SCRAPHEAP CHALLENGE AT BLAIR CASTLE HORSE TRIALS

The new look Scrapheap Challenge, now in its 11th series on Channel 4, is out and about this summer as presenter Dick Strawbridge challenges scrappers from all over the country to take him on!

On August 23rd and 24th, coinciding with the International Horse Trials and Bruadar Country Fair, Scrapheap is at Blair Castle, ancient home of the Dukes and Earls of Atholl. Around 45,000 visitors attend the four day event in Highland Perthshire and this year they will be treated to some extra entertainment in the form of some very Highland challenges!

Dick, a veteran of Scrapheap and with a distinguished military background, is based at a scrapheap in Gloucestershire. With his right hand man, engineer Jim Milner, and a guest star scrapper every week, he’s building machines that he hopes will trounce the competition. With a specific brief in each show, three teams take him on – using the skills and ingenuity for which Scrapheap is renowned. They each have a month to build their machines at home and £450 towards costs. Dick’s Diamonds get the same money – but only have a week to build theirs.

While top class event riders from all over the world tackle the challenging cross country fences on Atholl Estates, Dick’s Diamonds will be gunning for glory against six teams challenged to build machines that toss cabers, and 25 kg Atlas stones. This time, the Diamonds are competing against the Paintball Terriers from Carlisle; the Classic B’s from Ayrshire; The Tramps from Dunfermline; Mersey Mechanics from Merseyside; Biker Scum from Derby and last but by no means least, the Wacky Racers who hail from Newcastle.

But that’s not all Scrapheap Challenge has planned for the Blair Castle event. In tribute to Scotland – the birthplace of golf – another six teams take on Dick and his team in some Monster Golf challenges. On Sunday 24th of August, the final day of equestrian competition, the teams have to build a machine that can be driven around the Scrapheap course and hit a giant golf ball with a motorized club. The teams competing in this challenge are: Dad’s Heroes from Banbury; Dark Riders from Blackpool; Broken Repairables from Falkirk; The Recovery Crew from Derby; Stage Fright from Cheshire and The Garage Widows from Lancashire.

Any team that beats Dick is in with a chance of a return match in the semi-finals and then, if successful, the finals in October to discover who’s the Scrapheap champ of the series. Can Dick’s Diamonds triumph or will they be well and truly trounced? There’s some serious competition out there determined to give him a run for his money.

Gates open for the Blair Castle International Horse Trials and Country Fair each day at 8.30am with adult admission only £15 on Saturday and £12 on Sunday. Children under 12 accompanied by and adult are free and car parking is free. Check out the website at www.blairhorsetrials.co.uk for more information on what's happening each day.

Scrapheap Challenge is made by RDF Television West for Channel 4. For more information please visit the Scrapheap website on www.channel4.com/science/microsites/S/scrapheap2008

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