2024 Metro Cup Champion: Alex Gandy
Newark, New Jersey – February 17, 2024 – Dartmouth, Nova Scotia’s Alex Gandy won the 2024 Metro Cup Solo Piping Championship held at the Holiday Inn Newark Airport Hotel, gaining the prize by winning the Piobaireachd event and finishing third in the freestyle Medley competition. Gandy received a total of US$2,400 for his success, with the champion receiving an additional $1,000. It was his first time winning the event after finishing second no fewer than four times.
The competition is part of a full day of events put on by the Metro Branch of the Eastern United States Pipe Band Association.
The P-M George Bell Amateur Championship was won by Ray Flanagan. For his success, Flanagan won a scholarship to the North American Academy of Piping & Drumming and qualified to compete in the Champion of Champions CLASP competition in April.
Costs are offset by some of the competitors sponsored by local pipe bands to run a workshop for their members. It was the first time the event was held in two years due to Covid-19 pandemic restrictions.
Piobaireachd
1st Alex Gandy, “The Rout of the Lowland Captain” (US$1000)
2nd Derek Midgley, Tinton Falls, New Jersey ($600)
3rd Andrew Donlon, Washington, DC ($400)
4th Bruce Gandy, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia ($200)
5th Glenn Brown, Glasgow ($100)
Judges: Jimmy Bell, Jim McGillivray, Bob Worrall
Medley
1st Cameron MacDougall, Nigg, Scotland ($1000)
2nd Bruce Gandy ($600)
3rd Alex Gandy ($400)
4th Nick Hudson, Houston ($200)
5th Andrew Hayes, Ottawa ($100)
Judges: Jimmy Bell, Jim McGillivray, Bob Worrall
Also competing: Andrew Carlisle, Pittsburgh; Matt Pantaleoni, St. Louis.
P-M George M. Bell Amateur
Piobaireachd
1st Alex Knox
2nd Elizabeth Knox
3rd Ray Flanagan
MSR
1st Gillian Blaney, Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia
2nd Joe Votta
3rd Ray Flanagan
Also competing: Alex Burlew, Evan Burlew, Liam Horne, Vince Janoski, Steve Knox, Abby Long, Alistair Martin, Flora Stone, and Magnus Stone.
I’m certain that the Metro Cup also featured amateur events this year, but all newsletters . . . tended to overlook them and only focused on professional players. While Alex Gandy is undoubtedly great, it might be refreshing to see how other young players are doing and I bet some encouragement and publicity maybe beneficial for their development too.
Thank you for sharing additional information about these young amateur players. Hope many of them will continue to compete at a high level, even if not at the professional level.