Day Event Timetable

OPEN TOURNAMENT, SPONSORED BY GRANT’S HAGGIS

The ancient art of Haggis Hurling will take place throughout the day, with opportunities for all to take part.

The aim is simple – to stand atop an aged whisky barrel top, and hurl the Chieftain O’ the Puddin’ Race as far as possible. You can adopt whatever technique you like, as long as you remain on the barrel until the Haggis lands, and it lands within the designated Hurling area.

The event will culminate in the Haggis Hurling World Championships at 4pm, where elite athletes identified during the day’s competition are invited to take part in the quest to become World Champion.

Follow Haggis Hurling World Championships on:
Facebook: Haggis Hurling WC
Twitter: @WorldHaggis

– Shot Putt
– 28lb weight for distance
– 16lb hammer

– 56lb weight for height and caber



PUTTING THE SHOT OR STONE
By tradition a smooth, round stone from the riverbed is used, weighting approx. 16lbs. Such a stone is still often found outside many farmhouses in readiness for an impromptu competition. The stone, and now also a cast round ball or shot, is putted from behind a straight 4’6” long and 6” high called a trig. The throw is measured from the centre of the trig to the first mark made by the stone.


HAMMER THROWING
The Scots hammer has a wooden shaft and developed from throwing the blacksmith’s hammer or farm male ham- mers. Today’s hammer with its round head and whippy shaft was developed because the standard hammer broke so easily. No turning of the body is allowed. The thrower stands with his back to the trig and digs in with the aid of two 6” spikes with protrude from the front of his boots. The shaft is grasped firmly with hands made sticky with resin. He then swings the hammer round his head 3-5 times and lets go.


WEIGHT OVER THE BAR
The weight weighs 56lbs and is thrown over a bar. Three attempts are allowed at each height and failure to clear leads to elimination. The competitor stands underneath the bar, picks up the weight with one hand, swings it between his legs and then up and over the bar. If thrown correctly the weight narrowly misses the athlete on the way down.


WEIGHT FOR DISTANCE
The weight is a ball and chain with a handle on the end, weighing 28lbs. One hand only may be used. Nine feet is allowed for stepping back and this is marked with a peg. The thrower stands beside the peg facing the trig and swings the weight to the side and then round behind him. Letting the weight drag as far behind him as he can he then pivots round once, twice and on the third turn he heaves the weight round and throws it as far as he can.


TOSSING THE CABER
Caber tossing started as a strength competition among woodmen to see who could turn the biggest tree over. Thus they started with a large tree and shortened it until someone tossed it successfully. A typical caber is a tree trunk weighing about 150lbs, 18 feet long and tapering from about 9” thick at one end to 5” thick at the other. The Caber
 is not tossed for distance but for style. The competition is judged on an imaginary clock face which the tosser creates as he completes the toss. The tosser runs up balancing the caber as best he can. When ready he stops and tosses. This point is taken as 6 o’clock. The caber describes an arc, lands end first and completes its fall to the ground. A perfect throw is one which goes straight over and lands at 12 o’clock.
The judge usually runs behind the competitor as close as is safely possible, to judge the position of the caber on the ground relative to the run up. Here at Taynuilt we have a caber which has never been tossed successfully and there is a large money prize for the first person to do so.

You can enter the Heavy Events on the day or go to the contact page and fill in the contact form to book your place.