Easton goes four-for-four at Turakina, while Manawatus are on top of the bands

Turakina, New Zealand – January 31, 2026 – Stuart Easton of Palmerston North won all four Open solo piping events and the Manawatu Scottish organization’s Grade 4 band took the only contested grade in the pipe band events at the 161st Turakina Highland Games, the longest-running competition in New Zealand and one of the oldest in the world. The event is organized by Turakina Caledonian Society.

Bands

Grade 1
Manawatu Scottish

Grade 2
New Zealand Police

Grade 4
Overall
1st Manawatu Scottish (Gr4)
2nd Feilding Caledonian
3rd City of Wellington
4th Scots College
5th Vale of Kawerau
6th Wairarapa Fern & Thistle
7th Stratford & District

Medley
1st Manawatu Scottish (Gr4) (1,1,1,2)
2nd Feilding Caledonian (3,2,2,2)
3rd City of Wellington (2,3,4,3)
4th Scots College (5,5,3,5)
5th Vale of Kawerau (4,4,5,6)
6th Wairarapa Fern & Thistle (6,6,6,4)
Judges: Alasdair MacKenzie, Andrew Roach (piping); Brian Switalla (ensemble); Glen Rodgers (drumming)

MSR
1st Manawatu Scottish (Gr4) (1,1,1,1)
2nd City of Wellington (2,2,3,5)
3rd Feilding Caledonian (5,5,2,2) (ens.pref.)
4th Scots College (3,3,4,4)
5th Wairarapa Fern & Thistle (6,6,5,3) (ens.pref.)
6th Vale of Kawerau (4,4,6,6)
7th Stratford & District (7,7,7,7)
Judges: Ben McLaughlin, Phil Mair (piping); Davey Welsh (ensemble); Glenn Miller (drumming)

Solo Piping

Open
Piobaireachd (North Island Championship)
1st Stuart Easton
2nd Nicola Pivac
3rd George Mason

2/4 March
1st Stuart Easton
2nd Willie Rowe
3rd Brad Knight

Strathspey & Reel
1st Stuart Easton
2nd Stewart McKenzie
3rd Willie Rowe

Hornpipe & Jig (Wellington Centre Championship)
1st Stuart Easton
2nd Stewart McKenzie
3rd Murray Mansfield

Under 21 (Wellington Centre Championship)
2/4 March
1st Maggie McConnochie
2nd Sam Foote
3rd Dylan Jones

Strathspey & Reel
1st Sam Foote
2nd Finlay Trewinnard
3rd Maggie McConnochie

B Grade
Piobaireachd
1st Seumas Eade
2nd Maggie McConnochie
3rd Nicola Pivac
4th Sam Foote

2/4 March
1st Sam Foote
2nd Maggie McConnochie
3rd Madisyn Braithwaite

Strathspey & Reel
1st Sam Foote
2nd Maggie McConnochie
3rd Seumas Eade

Hornpipe & Jig (Wellington Centre Championship)
1st Seumas Eade
2nd Jonathan Bhashkar
3rd Maggie McConnochie

C Grade
Piobaireachd
1st Finlay Trewinnard
2nd Ashton Murphy
3rd Cole Buchanan

2/4 March
1st Finlay Trewinnard
2nd Misha Waterfield
3rd Evelyn Calder

Strathspey & Reel
1st Finlay Trewinnard
2nd Misha Waterfield
3rd Charlotte Donovan

Hornpipe & Jig
1st Finlay Trewinnard
2nd Misha Waterfield
3rd Jack Cowle

Slow Air
1st Evelyn Calder
2nd Finlay Trewinnard
3rd Misha Waterfield

D Grade
Piobaireachd (ground and one variation)
1st Rory Easton
2nd Miriam Bhashkar
3rd Charlotte Donovan

2/4 March
1st Evelyn Calder
2nd Charlotte Donovan
3rd Lukas Murphy
4th Luca Mistry

Strathspey & Reel
1st Kyle Mckenzie
2nd Evelyn Calder
3rd Rory Easton

Slow Air
1st Liam Sutherland
2nd Frederick Zachariassen
3rd Evelyn Calder
4th Miriam Bhashkar

Novice
Piobaireachd (ground only)
1st Zanos Boulieris
2nd Niko Nunns
3rd Abigail Zhao

2/4 March
1st Angus McEwen
2nd Liam Sutherland
3rd Daem Fahimi

Practice Chanter
1st Jasmine Hogan
2nd Isaac Pon
3rd Bella Erickson

Veteran Recital (Over 50)
Slow March & March
1st Iain Loan

Solo Drumming

Snare
Open
MSR
1st Kaitlyn Braithwaite
2nd Ben Walkley
3rd Dominic Coffin

Hornpipe & Jig
1st Kaitlyn Braithwaite
2nd Ben Walkley
3rd Dominic Coffin

Compound Time Marches (min. eight parts)
1st Ben Walkley
2nd Kaitlyn Braithwaite

B Grade
2/4 March
1st Aiden Jackson
2nd Emma Wright

Strathspey & Reel
Aiden Jackson

Hornpipe & Jig
Aiden Jackson

C Grade
2/4 March
1st Emma Wright
2nd Holly Monks
3rd Jacob Kerr

Strathspey & Reel
1st Jacob Kerr
2nd Ezra Pon
3rd Emma Wright

Hornpipe & Jig
1st Holly Monks
2nd Joel Crawford
3rd Thea Ruxton

Novice
2/4 March
1st Blake Murphy
2nd Jayden Emslie
3rd Thea Ruxton

6/8 March
1st Jayden Emslie
2nd Ben Berry
3rd Rhys Martin

Emerging
1st Arthur D’arth

Tenor
Open MSR
1st Dominic Bhashkar
2nd Sarah D’arth

Intermediate MSR
1st Ellie Kerr
2nd Dominic Bhashkar
3rd Sarah D’arth