The Tu smokes Jenny Mair Highland Square Day

Palmerston North, New Zealand – December 12, 2020 – Manawatu Scottish won the Grade 1 overall by winning the Medley and MSR events and the drumming in both at the 41st annual Jenny Mair Highland Square Day, held in bright and warm conditions in the middle of the antipodean summer. New Zealand and Australia, island countries that dealt with the coronavirus quickly and effectively, have almost zero cases of COVID-19 and have resumed regular in-person public gatherings with no restrictions.

While Manawatu competed with 16 pipers, eight snares, and five in its mid-section, Auckland & District played with 11 pipers, five snares, and three mid-section players, and New Zealand Police went with 10 pipers, five snares, and a mid-section of six. The country’s other two Grade 1 bands, Canterbury Caledonian and the recently upgraded ILT City of Invercargill Highland, did not compete. Most top-grade New Zealand bands typically augment their ranks with fly-in players, and travel restrictions reportedly impacted numbers.

Grade 1 (three competed)
Medley
1st Manawatu Scottish (1,2,1,1)
2nd New Zealand Police (3,1,3,2)
3rd Auckland & District (2,3,2,3)
Judges: Liam Kernaghan, Iain Blakeley (piping); Graeme Bryce (ensemble); Adam Alexander (drumming)

MSR
1st Manawatu Scottish (2,2,1,1)
2nd Auckland & District (1,1,2,3)
3rd New Zealand Police (3,3,3,2)
Judges: Ian Ferguson, Lance Turnbull (piping); Chris Stevens (ensemble); Scott Mitchell (drumming)

Grade 2 (two competed)
Medley
1st Wellington Red Hackle (1,2,1,1)
2nd Hamilton Caledonian Society (2,1,2,2)
Judges: Liam Kernaghan, Iain Blakeley (piping); Graeme Bryce (ensemble); Adam Alexander (drumming)

MSR
1st Hamilton Caledonian Society (1,1,1,2)
2nd Wellington Red Hackle (2,2,2,1)
Judges: Ian Ferguson, Lance Turnbull (piping); Chris Stevens (ensemble); Scott Mitchell (drumming)

Grade 3 (four competed)
Medley
1st City of Tauranga (2,2,1,2)
2nd Hawkes Bay Caledonia (ens.pref.) (3,1,2,3)
3rd Manawatu Scottish No. 2 (1,3,4,1)
4th Auckland Police (4,4,3,4)
Judges: Liam Kernaghan, Iain Blakeley (piping); Graeme Bryce (ensemble); Adam Alexander (drumming)

MSR
1st City of Tauranga (2,1,1,3)
2nd Hawkes Bay Caledonia (1,3,2,2)
3rd Manawatu Scottish No. 2 (3,2,4,1)
4th Auckland Police (4,4,3,4)
Judges: Ian Ferguson, Lance Turnbull (piping); Chris Stevens (ensemble); Scott Mitchell (drumming)

Grade 4 (six competed)
Medley
1st Hamilton Caledonian Development (ens.pref.) (1,2,2,6)
2nd Scots College (2,1,3,5)
3rd Papakura (3,4,1,4)
4th Wellington Red Hackle (ens.pref.) (4,5,4,2)
5th City of Rotorua (6,3,5,1)
6th City of Wellington (5,6,6,3)
Judges: Liam Kernaghan, Iain Blakeley (piping); Graeme Bryce (ensemble); Adam Alexander (drumming)

MSR
1st Papakura (2,1,1,3)
2nd Wellington Red Hackle (3,3,2,2)
3rd Hamilton Caledonian Development (1,2,4,5)
4th City of Rotorua (5,5,3,1)
5th Scots College (4,4,5,6)
6th City of Wellington (6,6,6,4)
Judges: Ian Ferguson, Lance Turnbull (piping); Chris Stevens (ensemble); Scott Mitchell (drumming)