The 78th Fraser Highlanders made it 2 years in a row as they won the Grade 1 MSR contest at the Cobourg Highland Games on Saturday, June 20, 2015.
The picturesque venue also continued its string of good fortune, as absolutely perfect weather and large crowds turned out for the day’s events. Ottawa Police continued their strong form this year, taking 2nd place, while Toronto Police again displayed that they are the pipe section to beat this year, taking two first place rankings while finishing in third.
Following their win last week, Paris/Port Dover found themselves as the lone entry in the grade 2 medley contest.
In Grade 3, Toronto Police managed to improve on their 2nd place finish from last week, claiming top spot in the MSR event. Rob Roy pipe band rode a strong piping performance, taking both 1st place rankings in finishing 2nd, while Hamilton police leveraged their strong drumming and ensemble scores to round out the prizes in 3rd.
All the Ontario Grade 3 bands will be looking forward to Kincardine, on July 4, as they will have the chance to test their mettle against George Watson’s College, who are making the trip to Canada again this year from their native Scotland, where they are perennial favourites to win in the premier Juvenile grade. They will also be playing at the Embro Highland Games, taking place on its traditional day of July 1, 2015.
In Grade 4, Arnprior MacNab finished first in the medley contest, followed closely by Grand Celtic in second, and Paris/Port Dover in third.
Again this year, it appears that G5 may be a slug-fest between 2 bands that have prepared themselves very well for the season. Inverting the results from last week, Barrie Pipes and Drums edged out Niagara Police for 1st spot, with White Heather Pipes and Drums showing consistency, finishing in 3rd. Durham Regional Police were hot on the heels of 3rd spot, however, and will surely be working hard to break into the top 3 at their next contest!
Professional piper of the day was Andrew P. Hayes, with top professional drummer honours going to Zack Miller. In the amateur ranks, Andrew Hutton finished in top spot in piping, Matthew Page in drumming.