The 78th Fraser Highlanders marching off at Kincardine.
The 78th Frasers completed the natural hat-trick by taking the Grade 1 Medley contest at the Kincardine Scottish Festival on Saturday, July 5, 2014. Peel Regional Police were second on the strength of ensemble preference, with Toronto Police taking the final spot. All three bands showed exceptional mid-season form, which bodes very well for the remaining 2014 contests.
This season’s string of good weather continued as the games were held under absolutely perfect conditions. Kincardine is a unique venue for the games, as bands, solo competitors and local townspeople come together in the downtown core, completely transforming the town into a highland gathering. This festival is an all-out commitment from local residents and businesses, with the setup including a refreshment tent and accompanying music stage that is seamlessly integrated with the bands competition circle, making it a very spectator-friendly event.
The Greater Midwest Pipe Band from Chicago were the sole entrants in Grade 2, and therefore walked away with the prize in the MSR contest.
Paris/Port Dover continued its torrid pace in Grade 3, taking the MSR contest with a solid across the board performance, outpointing Midlothian Scottish Pipe Band in second, and its 2014 rivals Toronto Police in third.
Guelph Pipe Band took the honours in the Grade 4 March Medley for the second week in a row, edging out Rob Roy Pipe Band in second, and Grand Celtic in third.
Pipes & Drums of Lindsay were again victorious in the Grade 5 March Medley, followed closely by Hamilton Police and Paris/Port Dover. All three of these bands are bringing a fantastic sound to the competition circle this year, resulting in some fierce competition and great entertainment for the spectators.
The Professional solo ranks showed no change from the first two contests in 2014, with the award for top performer again going to Ian K MacDonald and Zack Miller. In the Amateur class, Tyler Bridge was able to break Tyler Harris’ 2014 winning streak in piping, while Kyle Wardell continued his streak taking the drumming prize.