MARCHING DISPLAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26638, 8 December 1947, Page 7

MARCHING DISPLAY

OTAGO CHAMPIONSHIP CROWD AT CALEDONIAN The second annual championships of the Otago Marching and Recreation Association attracted a large crowd to the Caledonian Ground on Saturday, and from the interest displayed by the spectators it was evident that the sport is growing rapidly in favour. The marching on Saturday gave a preview of the New Zealand Championships to be held at Carisbrook on February 28—a display that should be highly spectacular. Twenty teams from Invercargill, Mataura, Gore, Alexandra, Milton. Mosgiel, and Dunedin contested the A and B Grade Competitions on Saturday, compared with 21 teams which competed in the one grade last year. The marching was of a high standard, which could only have resulted from assiduous practice and careful coaching. The various manoeuvres performed by the teams —quicksteps, marching in line, incline, countermarches, wheeling, etc.—required a good deal of precision, and the standard, on the whole, was high. Won by Blair Atholl

The Otago champions and runners-up at last year’s New Zealand Championships at Hastings, the Blair Atholl team, led by Miss E. Hawker, was awarded first place in the A grade by a margin of nine points over the Mataura team. Miss Hawker, who is the present Dominion champion leader, was chosen as the best leader in the A Grade. Alexandra was successful in the B Grade Competition, leading Sargood’s Standard by only a narrow margin. For a spectacular finale, all teams joined in tKe “Serpentine Maze March ” and the march past. The president of the association, Mr_ H. G. Munro, then announced the winners, who were presented with their prizes by the Mayor, Mr Cameron. The Burns Pipe Band Challenge Cup was given to the winner of the A Grade and the Aotea-Blair Atholl trophy to the B Grade winner. , , The Burns Pipe Band and the St. Kilda Municipal Band played for the marching, and the judges were: Captain Little (Invercargill) and Messrs I. Dixon, W. Breese, J. McFarlane, J. G Hodge, J. G. Warrington, J. McKnight, J, .F. Solomon, L. F. Olds, and H. Payne. Mr D. O. Cassels was the marshall. * Results:— A Grade Otago Championship Blair Atholl, 245* points, 1: Mataura, 235* points, 2; H. and J. Smith, 234 points, 3; Aotea (Roslyn Mills), 231 f points, 4. . Best Leader—Miss E. Hawker (Blair Atholl). B Grade Competition Alexandra 127 1-3 points, 1; Sargood’s Standard (Invercargill), 124 5-6 points, 2; Royal Cadets (Gore), 121 points, 3. ' f . Best Leader.—Miss Audrey Paine (Brown, Ewing’s).