Minnesota Scottish Fair And Highland Games

Heavy Events:
Heavy athletics refer to the athletic events which require significant strength and power; as opposed to the light athletics, which require stamina, such as highland dancing, sprinting, running, and jumping. In general, lightweight persons tend to gravitate toward the light athletics, while the heavyweights excel in heavy athletics. Heavy athletics include stone-throwing, weight tossing, hammer-throwing, caber turning, and sheaf tossing.Scottish heavy athletics should not be confused with "strongman" competitions, which involve lifting cars, loading kegs, etc; although some strongman competitions are held in conjunction with a heavy athletics competition, and some strongman competitions include highland games events. Scottish heavy athletic events are traditional events involving traditional equipment, while the strongman events have been mostly invented recently, using modern equipment.

Caber Toss:
The Caber is a tree that has been cut and trimmed down so one end is slightly wider than the other. It can vary length from 16 to 22 feet and between 100 and 180 pounds. The smaller end is rounded off so it will be easy to cup in the thrower's hands. The caber is stood up for the thrower with the large end up. The thrower hoists the caber up and cups the small end in his hands. He then takes a short run with the caber and then stops and pulls the caber so that the large end hits the ground and the small end flips over and faces away from the thrower. The caber is scored for accuracy as though the thrower is facing the 12:00 position on a clock face. A judge behind the thrower calls how close to the 12:00 position the small end of the caber lands, 12:00 being a perfect toss. If the caber is not turned, a side judge calls the degrees of the angle the caber makes with the ground. Sometimes a Challenge Caber is also used which is larger than the Games Caber.

Hammer Throw:
22lb. Hammer Throw:
The hammer has a lead or steel head with a bamboo or rattan handle affixed through a hole in the head. The overall length cannot exceed 50". The athlete stands behind the trig with his back to the throwing area, winds the hammer around the head and releases over the shoulder. The athlete's feet must remain in a fixed position until the hammer is released. Boots with blades attached to the front of them are usually worn to keep the feet on the ground and in a fixed position.
16lb. Hammer Throw:
Same as the 22lb. Hammer Throw except a 16lb. hammer is used.

Sheaf Toss:
The sheaf is a 16lb. or 20lb. burlap or plastic bag stuffed with either chopped rope, straw, or mulch. The sheaf is tossed over a cross bar with a pitch fork. Three attempts are allowed at each height. If the thrower misses all three tries at one height, the he is out of the competition.

Stone Put:
Open Stone Put:
Similar to the shot put, except a stone is used that weighs usually between 16 and 22 pounds. It is called "open" style because any style of putting is allowed with the spin and glide styles being the most popular. The throwing area is a box 4' 6" wide and 7' 6" long. The thrower must keep one foot inside this area and not step over the back line or inside face of the trig or the throw is a foul.
Braemar Stone Put:
This stone put uses a heavier stone usually between 22 and 28 pounds and it must be put from a standing position. The same throwing area and fouls for the open stone apply.

Weight Throw for Height and Distance:
56lb. Weight for Height:
The weight for height is the same as used for distance except it is shorter. The weight is tossed over a cross bar with one hand. Three attempts are allowed at each height. If the thrower misses all three tries at one height, then he is out of the competition.
56lb. Weight for Distance:
The weight can be either block or spherical shaped with links and a handle. The overall length cannot exceed 18". The weight is thrown with one hand in a throwing area 4' 6" x 9'. The thrower must keep one foot inside this area and not step over the back line or inside face of the trig or the throw is a foul

Highland Dance Competition:
Highland Fling:
Highland fling, national dance of Highland Scotland. Composed in the duple rhythm of the strathspey, a variety of reel, it is characterized by the Scotch snap (a succession of sixteenth notes alternating with dotted eighths). The "fling" emphasizes a kicking gesture.
Sword Dance:
The Sword Dance is the ancient dance of war of the Scottish Gael and is said to date back to King Malcolm Canmore (Shakespear's MacBeth). Tradition says the original Ghillie Callum was a Celtic prince who was a hero of mortal combat against one of MacBeth's Chiefs at the Battle of Dunsinane in 1504. He is said to have crossed his own claymore (the two-handed broadsword of Scotland) and crossed it over the sword of the defeated Chief and danced over them both in exultation. This dance of exultation became a tradition among the highland warriors, and in subsequent battles, clansman would cross their swords and dance around them in the same way. In addition to being a test of skill and agility, it was believed that if they could complete the dance without touching the swords, it was a good omen that they would be victorious in the coming battle. In the first step the dancer performs the steps outside the sword or "addresses" the sword. Subsequent steps are danced over the crossed blades, but notice that once inside the blades, the dancer never dances with his back turned to the swords only a fool would turn his back on a weapon. It requires tremendous dexterity not to displace the swords. To prove the mettle and strength of our "Warrior Scot" the dancer will clap his hands together near the end of the dance to tell the piper to increase the tempo. The hopping over the swords is where the term "hopscotch" originated, instead of swords the children used lines to jump over.

Seann Triubhas:
Pronounced "shawn trews" , the literal translation from Gaelic means "old trousers".
This dance is reputed to date from the rebellion of 1745 when Bonnie Prince Charlie challenged the might of England at Culloden, and lost. As a penalty, Highlanders were forbidden to wear the kilt. Seann Triubhas is a dance of celebration developed in response to the repealing by the English of the Act of Proscription in 1747, which restored to the Scots the right to wear their kilts and play the bagpipes once more. The first part of the dance comprising of graceful, flowing movements, is supposed to mock the restrictions imposed by the foreign trousers, while the movement of the second part clearly depict the legs defiantly shaking and shedding the hated trousers and returning to the freedom of the kilt. The dance then progresses from slow time to quick time as the final celebration of the rediscovered freedom.

Strathspey and Reels:
Of all the Highland Dancing events in which the competitors vie, the reels are the closest approach to social dancing. While the teams consist of four dancers, the judges mark each competitor individually. Legend has it that the reel originated outside locked church in the Highland village of Tulloch, where it was danced by chilly parishioners as a method of keeping warm while waiting for a tardy clergyman The competitive dance normally comprises steps danced to Strathspey tempo and then change to the more exciting Reel tempo.

Hours:
9:00 am – 5:30 pm (Gates open at 8:00 am)
Ceilidh 5:30 pm - 8:00 pm at the McCracken Pub with music by Highland Reign

Tickets:
General admission tickets $15
Seniors 65+ $10
Children 6 – 15 $5
Children 5 and under Free
On site parking is Free