Hawke Swoops In On McLennan

San Diego, California – October 4, 2003 – Richard Hawke of New Zealand emerged the big winner at the annual G.S. McLennan Memorial Invitational Piping Competition, regarded by many as the best solo event in the emerging western United States piping scene.

Criteria for invitation is based on previous winners of the Highland Society of London’s Gold Medals at Oban and Inverness; the Piobaireachd Society (Canada) Gold Medal; the overall winner at Lorient, France; the aggregate winner of the United States Piping Foundation competition; and the winner of the Comunn na Piobaireachd contest in New Zealand.

Piobaireachd
1st Richard Hawke
2nd Ian Whitelaw, Redondo Beach, California
3rd Ann Gray, Calgary, Alberta

March, Strathspey & Reel
1st Fred Morrison, North Uist, Scotland
2nd Ian Whitelaw
3rd Richard Hawke

Also competing but not in the prizes were Scot Walker, Emaus, Pennsylvania; Pipe-Major Michael Gray, The Highlanders; and Andrew Hayes, Ottawa.

The events were judged by Mike Cusack and Malcolm McRae.

At the same venue was the annual Pipe-Major Angus MacDonald Western Regional Piping Championship, an event that pays homage to the late Scots Guards personality who did much teaching in California.

Open Piobaireachd
1st Ian Whitelaw
2nd Seamus Coyne, Los Angeles
3rd Kenneth Sutherland, San Francisco

Open MSR
1st Adrian Melvin
2nd Seamus Coyne
3rd Kenneth Sutherland

The contests were judged by Jack Lee.

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