The Gathering and the Games continued through the 1920’s with the sport gradually increasing its share of the Press’s attention. The obstacle race, shown above, had been incorporated to add some jollity to the day – and in 1930 the jollity was needed. The weather was really bad with so much rain that the King and Queen, although staying Braemar at the time, did not come to the sports, sending Lord and Lady Carnegie in their place. The photographs below show what the weather was like.
Given the dirty weather, and the absence of the ‘real’ royalty can go straight to the results as printed in the Scotsman on the Friday. No doubt about the star of the show 0 George Clark was the man and this time the times, heights and distances for the first three in all events is shown.
220 yards race (Local & Society): 1. I Christie; 2. R Milne; 3. W Croll; 4. D Munro
440 yards Race: 1. J Edwards; 2. J Duffy; 3. J Bolton; 4. C McCallum
Quarter Mile Race: 1. J Christie; 2. D Munro; 3. J Gilbert; 4. W Croll
Half Mile Race: 1. J Bolton; 2. A Scally; 3. C McCallum; 4. J Duffy
One Mile Race: 1. A Scally; 2. A Chalmers; 3. J Bolton; 4. D Munro
Clansmen’s Race: 1. J Duncan; 2. W Bremner; 3. W Paterson; 4. C Grant
Obstacle Race: 1. W Livingston; 2. J Christie; 3. W Stewart; 4. J Gilbert
Putting the Stone (Local): 1. Ian Grant 26’0″; 2.R Shaw 23′ 10 1/2″; 3. P Davidson 23′ 6 1/2″; 4. F Grassick
Putting the Stone (Society) 1. Ian Grant; 2. R Shaw; 3. P Davidson; 4. F Grassick
Putting 16 lb Ball (Local): 1. R Shaw 38′ 11″; 2. I Grant ; 3. W Duguid 31′ 8″; F Grassick 31′ 7″
Putting the 16 lb Ball: 1. G Clark 42′ 11 1/2″; 2. R Shaw 40′ 4″; 3. B Spode 37′ 8 1/2″; 4. G Mitchell 36′ 11
Putting 28 lb Stone: 1. G Clark 29′ 11″; 2. R Shaw 26′ 0″; 3. J Graham; 4. G Mitchell
Throwing 28 lb Weight: 1. G Clark 69′ 1 1/2″; 2. AJ Stewart; 3. R Shaw; 4. G Mitchell
Throwing 56 lb Weight: G Clark 36′ 1 1/2″ *record; 2. AJ Stewart 28′ 9″; 3. J Nicholson 28′ 0″; 4. G Mitchell 27′ 9″
Throwing 16 lb Hammer (Local): 1. R Shaw; 2. I Grant; 3. P Davidson; 4. J Farquharson
Throwing 16 lb Hammer (Open): 1. G Clark 117′ 3″; J Anderson 2. 108′ 9″; 3. AJ Stewart 109′ 4″; 4. G Mitchell 105′ 4″
Throwing 16 lb Hammer (Society): 1. R Shaw; 2. I Grant; 3. P Davidson; 4. J Gilbert
Throwing the 22 lb Hammer: 1. G Clark 94′ 2″ * record; 2. G Mitchell; 3. J Anderson; 4. AJ Stewart
Tossing the Caber (Society): 1. R Shaw’ 2. I Grant; 3. P Davidson; 4. F Grassick
Tossing Caber: 1. J Anderson; 2. G Clark; 3. J Nicholson; 4. G Mitchell
Long Leap (Local) 1. W Croll 16′ 10″; 2. A Fraser; 3. J Wilson; 4. W Cameron
Long Leap (Open): 1. R Dodds; 2. J Edwards; 3. R Shand; 4. J Masson
High Leap (Local): 1. A Fraser; 2. J Gillespie; 3. J Wilson; 4. W Cameron
High Leap (Open): 1. G Masson 5′ 6″; 2. J Masson; 3. J Edwards; 4. J Gilbert and A Melvin
Hop, Step & Leap: 1. J Masson; 2. G Masson; 3 W Livingston; 4. J Edwards
Vaulting with Pole: 1. J Muir and C Dunn (equal) 10′ 0″; 2. WJ Chalmers, J Gillespie and A Melvin (equal)
+ Wrestling Cumberland Style: 1. J Nicholson; 2. G Mitchell; 3. G Clark; 4. J Anderson
There was an article in the paper before the meeting on what the athletes in former days had to do, there being no or very little motorised traffic, to get to and to perform at their best at the Games. It is well worth a read – chaps walking 25 miles to compete, doing several events and doing 25 miles back again to be at their work the next morning. Just click on the link. It does not in any way demean what these athletes in 1930 did – George Clark set two records on the day, took part in five more events, winning them all, and then competed in the wrestling! Looking over the results, I’m not sure what the difference was between the 440 yards race and the quarter mile event but the results were different! And the heavy merchants had a putting the 28 lb stone and also a throwing the 28lb weight with 40 feet difference in the distances thrown.
It was another good meeting despite the weather and the absence of the King and Queen and the Braemar Games had started on another decade.