The Ninth Annual
P/M. Angus Macdonald
Western Regional Championship


Competitor Information

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Our Judge

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The Seaside Games

Bydand Forever

The Gordon Highlanders

 

Congratulations to 2007 Overall Winners Ian Whitelaw and Erik Leiken!
 

Sunday 14 October 2007
Seaside Highland Games & Gathering
Ventura, California

Pipe Major Angus Macdonald was perhaps one of the most influential pipers in the past 30 years.  He served with the 1st Battalion, Scots Guards, rising through the ranks and being appointed Pipe Major.  In his 'retirement' years, he was perhaps more occupied than in his years with the army!  He spent a considerable amount of time traveling the world performing and teaching.  He was particularly loved in San Diego, CA, where he frequently visited.  Perhaps one of the most telling stories about the respect he commanded occurred at the San Diego Scottish Highland Games in the very early 1990s.  For those who have not attended a full Games, the various pipers and drummers are constantly practicing throughout the day; the sound of many pipers playing different tunes is never far away.  As a judge for the day's solo piping events, his duties were finished in the late afternoon and so he decided to get his pipes out for a bit.  He struck up, stepped under the trees in the piping area and began to play... all of the other pipers stopped and only Big Angus' music reverberated through the hills.  Sadly, he was found to have very serious cancer in 1997, and he passed away in June 1999.  This piping competition strives, like P/M. Macdonald himself did, to encourage pipers in the US to achieve the same levels of excellence as is found elsewhere.

2007 Results: Piobaireachd

  First Place Second Place Third Place
Professional Ian Whitelaw John Partanen  
Grade One Erik Leiken Justin Celek Darell Cavillo

2007 Results: March/Strathspey/Reel

  First Place Second Place Third Place
Professional Ian Whitelaw John Partanen  
Grade One Erik Leiken Paul Langan Justin Celek

 

Competitor Information

  1. The Macdonald Championship is open to any professional or amateur Grade I piper.
  2. All competitors will be members of their appropriate solo competitors association.  This competition is held in accordance with the rules of the Western United States Pipe Band Association and is sanctioned by that organisation.
  3. Entry fee for professional players is $30.00, and for Grade I is $20.00.
  4. The professional and Grade I overall winners will qualify to compete at the US Piping Foundation Championship, which will be held on the last Saturday of June, 2007.
  5. Tune requirement:  Professionals will submit four each of piobaireachd, march, strathspey and reel.  Grade I will submit three piobaireachd and two each of march, strathspey and reel.

Prizes

  • Professional (each event): 1st - $250; 2nd - $150; 3rd - $100
  • Professional (Overall winner): $100, plus airfare to the US Piping Foundation Championship.
     
  • Grade I (each event): Awards for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places
  • Grade I (Overall winner): Perpetual plaque and a travel scholarship to participate in the USPF Grade I competition.

About Our Judge

 

 We are very pleased to announce Jimmy MacColl will be judging this year's Macdonald championship.  While he is a man who needs no introduction, keep an eye on this space for additional information.

 

For more information and registration materials, please contact:
Robbie McKnight – (619) 659-9221
22201 Mariah Way
Alpine, CA 91901-3444
for e-mail, just click the 'contact us' link on the menu to the left
 

Thanks very much to Robbie McKnight for his very dedicated work on getting this competition organized and running.  Another exceptional year!!

This page was last updated on Thursday, 18 October 2007