Lidgren piping hot in Alberta chill at Edmonton and Red Deer 2026

The Alberta Society of Pipers & Drummers managed two of its bigger events in June: the Edmonton Scottish Society Highland Gathering on the 20th and the Red Deer Highland Games on the 27th.

Daniel Lidgren of Calgary had excellent days at both competitions in the Professional solo piping, winning five of the six combined events.

Some of the events at each competition were uncontested, with soloists and bands performing for comments from the judges, including Edmonton’s North Stratton at Red Deer, the band expected to contend for a potential win in Grade 2 at the 2026 World Championships in August.

In Edmonton, the weather was poor, with a high of about 12°C, and near-constant rain throughout the day. Fortunately, games organizers provided tents for the contests, sheltering solo competitors and judges. In the afternoon, the same tents helped protect bands and judges.

In Red Deer, the weather was much better: overcast and occasional light rain, temperatures reaching about 17°C, making for markedly happier competitors and judges.

Red Deer Highland Games (Red Deer, Alberta, June 27, 2026)

Bands

Grade 2

Medley
North Stratton
Judges: Cam Keating, Andrew Grant (piping); Trevor McKay (drumming); Gordon Conn (ensemble)

MSR
North Stratton
Judges: Gordon Conn, Andrew Grant (piping); Trevor McKay (drumming); Cam Keating (ensemble)

Grade 4

MSR
Edmonton & District
Judges: Gordon Conn, Andrew Grant (piping); Trevor McKay (drumming); Cam Keating (ensemble)

Grade 5

Quick March Set
1st Edmonton Youth (ens.pref.)
2nd Foothills Caledonia Youth
3rd Red Deer & District
Judges: Gordon Conn, Andrew Grant (piping); Trevor McKay (drumming); Cam Keating (ensemble)

Solo Piping

Professional

Piobaireachd
1st Daniel Lidgren
2nd Brennan Foley
Judge: Alex MacIntyre

MSR
1st Daniel Lidgren
2nd Brennan Foley
3rd Jesse Robson
Judge: Andrew Smith

Jig
1st Brennan Foley
2nd Daniel Lidgren
3rd Jesse Robson
Judge: Andrew Grant

Grade 1

Piobaireachd
1st Ethan DesChamps
2nd Jonathon Kalyn
3rd Steve Moore
Judge: Alex MacIntyre

MSR
1st Ethan DesChamps
2nd Jonathon Kalyn
3rd Steve Moore
Judge: Andrew Grant

Jig
1st Steve Moore
2nd Ethan DesChamps
3rd Jonathon Kalyn
Judge: Andrew Smith

Grade 2

Piobaireachd
1st Sylvia Thiessen
Judge: Alex MacIntyre

MSR
1st Sylvia Thiessen
Judge: Gordon Conn

Jig
1st Clara Aellen
2nd Sylvia Thiessen
Judge: Andrew Grant

Grade 3

Piobaireachd
1st Asher Yurchak
2nd Ronin McCallum
3rd Carlos Negraeff
Judge: Gordon Conn

Strathspey & Reel
1st Asher Yurchak
2nd Ronin McCallum
3rd Connor Noyes
Judge: Andrew Grant

6/8 March
1st Ronin McCallum
2nd Carlos Negraeff
3rd Holly Arychuk
Judge: Alex MacIntyre

Grade 4

Piobaireachd
1st Emma Lyons
2nd Evan Liang
3rd Tyler Wallace
Judge: Andrew Smith

2/4 March
1st Emma Lyons
2nd Sara Kozub
3rd Katelyn Wallace
4th Tyler Wallace
Judge: Gordon Conn

Strathspey & Reel
1st Evan Liang
2nd Andrew Gayleard
3rd Emma Lyons
4th Kieran Gow-Escudero
Judge: Alex MacIntyre

Grade 5

2/4 March (A)
1st Elliana DeBruyn
2nd Jeremy Ferguson
3rd Grace McPherson
4th Sevastian Morozow
Judge: Andrew Smith

Slow Air (A)
1st Jeremy Ferguson
2nd Elliana DeBruyn
3rd Sevastian Morozow
4th Ian Meyer
Judge: Andrew Grant

2/4 March (B)
1st Isabella DeBruyn
2nd Samuel McPherson
3rd Arsh Ram
4th Jasper Guy Folkins
Judge: Andrew Smith

Slow Air (B)
1st Samuel McPherson
2nd Arsh Ram
3rd Jasper Guy Folkins
4th Isabella DeBruyn
Judge: Andrew Grant

Beginner Practice Chanter

2/4 March
1st Gavin Gow-Escudero
Judge: Gordon Conn

Solo Drumming

Snare

Professional

MSR
Tyler Wood
Judge: Trevor McKay

Hornpipe & Jig
Tyler Wood
Judge: Jeremy White

Grade 2

MSR
Erin Allen
Judge: Jeremy White

Hornpipe & Jig
Erin Allen
Judge: Trevor McKay

Grade 3

MSR
Graysen Ronayne
Judge: Trevor McKay

2/4 March
Graysen Ronayne
Judge: Jeremy White

Grade 4

2/4 March
1st Alex Davies
2nd Dominic Beier
3rd Keenan Campbell
Judge: Jeremy White

6/8 March
1st Keenan Campbell
2nd Dominic Beier
3rd Micah Schiller
Judge: Trevor McKay

Grade 5

2/4 March
1st Sam Davies
2nd Zachariah Beier
3rd Elliot Chalifoux
Judge: Trevor McKay

6/8 March
1st Sam Davies
2nd Chloe Luscombe
3rd Lachlan McCallum
Judge: Jeremy White

