Sport

Yorkshire Triumphs Over Scots In Highland Games

This week saw Yorkshire grit triumph over tradition as a Scots team was defeated at Catterick's Highland Games.

The event took place at the Leyburn Stadium in North Yorkshire, with troopers from the Royal Dragoon Guards pipping the games' organisers, the Highlanders, 4th Battalion the Royal Regiment of Scotland (4 SCOTS), by three points.

Soldiers from the Light Dragoons, 21 Engineer Regiment, and the Royal Lancers also challenged 4 SCOTS, the reigning champions of the games.

It is only the second time the Games have been held in Catterick. Events included throwing the bale and the hammer, hurling the stone, tossing the cabre and other strongman events.

The Games concluded with a tug of war contest, which was won by the Highlanders.

Lieutenant Colonel Neil Tomlin, Commanding Officer of 4 SCOTS, said:

"This battalion has traditionally held the Highland Games every year and [it] continued when we moved to Catterick. It is important for us to bring our soldiers together for a light-hearted, fun day with some good-natured competition and to be surrounded by our friends and families.

"This year we have been delighted to open this event to teams from other units to enjoy some traditional Highland hospitality and compete at sports some may never have seen."

Commanding Officer of the Royal Dragoon Guards, Lietenant Colonel James Lane, said the Games were not something his troops were used to:

"Our man came second in tossing the caber and I don’t think he had ever picked a caber up before. It was about physical strength for us rather than the techniques and the skills of the specific events."

Among the competitors was Lance Corporal Richard Clark (28) from Armley, Leeds, a member of the Royal Dragoon Guards who took part in the strongman competition.

He said: "It was good – I've enjoyed it. I have never done anything like this before. I didn't find out what the strongman events would be until Monday this week so there has been little time to prepare."