Wallace Hall Academy and Primary enjoyed double success at the Dumfries and Galloway Burns Association’s Schools Competition on Saturday.
They were the schools with the most points achieved overall, with Wallace Hall Primary winning The Robert Burns Bicentenary Trophy and the SSCBA.
However, it was Sanquhar Primary’s Keegan Shaw and Sanquhar Academy’s Rowan Hastie who bagged the most top trophies in the popular competition, along with Harris Morford of Lockerbie Academy.
Keegan was named best individual primary pupil and received The Avril Brockett Memorial Trophy at the event held at The Bridge in Dumfries.
He collected the Violet Saunders Book Prize for best overall reciter.
Rowan won the Derek Rangecroft Memorial Trophy for best individual secondary pupil and was also named best singer overall.
And Harris was awarded the Jane Brown Trophy for best overall instrumentalist and The Stewart Jardine Trophy for best bagpiper.
It was the first time since the pandemic that the competition has been held live in-person to celebrate the works of Robert Burns and Scots Language.
Schools were invited to submit pupils for four disciplines – recitation, singing, bagpipes and instruments – in various age groups.
The adjudicators were: recitation, Angus Middleton and David Baird; singing, Alan Beck; instrumental, Nick Spencer and Shelley Smith; bagpiping, Billy Geddes. Accompanist was Barbara Lewis.
DGBA president and the competition’s convenor, Fiona Evans, said: “More than 150 pupils from schools throughout the region took part in our regional competition run by Dumfries and Galloway Burns Association.
“I was extremely proud of every single one of these kids – just phenomenal.
“Well done to parents, tutors and teachers for all your hard work preparing these kids for the competition you should all be very proud.
“Thanks to everyone who helped make this competition happen.”
As well as the top prizewinners, a variety of trophies were awarded to the winners of primary and secondary sections and all first, second and third-placed winners also received medals.
Gold and silver winners will now go on to represent the region against pupils from across Scotland at the Robert Burns World Federation National Schools Festival which is being held at Belmont Academy in Ayr for secondary pupils on Saturday, March 25, and for primary on Saturday, June 10.
The primary schools which took part were: Cargenbridge, Crossmichael, Cummertrees, Eaglesfield, Elmvale, Georgetown, Glenluce, Gretna, Hardgate, Heathhall, Hightae, Hoddom, Hottsbridge, Lochrutton, Moffat, Newington, Penpont, Sanquhar, Springholm, St Mungo, Troqueer, Wallace Hall.