Beginner Pad

2/4 March
1st Bowen Graff-McRae
2nd Spencer Still
3rd Ted Sakauye
Judge: Jeremy White

Beginner Tenor

2/4 March
1st Anneliese Joosse
2nd Luke Davies
3rd Isaac Chalifoux
Judge: Jeremy White

6/8 March
1st Isaac Chalifoux
2nd Anneliese Joosse
3rd Micah MacEachern
Judge: Trevor McKay

Intermediate Bass

MSR
Isaac Taralson
Judge: Jeremy White

6/8 March
Isaac Taralson
Judge: Trevor McKay

Edmonton Scottish Society Highland Gathering (Edmonton, Alberta, June 20, 2026)

Bands

Grade 2

Medley
North Stratton

MSR
North Stratton

Grade 4

Medley
1st Edmonton & District
2nd Calgary Police Service

MSR
1st Edmonton & District
2nd Calgary Police Service

Grade 5 (Quick March Set)
1st Clan McNaughton
2nd Edmonton Youth
3rd Foothills Caledonia Youth

Judges for all band events: Dave Hicks, Stewart Smith (piping); Tim Borton (drumming); Sean Somers (ensemble).

Solo Piping

Professional
Piobaireachd
1st Daniel Lidgren
2nd Brennan Foley
Judge: Dave Hicks

MSR
1st Daniel Lidgren
2nd Jesse Robson
3rd Brennan Foley
Judge: Stewart Smith

6/8 March
1st Daniel Lidgren
2nd Brennan Foley
3rd Jesse Robson
Judge: Sean Somers

Grade 1

Piobaireachd
1st Ethan DesChamps
2nd Jonathon Kalyn
Judge: Dave Hicks

Hornpipe & Jig
1st Ethan DesChamps
2nd Jonathon Kalyn
Judge: Sean Somers

6/8 March
1st Ethan DesChamps
2nd Jonathon Kalyn
Judge: Andrew Grant

Grade 2

Piobaireachd
1st Sylvia Thiessen
2nd Kellan Harris-Still
Judge: Sean Somers

Hornpipe & Jig
1st Sylvia Thiessen
2nd Kellan Harris-Still
Judge: Dave Hicks

6/8 March
1st Clara Aellen
2nd Sylvia Thiessen
Judge: Andrew Grant

Grade 3

Piobaireachd
1st Asher Yurchak
2nd Carlos Negraeff
3rd Holly Arychuk
Judge: Dave Hicks

2/4 March
1st Asher Yurchak
2nd Holly Arychuk
3rd Ronin McCallum
Judge: Sean Somers

Jig
1st Ronin McCallum
2nd Asher Yurchak
3rd Connor Noyes
Judge: Stewart Smith

Grade 4

Piobaireachd
1st Tyler Wallace
2nd Sara Kozub
3rd Katelyn Wallace
4th Evan Liang
5th Emma Lyons
6th Andrew Wilkowski
Judge: Sean Somers

2/4 March
1st Tyler Wallace
2nd Kieran Gow-Escudero
3rd Emma Lyons
4th Andrew Wilkowski
Judge: Stewart Smith

6/8 March
1st Kevin Leung
2nd Andrew Gayleard
3rd Andrew Wilkowski
4th Kieran Gow-Escudero
Judge: Andrew Grant

Grade 5

2/4 March
1st Jeremy Ferguson
2nd Sevastian Morozow
3rd Jasper Guy Folkins
4th Yuchen Song
5th Elliana DeBruyn
Judge: Andrew Grant

Slow Air
1st Jeremy Ferguson
2nd Yuchen Song
3rd Ian Meyer
4th Sevastian Morozow
5th Arsh Ram
6th Elliana DeBruyn
Judge: Stewart Smith

Beginner Practice Chanter (Slow Air)
1st Gavin Gow-Escudero
2nd Kipling Still
3rd Flynn Laycock
4th Jeannie Bell
Judge: Sean Somers

Solo Drumming

Snare

Professional

MSR
Tyler Wood
Judge: Tim Borton

Hornpipe & Jig
Tyler Wood
Judge: Tim Boan

Grade 2

MSR
1st Erin Allen
2nd John Paul Cormier
Judge: Tim Borton

Hornpipe & Jig
1st Erin Allen
2nd Andrew Pietsch
Judge: Tim Boan

Grade 3 (MSR)
Graysen Ronayne
Judge: Tim Boan

Grade 4

2/4 March
1st Graysen Ronayne
2nd Alex Davies
3rd Keenan Campbell
Judge: Tim Borton

6/8 March
1st Graysen Ronayne
2nd Dominic Beier
3rd Keenan Campbell
Judge: Tim Boan

Grade 5

2/4 March
1st Damen Hundt
2nd Chloe Luscombe
3rd Elliot Chalifoux
Judge: Tim Borton

6/8 March
1st Sam Davies
2nd Zachariah Beier
3rd Elliot Chalifoux
Judge: Tim Boan

Beginner Drum Pad (2/4 March)
1st Spencer Still
2nd Dorothy Dorosheko
3rd Gustafson McLean
Judge: Tim Borton

Tenor

Beginner (6/8 March)
1st Anneliese Joosse
2nd Luke Davies
3rd Flora Kwiecinski
Judge: Tim Borton

Bass

Intermediate

MSR
Isaac Taralson
Judge: Tim Boan

6/8 March
Isaac Taralson
Judge: Tim Borton

Beginner

2/4 March
Lindy Wiebe
Judge: Tim Boan

6/8 March
Lindy Wiebe
Judge: Tim Borton