As usual a sizeable number of
spectators gathered in Market Place for 6.00am on Saturday 13th
July 2019 to witness the time old ceremony for opening Games
Day.
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Firearms
expert Neil Hogg of Jedburgh Border Games Committee gingerly
removes the unfired third gun from it's position on Market
Cross for examination. After some short deliberation it
was decided that the unexploded charge should be carefully
disposed of and the cannon be reloaded for a second attempt.
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The weather was pleasant at
such an hour in the morning, promising a fair day for the sports
events to come. The ceremonies got under way when 2019 Callant
Euan Munro fired off the first cannon. All came to a sudden
halt, however when the third cannon failed to go off. After
some consultation the JBG artillery experts decided that the
only solution was to defuse the gun, clean out the powder and
reload the armament for a second attempt. After a short time
when the responsible commitee members had done their stuff,
guest Angela Rose from Hong Kong, who had returned to Jethart
for this year's Festival got the proceedings back on track.
This time the artillery piece succeeded to ignite bringing the
occasion back to life. The fourth cannon starting the race also
signalled the toon band who marched through Market Place as
usual to herald in Games Day. It was not long before two female
contenders came sprinting up High Street to break the tape and
take the prize. A dead heat was given to Errin Coburn and Rachel
Herd who shared the winnings and the honoours in this year's
Race roond the Toon.
The Border Athletics Sprint Championship consisted of a top
line-up and made for a superb race. So much so that it ended
in a dead heat, in which the judges couldn't split Allan Hamilton
of Edinburgh and Greg Kelly of East Kilbride. Cameron Tindle
representing TLJT was edged into third spot. Gordon Armstrong,
Josh Abbot and Douglas Young all put victory Kelso's way with
ace performances in their respective events. Armstrong running
off a 17metre mark powered to victory through a great run from
the back to win the 400 metres Handicap in a time of 51.77 seconds.
Kyle Potts from Hawick was compelled to settle for second place
and Caris Brus of TLJT took third spot. In the 200 metres Handicap,
Abbot turned on the style in both his heat and also the final.
Running off 16metres Abbot in a thrilling final outran Corey
Wilson of Hawick R. P. into second place in a winning time of
22.30 seconds. Euan Hood of Lasswade AC came in third. Young
also fired on all cylinders when soaring through the tape during
the 100 metres Invitation Handicap in 10.24 seconds, beating
TLJT's Sophie Elder into second place. Scott Tindle of TLJT
took third place.
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| Jedforest
RFC retired scrum half, Roy Laidlaw comes in first to break
the tape in the 60 metres Handicap for Athletes over the
age of 45 years.
Second place went to Kenny Ferguson wearing the number 7
bib following behind Roy in the picture. Dougie Lightbody
took third place. |
He might have come from down
under, but Australian Matthew Newton who ran off 16metres came
out on top in the 90 metres Veterans Handicap. A seasoned campaigner
on the Australian running circuit, Newton who is on holiday
with his family in the UK, in conjunction with appearing at
Scottish Games meetings was beaten in his heat by John Fleming
of Kelso. Turning the tables Newton pulled out some added spurt
in the final to leave Fleming behind him in second place by
winning the event in a time of 9.91 seconds. Third position
was taken by Paul Donaghy of Durham City Harriers. Langholm's
Ryan Milligan running of the 75 metre mark was a clear winner
of the Elite 1500 metres Handicap in 4 minutes 28.38 seconds.
Mark McGlincy from Grassington in West Yorkshire was able to
hold onto second place at the tape. Ryan Johnstone also representing
Langholm came in third. Wallace McGowan of Sauchie did the business
in the two heat 800 metres Handicap. Running from a mark of
120 metres, McGowan powered home in a winning time of 1 minute
and 59.02 seconds from James Gillon of Law and District who
took second place. TLJT's Sarah Ross was third. Jedburgh's own
Roy Laidlaw made a name for himself in the world of international
rugby. Capped 47 times for Scotland, scrum half Laidlaw also
played for the British Lions. At this particular Riverside Park
meeting, however, he starred on the track by winning the 60
metres Handicap for Athletes over 45 Years of Age which is an
event of bigger interest on Jedforest RFC's home ground. Laidlaw
gained the bragging rights in a time of 7.03 seconds from a
mark of 13 metres. Summing up his win, he said "I have
always wanted to win a race at the Jed Games and it's taken
me until I was 65 years old to do it. I am really pleased because
now I don't have to run again.
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A tight tussle took place at the line for
the BA 100 metres Sprint Handicap
title. The judges were unable to split the two front runners
and a dead heat verdict was given for Allan Hamilton of
Edinburgh in the number 1 bib and Greg Kelly of East Kilbride
coming in with the challenge. Cameron Tindle of TLJT was
edged into third spot. |
No one came forward for Heat
3 of the 110 metres Jedforest Sprint Handicap other than young
Rianna Sterricks, representing Lasswade Athletics Club, and
running off the 21 metres mark. Technically a walk through,
straight into the Cross-Ties of the Big Sprint. She did, however,
run the 110metres distance of the track conserving her energy
at a leisurely pace as a matter of courtesy. Coached by Gordon
Robertson, Sterricks was then beaten in her cross-tie by Jedburgh
runner, Brodie Cowan who started from a mark of 22½ metres,
but qualified for the final by emerging in second place. Set
to be a student at Stirling University in September, this determined
young lady found herself lining up against Cowan, Ryan Elliot
of Hawick off 8½ metres, Graeme Armstrong from Edinburgh running
from the same mark as herself, Marcus Archer of Aberdeen who
was handicapped at 7 metres and Joseph Wilkinson of Level Valley
Athletics Club off 13 metres in the final. Sterricks appeared
to have a lot to do to get into the winning frame, but she produced
a blistering run, over the last 30 metres in particular, to
soar to an impressive victory in a very fast time of 11.35 seconds.
Elliot was placed second and Cowan third. A thrilled Sterricks
said of her memorable win, "I won the Jedburgh Youths 200
metres a while back and my dad had won the same race years before
that. I was really pleased about that and it has been one of
the highlights of my winning days. However, I've now managed
to win the big sprint, and I can't believe it. I was just happy
to be in the final but didn't expect to win it." Prior
to appearing in the big sprint Sterricks had ran in the Ladies
100 metres Handicap from a handicap of 5 metres. Brodie Cowan
of Jed AC running off 7 metres emerged the victor in 12.30 seconds,
with Sterricks next. Third place went to Sophie Elder of TLJT
who ran off 6 metres.
We owe our most Grateful Thanks
to John Slorance from Hawick for his help in puting this article
together.
