History made at 159th Antigonish Highland Games

Antigonish, Nova Scotia – July 13-14, 2024 – With muggy temperatures soaring to the mid-30s in normally cool Cape Breton, the 159th Antigonish Highland Games were memorable and even historic on several fronts. The Grade 1 78th Highlanders (Halifax Citadel) made a strong statement by permanently ditching waistcoats/vests and neckties for comfortable open-neck polo shirts, long-serving Atlantic Canada Pipe Band Association Chief Steward Rick Crawford made his retirement official with a special presentation, and Ajax, Ontario’s Sean McKeown ended 25 consecutive years of either Bruce or Alex Gandy winning the R.A.S. Chisholm Buckle for the aggregate award in the Open/Professional Solo Piping. Gillian Blaney of Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia, received the Allan B. Beaton Memorial Trophy for the second straight year for winning the Grade 1 amateur piping aggregate.

Saturday, July 13th
Bands
Grade 1 (MSR)
78th Highlanders (Halifax Citadel)
Judges: James MacHattie, Doug Boyd (piping); Hugh Cameron (drumming); Bob Worrall (ensemble)

Grade 3 (MSR)
1st Dartmouth & District
2nd College of Piping
3rd Nova Scotia Highlanders
Judges: Michael Grey, Doug Boyd (piping); Drew Duthart (drumming); Bob Worrall (ensemble)

Grade 4
12 Wing, Shearwater
Judges: Michael Grey, Doug Boyd (piping); Drew Duthart (drumming); Bob Worrall (ensemble)

Grade 5
1st Fredericton Society of St. Andrew
2nd Dartmouth & District
3rd College of Piping
Judges: Michael Grey, Doug Boyd (piping); Drew Duthart (drumming); Bob Worrall (ensemble)

Sunday, July 14 (Atlantic Championships)
Bands
Grade 1 (medley)
78th Highlanders (Halifax Citadel)
Judges: James MacHattie, Doug Boyd (piping); Hugh Cameron (drumming); Bob Worrall (ensemble)

Grade 3 (medley)
1st Dartmouth & District
2nd Nova Scotia Highlanders
3rd College of Piping
Judges: Michael Grey, Doug Boyd (piping); Drew Duthart (drumming); Bob Worrall (ensemble)

Grade 4
12 Wing, Shearwater
Judges: Michael Grey, Doug Boyd (piping); Drew Duthart (drumming); Bob Worrall (ensemble)

Grade 5
1st College of Piping 5
2nd Dartmouth & District 5
3rd Fredericton Society of St. Andrew 5
Judges: Michael Grey, Doug Boyd (piping); Drew Duthart (drumming); Bob Worrall (ensemble)

Solo Piping
Open
Piobaireachd
1st Sean McKeown
2nd Bruce Gandy
3rd Hazel Whyte
Judge: Bob Worrall

2/4 March
1st Alex Gandy, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
2nd Sean McKeown
3rd James MacHattie, Summerside, Prince Edward Island

Strathspey & Reel
1st Alex Gandy
2nd Bruce Gandy
3rd Sean McKeown

Hornpipe & Jig
1st Bruce Gandy
2nd Sean McKeown
3rd Alex Gandy

Grade 1
Piobaireachd
1st Gillian Blaney
2nd Jessica Theriault
3rd Brady Webb, Westville, Nova Scotia

2/4 March
1st Charlie O’Keefe, St. John’s, Newfoundland
2nd Jessica Theriault, Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia
3rd Gillian Blaney, Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia

Strathspey & Reel
1st Gillian Blaney
2nd Charlie O’Keefe
3rd Reilly Green, Waasis, New Brunswick

Hornpipe & Jig
1st Gillian Blaney
2nd Jessica Theriault
3rd Reilly Green

Grade 2
Piobaireachd
1st Conall Gibson
2nd Calum Mackinnon
3rd Doug Hamilton, Dartmouth Nova Scotia

2/4 March
1st Bill Saul, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
2nd Conall Gibson, Hunter River, Prince Edward Island
3rd Kurtis Bryden, Antigonish, Nova Scotia

Strathspey & Reel
1st Calum Mackinnon, Fall River, Nova Scotia
2nd Kurtis Bryden
3rd Conall Gibson

Hornpipe & Jig
1st Kurtis Bryden
2nd Bill Saul
3rd Conall Gibson

Grade 3
Piobaireachd
1st Vivian Richardson, Halifax, Nova Scotia
2nd Jamie Bain, Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia
3rd Robyn Morgan, Rusogonis, New Brunswick

2/4 March
1st Jamie Bain
2nd Vivian Richardson
3rd Josh Gregory

Strathspey & Reel
1st Owen Macpherson, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
2nd Michelle Chisholm, Calgary
3rd Vivian Richardson

Grade 3/4/5
Hornpipe & Jig
1st Ross Whyte, Bedford, Nova Scotia
2nd Owen Gillis, Halifax, Nova Scotia
3rd Mary Anne Carlos, Moncton, New Brunswick

Grade 4
Piobaireachd
1st Rhys Doherty
2nd Zachary Campbell, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
3rd Ian Kellock, Sydney, Nova Scotia

2/4 March
1st Rhys Doherty
2nd Zachary Campbell
3rd Owen Gillis, Halifax, Nova Scotia

Strathspey & Reel
1st Ian Kellock
2nd Mary Anne Carlos
3rd Zachary Campbell

Grade 5
Piobaireachd Ground
1st Callum Maclaine
2nd Camden Wadden

2/4 March
1st Camden Wadden
2nd Callum Maclaine, New Glasgow, Prince Edward Island
3rd Jeff Harper

Practice Chanter
1st Charlie McKeown
2nd Emmett Wanamaker

Solo Drumming
Snare
Grade 1
MSR
1st Cole Chisholm, Calgary
2nd Carter Green
3rd Mikhale Macdonald

Grades 1&2 Hornpipe & Jig
1st Cole Chisholm
2nd Chris Griffin
3rd Carter Green

Grade 2 MSR
Nick Highmore

Grade 3 MSR
1st Krista Maclellan
2nd Vincent Gallant

Grade 3 Hornpipe & Jig
1st Vincent Gallant
2nd Chris Murray

Grade 4 March
1st Chris Murray
2nd Cate Harper, Dartmouth & District
3rd Luke Somers

Grade 5
1st Nikki Gullet
2nd Aurora Savoy

Tenor
Grades 1&2
MSR
Rachael Macdonald, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
Judge: Kahlil Cappuccino

Hornpipe & Jig
Erin Nicholson, Ostrea Lake, Nova Scotia
Judge: Kahlil Cappuccino

Bass
Abby Pierce
Judge: Kahlil Cappuccino