‘Great to see so many people coming back’: Oldmeldrum Sports and Highland Games makes glorious return

By Chris Cromar

June 18 2022, 6:36 pm

The sound of bagpipes were heard as the games returned for the first time since 2019. Picture by Wullie Marr / DC Thomson.

The Oldmeldrum Sports and Highland Games returned at the weekend for the first time since 2019.

Crowds enjoyed themselves in the fine weather at the village’s Pleasure Park as the “sunshine games” lived up to its name.

Celebrating its 92nd anniversary this year, the games had only ever been cancelled for the typhoid outbreak in 1964 before Covid struck in 2020.

‘It’s been a long three-year wait’

Commenting on the delay and the work to get the event back up and running, Oldmeldrum Sports and Highland Games secretary, Gordon Forsyth said: “It’s been a long three-year wait to get back there. It’s great to see so many people coming back and back into the swing of the Highland Games circuit again.

“We’ve got a great day of weather for it, so we couldn’t have planned that better.

“There’s always a fair bit of work just to get everything together, but we’ve got a good band of volunteers and helpers and it helps everything get set up, in record time this year. It was so good, it was just like we’ve never been away.”

Games chieftan, Jim Brown. Picture by Wullie Marr / DC Thomson.

Pipers from Inverurie, Huntly, Kintore, Lonach and Oldmeldrum RBL performed as games chieftain and Grampian Highland Games Association chairman, Jim Brown, a former president of the Royal Scottish Highland Games Association, was driven round in an MG convertible sports car.

Officially opening the games, Mr Brown said: “Many people aspire to climbing Everest or representing their country at sport, or become an Olympic gold medalist. Today, I have achieved my dream, of opening Oldmeldrum Sports and Highland Games.

“I can now join that illustrious lineup of celebrities, politicians, sportsmen, journalists, and other average people whose photos hang in the games pavilion.”

Speaking to the Press & Journal, Mr Brown added that it was a “great honour” to open the games.

Rory Mathieson competing in the shot putt. Picture by Wullie Marr / DC Thomson.

There were several sports at the event, including the high, long and triple jumps in the light events section, while the heavy events saw light and heavy hammers, light and heavy stones and weight for distance and height.

As well as this, the British Caber Championship competition also took place.

There was also the Meldrum Five Miler race and the Meldrum Mile kids race, which saw many participants enter.

Visitors from across the globe

Visitors attended from far and wide, including Garrett Jong and his family from Edmonton in Canada, who was visiting friends in the area.

Describing how he was enjoying the games, he said: “So far so good. There’s a lot going on at once.”

Local woman Carol Wallace, who has lived in Oldmeldrum for 40 years, said she attended the event because she “really wanted to support the community” after the event’s three-year absence.

“It’s fantastic. I have met so many people today I haven’t seen for a while, old friends, new friends, people from the village,” she added.

A highland dancer competes. Picture by Wullie Marr / DC Thomson.

Another traditional Scottish event to take place was the Highland dancing competitions, where young dancers showed off their skills, while crowds were also impressed by dogs showing their agility skills.

There were other activities and displays, including the mace o’er the banner competition, were held as the sunshine games made a glorious return after being absent for the past couple of years.

Results from the day

Qualifying heavy events winners

Light hammer, Weight for height, Caber – James Young
Light stone, Weight for distance – Connon Quinn
Overall – James Young with 28 points

Open heavy events winners

Light hammer, Heavy hammer – Kyle Randalls
Light stone, Heavy stone, 56lb weight for height – Vlad Tulachek
28lb weight for distance, 56lb Weight for distance – Sinclair Patience
Morris’s Hotel British Caber Championship – Vlad Tulachek
Overall champion – Vlad Tulachek with 42 points

Light event winners

Long jump, High jump, 90m sprint, 200m sprint, 400m sprint, Jumps champion – Alan Hamilton
Triple jump – Anthony Daffrun
800m sprint, 1600m sprint – Ewan Bradley
Running champion – Alan Hamilton and Stuart Clark
Overall – Alan Hamilton

Meldrum five-mile winners