Redding solo piping bounces back with large entry, as Guidotti takes the big prize

Redding, California—March 1-2, 2025—The annual Redding Solo Piping Competitions were held over two days at the Red Lion Hotel. Gavin Guidotti of Medford, Oregon, won the Grade aggregate prize, Grade 2 overall going to Logan Gorsuch, Grade 3 to Katherine Strausser, and the Grade 4 aggregate trophy to Emma Thomsen. The Fred Rutledge Memorial Piper of the Day was Everett Johnson, who won three light music first prizes in Grade 4—the first competition of his young competitive career.

Guidotti qualifies for the Sandy Jones Memorial Amateur Championship at the Sun Belt Amateur Invitational Piping Competition (An Crios Gréine) in Florida in November.

The event is organized by the Saint Florian Pipers Society. Saint Florian is the patron saint of firefighters.

Grade 1
Piobaireachd
1st Gavin Guidotti
2nd Steven McElhaney
3rd Charles Martin
4th Ethan Deschamps
5th Colin Thurber
Judge: Jack Lee

MSR
1st Ethan Deschamps
2nd Steven McElhaney
3rd Gavin Guidotti
4th Charles Martin
5th Colin Thurber
6th Caleb Cox
Judge: Ross Naismith

Hornpipe & Jig
1st Ethan Deschamps
2nd Gavin Guidotti
3rd Steven McElhaney
4th Caleb Cox
5th Colin Thurber
6th Charles Martin
Judge: Terry Lee

6/8 March
1st Ethan Deschamps
2nd Steven McElhaney
3rd Gavin Guidotti
4th Colin Thurber
5th Charles Martin
6th Caleb Cox
Judge: Jack Lee

Grade 2
Piobaireachd
1st Logan Gorsuch
2nd Ted Hales
3rd Brandon Ward
4th Laurie Gardner
5th Becky Saraceno
6th Lara Thomsen
Judge: Terry Lee

MSR
1st Logan Gorsuch
2nd Iain Mackay
3rd Laurie Gardner
4th Lara Thomsen
5th Ted Hales
6th Brandon Ward
Judge: Terry Lee

Hornpipe & Jig
1st Logan Gorsuch
2nd Iain Mackay
3rd Lara Thomsen
4th Brandon Ward
5th Suzie Snell
6th Becky Saraceno
Judge: Liz Tubbs

6/8 March
1st Logan Gorsuch
2nd Iain Mackay
3rd Becky Saraceno
4th Suzie Snell
5th Ted Hales
6th Lara Thomsen
Judge: Jack Lee

Grade 3
Piobaireachd
1st Katherine Strausser
2nd Suzie Snell
3rd Carrie Wigham
4th Aims McGuinness
5th Brian Schwartzberg
6th Donald Saraceno
Judge: Ross Naismith

2/4 March
1st Aims McGuinness
2nd Carrie Wigham
3rd Connor Abel
4th Richard Hood
5th John Pozza
6th Brian Schwartzberg
Judge: Liz Tubbs

Strathspey & Reel
1st Connor Abel
2nd Aims McGuinness
3rd Katherine Strausser
4th Carrie Wigham
5th Richard Hood
6th Donald Saraceno
Judge: Jack Lee

6/8 March
1st Katherine Strausser
2nd Lorraine McInnes
3rd Eben McElhinny
4th Brad Hansen
5th John Pozza
6th Brian Schwartzberg
Judge: Ross Naismith

Grade 4
Piobaireachd
1st Oscar Estoll
2nd Douglas Gardner
3rd Emma Thomsen
4th Michael Carr
5th Linda Lindsay
6th Martin Borge
Judge: Jack Lee

2/4 March
1st Everett Johnson
2nd Tom Weeden
3rd Emma Thomsen
4th Linda Lindsay
5th Christine Yamate
6th Dale Wilson
Judge: Jack Lee

Strathspey & Reel
1st Everett Johnson
2nd Emma Thomsen
3rd Oscar Estoll
4th Christine Yamate
5th Dale Wilson
6th Linda Lindsay
Judge: Ross Naismith

6/8 March
1st Everett Johnson
2nd Emma Thomsen
3rd Douglas Gardner
4th Oscar Estoll
5th Dale Wilson
6th Christine Yamate
Judge: Terry Lee

Grade 5
2/4 March
1st Jonathan Pangburn
2nd Christopher Kolm
Judge: Liz Tubbs

Slow Air
1st Jonathan Pangburn
2nd Christopher Kolm
Judge: Liz Tubbs