Hail the world’s new caber king from Strathspey!
The world now has a new caber-tossing record holder after a magnificent day at Grantown.
As predicted by this very newspaper, the local paper boy did not just break the record for the fastest caber tossing achievement he made a mockery of it.
Andrew Murphie is celebrating right now in Grantown’s Royal British Legion Scotland clubrooms of the Strathspey branch, along with his family and his team and his many supporters.
The challenge today was to toss more than 16 full-sized cabers - that’s 16ft 6 inches tall, weighing 88lbs - inside three minutes.
In perfect conditions at Grantown East’s equally perfect arena he tossed no fewer than 26 of them!
“I’m over the moon,” he told the Strathy after getting his breath back.
“Now it’s down to someone else to challenge my world record. I like that.”
After two solid years of preparation, training hard with the expert help of Dave Garman - who travelled all the way back from the States this weekend to see his protege pull it off - the day was absolutely right, he said.
“It couldn’t have gone any better. I knew in training that it was going to be possible to do a really good number of throws - I’d already done more than the record in those two amazing years of working towards the challenge.
“Dave did a great job and it was great to have him here to see the successful attempt he had inspired so long ago, when I was just a 16-year-old beginner.”
The tutorship has seen the now 18-year-old athlete triumph across the heavyweights spectrum, competing at top level around the country. This year he has no fewer than 29 games to attend and those have already begun successfully.
His father Andy and mum Amy were speechless this afternoon as they saw him pull off the world record. They could stand in tears as Andrew was lofted high by the team and paraded on the arena which is now, after a recent sale, owned by Elixir Distillers, which also has the neighbouring Tormore Distillery.
“I want to thank Tormore for allowing me to use the area today, it was perfect, doing the challenge where it all began with Dave.
“And I had fantastic support from Balavil Estate, who provided the cabers, all of them absolutely superb.”
It’s hoped the record will soon appear in the official Guinness Book of Records, but there are some formalities to go through.
For starters, today’s heroics had to be overseen by the President of the Royal Scottish Highland Games Association, two local athletic club timekeepers and two other independent witnesses.
“We will now submit a video and photographic evidence to Guinness along with the witness statements.”
Andrew’s coach of six years, Mr Garman, set up thetraining ground at the former heritage and cultural centre on the outskirts of the Strathspey capital before its sale to Elixir.
He told the Strathy: "Andrew is the people’s champion, keeping alive the physical culture of this area of Scotland.
"The Highland Games are a critical element of that culture.
“There is hope that the next generation will take up this activity and keep it alive well into the future.”
Pictures all Frances Porter
