LOOKING BACK TO OUR FIRST GATHERING IN 2010
Written by Archie Fergusson on 28/08/2017
2017 was the 9th Cowal highland Gathering outside broadcast for DCR97.4fm the first we broadcast was in 2009.
Outstanding memories from that time were the fact that – Daniel Carr from Ontario was the World Highland Champion with Scotland’s own David Wilton from Forfar runner up and the very shy Marielle Lesperance –from New Brunswick Third
In the Juniors Morgan Bamford – New Zealand was first and you may have seen Morgan this weekend as she was welcomed back as a former World Highland Dancing Champion to make the presentation to Saturday night’s trophy winners.
Also award to Morgan was the Cowal Highland Gathering ultimate accolade – an Honorary Life Patronage.
2010 Gathering results
Cowal Championship 2010 – Grade 1
1st – The Argyll Challenge Shield – Boghall and Bathgate Caledonia
2nd – Sutherland Challenge Shield – Field Marshall Montgomery
3rd – MacNeal Challenge Trophy – St Laurence O’Toole
4th – Carson Sinclair Cup – Scottish Power
5th – Macfarlane Challenge Shield – Inveraray and District
6th – A&W Lojko Trophy – Strathclyde Police
Grade 1 Champion of Champions 2010
Drum- Alex Duthart Drumming Trophy – Boghall and Bathgate Caledonia
Band – The Guinness Trophy – Field Marshall Montgomery
World Highland Dancing Championship
Adult
1st – Daniel Carr – Ontario
2nd – David Wilton – Forfar
3rd – Marielle Lesperance – New Brunswick
Junior
1st – Morgan Bamford – New Zealand
2nd – Olivia Freeman-Shaw – St Catherines, Ontario
3rd – Robyn Hart-Winks – Kirriemuie
Juvenile
1st – Anthea Bundy – Grangemouth
2nd – Ellis Hayes – Newton Stewart
3rd – Maegan Sweeney – Toronto, Ontario
Another outstanding memory was the 2010 Chieftain Mr Sylvester McCoy who at that time was very well known for playing “DR WHO” and what a gentleman he was putting a smile on the faces of thousands of people including, at times, when a straight face may have been more appropriate
Here is some of what we were saying at the time way back in 2010
—————after a nice easy start of our first outside broadcast things definitely hotted up on Friday, with more results coming in from the dancers with both the Scottish Open Championships of the Highland Dancing and the Qualifiers for the World Championships being competed for today.
The piping competitions kicked off with the Solo Piping and the athletics also got under way with the Primary School Athletics and the Mens Heavy Athletics.
This also brought more people into the studio for a wee chat with the presenters including Billy Forsyth MBE who is M.C. for the dancing competitions who has held the World Champion Title himself and another past champion Christine Lacey from Alexandria.
From the piping world we where joined by Stuart Liddle Pipe Major of Inveraray Pipe Band who was judging today; Alasdair Henderson from Dunoon who won 2 of the solo piping competitions and was one of the first people we recorded way back at the 2006 MOD.In the Trophy Room Alisdair told us some of the previous trophies he had won and explained how much he liked having them in his house, especially the old trophies which had all the names of previous famous pipers engraved on them. Jori who we had chatted to earlier was in luck as he is taking at least two trophies home with him this year – Best Dressed Piper and the Pibroch Trophy. We also managed to talk to some dancers, some children who had come all the way from Bothwell to compete in the School Athletics, members of Cowal Games Committee and some of the stallholders……………
