Yesterday I made a trip to Birnam, near Dunkeld, 10 miles past Perth on the A9.
Quite a long way (108 miles) for a day trip, but worth it.
One of Pirate's former competitors on grass track...who has the same initials, VP.... finished racing 22 years ago ..he is now 78...but carried on for many years as as official of the Scottish Highland Games Association...his wife still judges the dancing.
He has a grand collection of bikes, and restores them...and this special grass track bike belonged once to Jock Ward..a top rider on both road and grass, and a long time official in Scottish Cycling. It was also a Flying Scot, a marque made at Rattray's bike shop in Glasgow.
Like Pirate, Jock Ward hasn't long since died...so VP decided to ride the grass one more time at the Birnam Highland Games, in their honour.
Our Fife friend came up to Birnam as well once he heard of the plan....his daughter, once a rider in the Scottish Commonwealth games team and a professional bike rider, started her racing career on the grass at Birnam, following her father's wheel tracks as it were. VP did two of the four races and Fifer was his holder and pusher at the start. These were both handicap races...the idea being that it is fair for all and no-one is made to look a fool!
It was a grand sunny day....and I don't remember when I had a day just to relax with friends, and watch the proceedings, last.
One innovation to add...there were women's events in the Heavies for the first time...tossing the caber, shot putt, throwing the weight over the bar....
Then the drive home...with two stops on the way home, one in a supermarket to cool down... And get the reduced items as well, of course!!
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11 comments:
What great fun...games for adults! Competitions like what we call the Highland Games here.
Love love love Highland Games. Other than on TV I have only attended one in person, in Antigonish, Nova Scotia.
Sounds like a good but long day.
A lovely day!
You lean something new all the time. I'd never heard of racing on grass.
Sounds like a great day out - but you didn't tell us how you got on in the shot put.
Yes, that's what they are called here...and we've seen them in NZ as well
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/cycling an interesting article...and looks like dirt tracks were used more than grass..in Scotland there is at least one made of red shale ballast, I have raced on that.
There is a grass track league on in Toronto now..I think that it it's called Mariposol?
I've never done that one!!..
Your post didn't appear on my Feed - again!
Anyway, looked like it was a great day. I think I would have enjoyed that too.
Sounds like a great day! Love the photos. I had never heard of a caber before.
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