Northern Meeting 2019 Day 1: Connor Sinclair wins Gold Medal, Silver Medal goes to Mackenzie, Liddell takes Silver Star

The Silver Medal went to James Duncan Mackenzie of Back, Isle of Lewis, Scotland. Alex Gandy of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, was second again in the Silver Medal, as he tries to gain a spot in the Highland Society of London Gold Medal despite a raft of significant piobaireachd awards. Entry to the Gold Medal generally requires a Silver Medal win.

Gordon McCready of Paisley, Scotland, won the A-Grade MSR, his second big success in a week after taking the Former Winners MSR at the 2019 Argyllshire Gathering, which coincidentally also featured Barry Donaldson on its panel of judges. McCready can now compete in the Northern Meeting Silver Star MSR for previous winners of the Inverness A-Grade MSR. All of the prizewinners in the A-Grade MSR were from Scotland.

In the evening. Stuart Liddell of Inveraray, Scotland, won the Silver Star MSR, the second time he’s won the award. The win qualifies him for the 2019 Glenfiddich for the third time after his wins of the Masters and the Senior Piobaireachd at the Argyllshire Gathering. As a result, Iain Speirs of Edinburgh earns a Glenfiddich spot, after he was second in the Senior Piobaireachd at Oban.

Highland Society of London Gold Medal (25 competed)
1st Connor Sinclair, “The End of the Great Bridge”
2nd Stuart Easton, Christchurch, New Zealand, “The Rout of Glenfruin”
3rd Cameron Drummond, Edinburgh, “Lachlan MacNeil Campbell of Kintarbert’s Fancy”
4th Andrew Donlon, Washington, DC, “Lachlan MacNeil Campbell of Kintarbert’s Fancy”
5th Sarah Muir, Glasgow, “The End of the Great Bridge”
Judges: Stuart Samson, Tom Speirs, Bill Wotherspoon

Also competing: Andrea Boyd, Toronto; Gordon Bruce, Kilwinning, Scotland; Sandy Cameron, Roy Bridge, Scotland; Andrew Carlisle, Pittsburgh; Brian Donaldson, Wisconsin; Jamie Forrester, London; William Geddes, Glasgow; Jonathan Greenlees, Glasgow; Nick Hudson, Houston; Alastair Lee, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada; Cameron MacDougall, Nigg, Scotland; James MacHattie, Summerside, Prince Edward Island, Canada; Gordon McCready, Renfrew, Scotland; Ross McCrindle, Edinburgh; Sean McKeown, Toronto; Derek Midgley, New Jersey; Sarah Muir, Glasgow; Innes Smith, Bridge of Allan, Scotland; John Angus Smith, London; Craig Sutherland, Perth, Scotland; and Darach Urquhart, Glasgow.

Andrea Boyd and James MacHattie were on the reserve list, able to compete after Faye Henderson, Kirriemuir, Scotland, and James Murray, Perth, Australia, withdrew.

Silver Medal (26 competed)
1st James Duncan Mackenzie, “The Bicker”
2nd Alex Gandy, “Salute to Donald”
3rd John Dew, Glasgow, “The Marquis of Argyle’s Salute”
4th Steven Leask, Glasgow, “The Massacre of Glencoe”
5th Xavier Boderiou, Brittany, “The Marquis of Argyle’s Salute”
Judges: Neill Mulvie, Stuart Shedden, John Wilson

Also competing (alphabetical order): Ursa Beckford, Maine; Calum Brown, Petercoulter, Scotland; Greig Canning, Kirkcaldy, Scotland; Kristopher Coyle, Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland; Jason Craig, Canberra, Australia; Jacob Dicker, Ottawa; Ben Duncan, Edinburgh; Jamie Elder, Auchtermuchty, Scotland; Andrew Ferguson, Dollar, Scotland; Michael Fitzhenry, London; Edward Gaul, Dundee, Scotland; Steven Gray, Lockerbie, Scotland; Andrew Hall, London; Zephan Knichel, Surrey, British Columbia; Anna Kummerlöw, Germany; Ed MacIlwaine, Vancouver; Ben McClamrock, Washington, DC; Kevin McLean, Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada; Ashley McMichael, Northern Ireland; Willie Rowe, Menstrie, Scotland; and Calum Watson, Glasgow.

Kevin McLean and Jamie Elder were on the reserve list, able to compete after Finlay Cameron, Roy Bridge, Scotland, and Andrew Lewis, St. Paul, Minnesota, withdrew.

A-Grade MSR (for those graded A or Premier by the CPA)
1st Gordon McCready
2nd Craig Sutherland, Perth, Scotland
3rd Sarah Muir, Glasgow
4th Angus J. MacColl, Oban, Scotland
5th Alasdair Henderson, Dunoon, Scotland
Judges: Walter Cowan, Barry Donaldson, Roddy Livingstone

Silver Star Former Winners MSR (22 competed)
1st Stuart Liddell, Inveraray, Scotland
2nd Niall Stewart, Kyle of Lochalsh, Scotland
3rd Finlay Johnston, Glasgow
4th Angus D. MacColl, Benderloch, Scotland
5th Callum Beaumont, Linlithgow, Scotland
Judges: Dr. Angus MacDonald, Ian MacLellan, Willie Morrison

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