sword dance, Hullachan, Irish jig, sailor’s hornpipe and overall – Ashleigh Duncan, Stonehaven.
16 and over – Highland fling and Hullachan – Michelle Gordon, Huntly. Sean trubhais, sword dance, sailor’s hornpipe and overall – Rachael Walker, Fettercairn. Irish jig – Innes Mackenzie, Fearn.
Confined to Caithness – 12 and under – Eilidh Budge, Halkirk. 13-16 – Carly Harrold, Wick. 16 and over – Rebecca Sinclair, Wick.
Clay pigeon shoot: 10 bird - Gus Forbes, Reay. 15 bird- Mark Campbell, Thurso. Aggregate - Steven Thomson, Melvich. Under 18 - Luke Mackay, Thurso. Veteran Cup - Brian Lyall, Badenloch. Re-entry - DA Mackay, Thurso.
Baby Show: Boys and girls – under six months – Miley Gunn. 6-13 months and overall – Danny Rosie, Halkirk. 13-18 months – Dena Gunn, Halkirk.
