The grand final of the Scottish Association of Young Farmers (SAYFC) Tug of War competition held on Saturday at the Royal Highland Show, was another epic battle of passion, power and skill. Sponsored by Davidson & Robertson, the men’s event was won by Carluke YFC and the ladies competition was won by Ayr YFC.
There was real momentum and enthusiasm in the build up to this year’s Tug of War final with a social media campaign #pullingfortheteam focusing on the teams about to challenge for the trophies.
Winning the Men’s competition was Carluke YFC who took the title having being runner up last year. With a winning performance at the regional heats, the Carluke team remained unchanged: Jamie Gibson, Jack Young, Douglas Frame, Andrew Mcgregor, Adam Lindsay and Mark Hunter. Carluke saw off a strong challenge from Callander YFC who came second.
Carluke coach Alan Brodie, has an excellent pedigree for training tug of war teams – he was a member of the Indoor Tug of War World Championship team for six years. This is Alan’s third year as coach for Carluke YFC men’s team and his first win with them. Commenting on the Carluke YFC performance he said “Four of the six men were in the team last year when they were runners up in the final pull last year – it gave them an appetite to go for gold. With a men’s weight limit of 500kg, it has helped even the teams up, making it a much more open competition, so the whole team has trained hard for this.”
It’s years since Carluke won the SAYFC Tug of War – so the men’s team winning and the ladies team coming third is a great celebration. When asked what helped give them the club the winning edge Alan Brodie said “It’s a combination of things that come together on the day – tactics, style, stamina and strength.”
Winning the Ladies Tug of War final for the 9th time was Ayr Young Farmers, with Biggar YFC Ladies taking second place. Three of Ayr’s winning team Louise Allan, Anne McHarg and Lauren Kennedy were part of the Scottish national team that won the world championships in South Africa. The other team members were Alice Allan, Sheona Reid, and newcomer Katie Nelson.
Ayr YFC Ladies Coach Colin Montgomery said “We’re delighted to have held on to the title, winning for 9 of the last 11 years. Our girls train hard and compete 9 months of the year – it’s not just a competition – it is their sport. Every one of our team is very hard working and dedicated to the sport and it’s great to see new team members getting involved too – like fifteen-year-old Katie Nelson whose Dad Tom has been involved in Tug of War for over 30 years.”
Summing up the day, Martin Hall, Managing Director of Davidson & Robertson said “What an occasion, there was a huge audience and the tension was palpable. It was one of the best Tug of War finals we’ve seen. Many of those taking part for YFC clubs today, have been #pullingfortheteam on the international stage – and we congratulate the National Tug of War squad for selecting team members from this excellent YFC training ground.”
Tug of War is a traditional sport with strong roots in rural communities and is a one of the most exciting and energy filled events at the Royal Highland Show. Davidson & Robertson have confirmed ongoing sponsorship for the event. #pullingfortheteam.
