Dunn, Mathieson, Gandy bag the big prizes on day 2 at Oban
Oban, Scotland – August 23, 2007 – The second day of the Argyllshire Gathering was held in “good piping weather” at Mossfield Park. Results were varied through the light music events. Two very notable things happened: Margaret Dunn of Glasgow added the A-Grade March to her 2003 win of the A-Grade Strathspey & Reel, and thus becomes the first female piper ever to be allowed to play in a Former Winners’ MSR at either the Argyllshire Gathering or the Northern Meeting, and the son-father first two prizes in the Open Jig went to Alex and Bruce Gandy of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. A father and son being in the same prize list at one of the major gatherings has seemingly never before occurred.
Until 1976, when Anne Spalding (nee Stewart) and Patricia Henderson (nee Innes) broke the gender barrier, females were not permitted to compete at either the Argyllshire Gathering or Northern Meeting.
On the traditional march to the games, the massed pipe section played, among the usual stuff, “The Little Cascade.”
A-Grade March
1st Margaret Dunn, Glasgow (pictured, right)
2nd John Angus Smith, London
3rd Andrew Hayes, Ottawa
4th Greg Wilson, New Zealand
Judges: Tom Speirs, Andrew Wright, Andrew Frater
A-Grade Strathspey & Reel
1st Andrew Mathieson, Glasgow
2nd Simon McKerrell, Glasgow
3rd Andrea Boyd, Antigonish, Nova Scotia
4th Peter Hunt, Glasgow
Judges: Neill Mulvie, Iain MacFadyen, John MacDougall
Grade Jig (twice through)
1st Alex Gandy, “The Cameronian Rant”
2nd Bruce Gandy
3rd Andrew Carlisle, Northern Ireland
4th Gordon McCready, Renfrew, Scotland
Judges: Iain MacLellan, Ronald Lawrie
B-Grade March
1st James MacKenzie
2nd Stuart Easton
3rd Fraser Wylie
4th Alistair Henderson, Dunoon, Scotland
Judges: Rab Wallace, John Wilson, Ronald Clarke
B-Grade S&R
1st Bernard Bouhadana, Denmark
2nd Alex Gandy
3rd Ryan Canning, Glasgow
4th Allan Johnstone, Glasgow
Judges: Malcolm McRae, Willie Morrison, Bob Worrall
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Thanks Joel, I have no problem in saying that this was without a doubt the best 2nd prize I have ever received. Alex, as my son, and my student has had a need to beat me since the day he started playing and I always enjoy that competitive spirit in him. I knew it was only time before this happened but I had always hoped that it would be a 1,2 finish at a top games rather than him beating me being 3rd or 4th and me just not playing well, that wouldn’t make him happy. I was told he played very well and was not sure I was even going to play but the pipes were going well and I had half promised that I would just to be able to say that we got to play in the same senior event at the Argyllshire Gathering as you don’t know how many chances we’ll get to do that. With a bit of luck and timing I played D A Campbells jig about as good as I can possibly play jigs. After that , I went over and told Alex I had just played twice through DA Campbells jig as good as I can and if you get by me today
Margaret: You go girl!
Bruce, as a father, gotta be pretty proud that the youngster took the jig prize over you! Pretty cool. Congrats to both of you.
Nice one, Brucie! The next question: will Alex ever beat you at golf? That might be even more difficult! Cheers to you both.
Well, alex hasn’t really got the golf bug but the way my game is, it wouldn’t really make much of a story haha.
It should be noted that not only is Margaret the first woman ever to make it into the Former Winners, but as far as I’m aware she’s also the first from Ireland to ever do this too. This puts her at the top of her country, as well as her gender, and of course her peers. Well done Mags!!