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Cameron Highlanders Tartan Ball
The Gordon Highlanders
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Congratulations to our 2009
Winners!
Marshall German & Ian Whitelaw

Saturday 21 November 2009
Hilton San Diego - Mission Valley
901 Camino del Rio South
San Diego, California
9:00am - 3:00pm
2009 Results
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Piobaireachd |
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Professional |
Grade I |
| Ian Whitelaw |
Marshall
German |
| Justin Celek |
Robert Burns |
| John Eric
Partanen |
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| March,
Strathspey & Reel |
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Professional |
Grade I |
| Ian Whitelaw |
Marshall
German |
| Justin Celek |
Robert Burns |
| John Eric
Partanen |
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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.
Competitor Information
- The Macdonald Championship is open to any professional or amateur
Grade I piper.
- 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.
- Entry fee for professional players is $30.00, and for Grade I is
$20.00.
- 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, 2010.
- 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
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We are very pleased to announce Lorne
Cousin will be judging this year's Macdonald championship.
Prize winning
solo competitor from Campbeltown, Argyll,
Scotland. Started playing bagpipes at the
age of six as a pupil of the late P/M. Tony
Wilson,
Campbeltown and went on to take
lessons from the late
Duncan Johnston, Glasgow and Tom
Speirs, Edinburgh. Competed at junior level
winning all the major amateur solo
competitions including the Lamont Shield at
the Cowal Gathering a record three times in
succession.
Lorne went on
to compete at professional level winning
prizes in all the major competitions
including the
Argyllshire Gathering, Northern
Meetings, Skye Gathering and
Royal National Mod as well as being
overall prize winner at a number of Highland
Games on the Scottish circuit over the
years. He also played with the award winning
Kintyre District Pipe Band who were promoted
from Grade 4 to Grade 1 in four short years
in succession as well as the Grade 1
David Urquhart Travel Pipe Band.
Lorne is now on the panel of approved
adjudicators for the
Western United States. His most
recent claim to fame however might be
touring with
Madonna on her Re-invention
World Tour in 2004!
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For more information and registration
materials, please contact:
Robbie McKnight – (619) 838-0214
13536 East Lakeview Road
Lakeside, CA 92040-4818
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
Friday, 19 February 2010 |