Kilts and cabers ready for the Highland Games

Tyler Davis, Henderson (N.C.) Daily Dispatch
·2 min read

Apr. 27—OXFORD — Have you ever seen somebody throw a telephone pole? Would you like to? For the "caber toss" and other feats of strength, check out the Highland Games in Oxford on Saturday, April 30.

Maybe athletics aren't your speed. In that case, show up anyway, because the games will feature a live River Dance demonstration. If you like music, check out the pipe bands: a group of musicians who play bagpipes and drums while marching.

These games are the first such event in Granville County.

"We're gonna have a fun time," Organizer Buck Buchanan said. "A big time in a little city. We're really excited to get it done, and really excited to help the Central Children's Home."

Around 40 athletes, men and women from 13 states, will be competing in the caber toss and the N.C. Sheaf Toss Championship, traditional Scottish athletic events.

"Caber" refers to a carefully cut, thin log of wood about the length and width of a telephone pole. Contestants will need to throw the caber so that it lands on one end. Here's the catch: Cabers weigh a lot, around 160 pounds. Don't try that at home. A sheaf, on the other hand, is a 16-pound or so bundle of twine. Contestants will toss that over a high bar.

And the athletes will be tossing in the appropriate attire: knee-length skirt-like articles called "kilts," which are decorated with tartan plaid designs. Each unique design is associated with a Scottish clan.

The games will be conducted on the grounds of Oxford's Central Children's Home, 211 W. Antioch Drive, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are $20 for those 16 and older. Those 15 and younger get in free. All proceeds will go to the Central Children's Home of North Carolina.