Shepherd suspension cut in half by RSPBA

After an appeal, the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association has decided to reduce the suspension of George Shepherd, pipe-major of the Grade 1 Clan Gregor Pipe Band, from four to two months.

Further, the two-month suspension is retroactive to the original suspension start-date of March 11, 2006, which means Shepherd will not miss competing with his band.

Clan Gregor’s first competition will be on May 13 at Dunbar, Scotland, followed by the Scottish Championships at Dumbarton, Scotland, on May 20.

According to sources, the appeal meeting was considered by “independent adjudicators” at the RSPBA’s headquarters on the night of May 5. The source also said that the decision is final and no further appeals will be considered by any party.

The incident involved an altercation between Shepherd and Sharleen Donaldson, a member of the House of Edgar-Shotts & Dykehead Pipe Band, after the 2005 Scottish Championships at the Snaffle Bit pub in Glasgow.

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