HIGHLAND GAMES
Chieftains
The role of Chieftain dates back to when Scottish “clans” all had a “chieftain” as the leader of their family. The highland games allowed the “chieftain” to find out who were the strongest and fastest of his group who he would have in future battles.
At the Hororata Highland Games Chieftain is an honorary position. When considering who to invite to be our Chieftain we look for someone who is a leader and someone who represents the values of our community.
CHIEFTAIN 2011
Simon Dallow
Simon Dallow
Simon is a NZ journalist, former barrister and TV personality. Simon has a huge community heart and was very supportive with the inaugural Highland Games, as Chieftain he helped the community raise the profile of the event and the earthquakes.
CHIEFTAIN 2012
HON GERRY BROWNLEE
Hon Gerry Brownleee
As Minister for Christchurch and in charge of the quake Recover Gerry represented the wider Canterbury community it is mission to recover from the Earthquake.
CHIEFTAIN 2013
SIR JERRY MATEPARAE
Sir Jerry Mateparae
The Highland Games were an annual fixture in the Royal Calendar and who better to reflect the importance of these traditions but the nations very own Governer General.
CHIEFTAIN 2014
SIR BOB PARKER
Sir Bob Parker
As Mayor at the time of the earthquakes Sir Bob really was the face of recover, his leadership during this time helped unite the community and bring hope to all Canterbury residents.
CHIEFTAIN 2015
ALEX BRUCE
Alex Bruce
The 2015 Hororata Highland Games Chieftain is an authentic Scot with royal connections. Alex Bruce, Managing Director of Adelphi Distillery Ltd, the finest independent bottler of single cask Scotch whisky and the Ardnamurchan Distillery, Scotland’s greenest distillery.
Whisky is in Alex’s blood. His mother, an Usher, is a direct descendant of Andrew Usher who is credited with pioneering blended whisky, and his father, Lord Elgin, is a patron and former Grand Master of the Keepers of the Quaich. He is also a direct descendant of King Robert the Bruce.
Chieftain, Alex Bruce, commented, “I was impressed with how well organised the event was and by the number of people who attended which was considerably more than most Highland Games in Scotland. The Hororata Highland Games is most definitely authentic, paying tribute to many Scottish traditions, but I really enjoyed the new elements that have been introduced and the ‘Kiwi twist’ was very special. I was honoured to be involved in the event and would love to come back.”
CHIEFTAIN 2016
KYLE WARREN
Kyle Warren
“Overall I was really impressed with the event, it is certainly one of the best Highland Games I have been to in the world. I commend the organisers on how they engage young people in the event right through from the competitions to the Have A Go events, it is unquie to the Hororata Highland Games,“ commented Kyle Warren, 2016 Chieftain.
CHIEFTAIN 2017
HON AMY ADAMS
Hon Amy Adams
CHIEFTAIN 2018
PAT HELLIER
Pat Hellier
Patrick has been involved in Highland Games since 1988 as an athlete in the Heavy Events, tossing cabers and other feats of strength and skills that the Scots devised for their men. During this time, he has won the New Zealand Championship, held at Waipu, 18 times which lead to him representing New Zealand in overseas championships. He has competed in games and gatherings in Finland, USA, Australia, Malaysia, Canada and of course Scotland. Basically, anywhere that the Scots emigrated to there are games.
Chieftain Patrick Hellier, New Zealand’s highest achieving Highland Games Heavy athlete, commented “It was great for me to experience the full festival surrounding the Heavy arena where I normally spend most of my time. I enjoyed meeting the Clans and seeing the other competitions. I got to see the final of the Hororata Pie eating competition which was a new experience. I don’t think I will be changing codes anytime soon. Seeing the Junior and Teen Warriors was really cool as it is great to see young people discover the Highland Games sports. The winner of the FMG Teen Warriors, Sam Langford, has a lot of potential and I hope he steps into the amateur grade next year. Hororata is always a special event for me, but to be there as Chieftain was an honour. Being welcomed onto the stage by the local Kapa Haka group and saluted by the Massed Bands was an experience I will never forget.” Pat concluded.
CHIEFTAIN 2019
PERI DRYSDALE
Peri Drysdale
An entrepreneur and business owner, Peri founded fashion company Untouched World which produces ecologically sustainable clothing, and founded the Untouched World Foundation which runs ground breaking Leadership for Sustainable Future programmes. Both the Untouched World Company and Foundation are recognised by the UN as global exemplars in the sustainability space.
Peri Drysdale spoke of her experience; “It was a privilege to be witness to these truly wonderful games. The spirit throughout the event was phenomenal. The spirit of competition and fun, the gamesmanship and the have-a-go spirit are all done with really impressive feats of skill, strength, team work and creativity. This spirit is sown deep within the Games by a passionate and dedicated community who pull together every year to create something really special and unique.
CHIEFTAIN 2020
JOHN DE VRIES
John De Vries
CHIEFTAIN 2022
KATE FOSTER
Kate Foster
Kate is the ‘keeper of the local stories’, not just of her family but of the Hororata community; she is passionate about the history of the area. A descendant of prominent politician Sir John Hall, remembered as parliamentary advocate for the Votes for Women campaign, Kate has deep roots in Hororata.
“The Games is very much at the heart of our community. It showcases our rural area to the world, celebrates our history, brings people together and provides a fundraising platform for groups.
The Games enables the Hororata Community Trust to support the community to embark on our next project which is developing the Hororata Community Hub. This will be a modern vibrant facility that celebrates our heritage and provides for community needs now and into the future,” said Kate.
CHIEFTAIN 2023
Colin Forsyth
Colin Forsyth
Hailing from Stirling in Scotland, Colin has been involved in Highland Dancing and Pipe Bands all his life, having grown up around the Scottish Games circuit following his father, President of the Royal Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing and World Champion Billy Forsyth. When asked to help found the Hororata Highland Games, Colin brought his 50 years of experience to ensure that the Pipe Bands, Highland Dancing and Heavy events were authentic.
As a civil engineer, Colin played a pivotal role in leading the Sewer Emergency Response with City Care, following the devastating February 2011 earthquakes including a significant stint as a Team Leader in the Stronger Christchurch Infrastructure Rebuild Team (SCIRT).
Colin, his Kiwi wife Nichola and five children left New Zealand for Scotland in 2014 where he has watched the Games evolve from afar. This year, Colin has returned to New Zealand to take up a Technical Director position with Davis Ogilvie and Partners in Christchurch. His family will follow in 2024.
