Donald Dinnie
Encyclopedia
Donald Dinnie (1837–1916) was a Scottish
strongman
, born at Balnacraig, Birse
, near Aboyne
, Aberdeenshire
. He has been recognized as "The Nineteenth Century's Greatest Athlete". Dinnie's athletic career spanned over 50 years, and over 11,000 successful competitions.
. He defeated the local wrestling
strongman David Forbes
, and took first place which included £1 prize money. In 1860, Dinnie undertook a feat of strength that was to give birth to a long-lasting legacy. He carried two boulders, with a combined weight of 775 lbs, for a distance of about 5 yards (4.6 m), across the Potarch Bridge and back. Each boulder had an iron ring fixed to it, so that scaffolds could be attached from which workmen could repair the bridge, over the River Dee
near Kincardine O'Neil. The original stones are now located outside the 18th-century Potarch Hotel, on the south bank of the river by the Potarch Bridge.
, hurdles, long
and high jump
, pole vault
, putting the stone
, hammer throw
, tossing the caber and wrestling. Comparing his best performances, which took place long before the Athens Olympics
of 1896, leads one to imagine him capable of winning seven gold, a silver, and a bronze medal. However, by 1896, Dinnie was approaching the twilight of his sporting career.
Dinnie was a 19th-century superstar, with widespread fame
, success, and riches. Dinnie held the title "World Champion Wrestler", and obtained the unofficial titles of "Greatest Athlete in the World", and "Strongest Man in the World". He was so well-known that "heavy artillery shells in the First World War
were nicknamed 'Donald Dinnies.'" This man brought fear into the United States
. Not only did he intimidate the American strongmen, but in addition he also captured most of the world's attention as well. His documented achievements worldwide consist of "2,000 hammer throwing contests, over 2,000 wrestling matches, 200 weightlifting contests, and about 500 running and hurdle events. He also made a good living at all this, earning at least £25,000 in his career, a sum that would be worth about US $2.5 million today. And to this day his image continues to endorse commercial products in Scotland."
seasons in his native land. He first toured the United States' Caledonian Circuit in 1870. In that year he earned a fortune. Dinnie, then thirty-three, was titled "The Nineteenth Century's Greatest Athlete". However, others despised and criticized Dinnie for his incredible strength. He continued to tour, and in his 60th year he was in New Zealand
and Australia
as a successful professional athlete.
Donald continued to be involved in theatres and at Highland Games as a judge, or in veteran events, until 1912. In 1903 Robert Barr
invited him to endorse his soft drink Iron Brew, using Donald's image on the label with Donald proclaiming "I can recommend BARR's IRON BREW to all who wish to aspire to athletic fame, signed Donald Dinnie, All-round Champion Athlete of the World." Later in Donald's life he struggled financially, and in his 70's was still performing as a strongman in London
. His act was to support a platform made from a large table while two Highlanders danced a "fling
" on it. Eventually London authorities terminated his performing licence because of his advanced age. To help with his, situation a benefit concert was organised, which provided Dinnie with a small annuity
.
, where they owned a fish and chip restaurant and tea-room in the Govan
area. They then lived for 2–3 years in Newcastle
, before finally settling in London where Dinnie died in 1916, aged 78 years. In the United States The New York Times
paid tribute in the paper's obituary column.
In 2002, Donald Dinnie was inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame
in Edinburgh
. Donald's relative Gordon Dinnie accepted a cut glass trophy on Donald's behalf. Gordon Dinnie also still owns an original astrakhan
breastplate that carries 19 medals won by Donald Dinnie from 1860 to 1896. A 23 inches (58.4 cm) carved statuette of Donald Dinnie, engraved with the words "Presented to Donald Dinnie, Champion Athlete In Appreciation of his Athletic Prowess, by his Scotch Friends, In Newcastle 1870", is in the Aberdeen Art Gallery
along with many of Dinnie's medals.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
strongman
Strongman (strength athlete)
In the 19th century, the term strongman referred to an exhibitor of strength or circus performers of similar ilk who displayed feats of strength such as the bent press , supporting large amounts of...
, born at Balnacraig, Birse
Birse
Birse is a parish in the Lower Deeside area of Aberdeenshire, Scotland, which includes the communities of Finzean and Ballogie. However the name Birse is often used to refer only to the northwestern part of the parish which lies on the south side of the River Dee, Aberdeenshire, opposite the...
, near Aboyne
Aboyne
Aboyne is a village on the edge of the Highlands in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, on the River Dee, approximately west of Aberdeen. It has a rugby club, which plays on The Green and also has a swimming pool, a golf course with 18 holes, all-weather tennis courts, and a bowling green...
, Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area.The present day Aberdeenshire council area does not include the City of Aberdeen, now a separate council area, from which its name derives. Together, the modern council area and the city formed historic...
. He has been recognized as "The Nineteenth Century's Greatest Athlete". Dinnie's athletic career spanned over 50 years, and over 11,000 successful competitions.
Early feats
Donald Dinnie, the son of a stonemason, won his first sporting event, at the age of 16, in the nearby village of Kincardine O'NeilKincardine O'Neil
Kincardine O'Neil is one of the oldest villages in Deeside, in the northeast of Scotland. It is situated between Banchory and Aboyne. The village is known locally as Kinker, and was formerly known as Eaglais Iarach in Gaelic....
. He defeated the local wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
strongman David Forbes
David Forbes
David Forbes may refer to:*David Forbes , Scottish soldier*David McHattie Forbes , Scottish agriculturalist, and plantation manager, judge, explorer in the territory of Hawaii...
, and took first place which included £1 prize money. In 1860, Dinnie undertook a feat of strength that was to give birth to a long-lasting legacy. He carried two boulders, with a combined weight of 775 lbs, for a distance of about 5 yards (4.6 m), across the Potarch Bridge and back. Each boulder had an iron ring fixed to it, so that scaffolds could be attached from which workmen could repair the bridge, over the River Dee
River Dee, Aberdeenshire
The River Dee is a river in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It rises in the Cairngorms and flows through Strathdee to reach the North Sea at Aberdeen...
near Kincardine O'Neil. The original stones are now located outside the 18th-century Potarch Hotel, on the south bank of the river by the Potarch Bridge.
Sporting career
As time passed, Dinnie became an all-round athlete, growing and building his skills over a 20-year reign as Scottish champion (1856–1876). He excelled in sprintSprint (race)
Sprints are short running events in athletics and track and field. Races over short distances are among the oldest running competitions. The first 13 editions of the Ancient Olympic Games featured only one event—the stadion race, which was a race from one end of the stadium to the other...
, hurdles, long
Long jump
The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point...
and high jump
High jump
The high jump is a track and field athletics event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of certain devices in its modern most practiced format; auxiliary weights and mounds have been used for assistance; rules have changed over the years....
, pole vault
Pole vault
Pole vaulting is a track and field event in which a person uses a long, flexible pole as an aid to leap over a bar. Pole jumping competitions were known to the ancient Greeks, as well as the Cretans and Celts...
, putting the stone
Shot put
The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....
, hammer throw
Hammer throw
The modern or Olympic hammer throw is an athletic throwing event where the object is to throw a heavy metal ball attached to a wire and handle. The name "hammer throw" is derived from older competitions where an actual sledge hammer was thrown...
, tossing the caber and wrestling. Comparing his best performances, which took place long before the Athens Olympics
1896 Summer Olympics
The 1896 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the I Olympiad, was a multi-sport event celebrated in Athens, Greece, from April 6 to April 15, 1896. It was the first international Olympic Games held in the Modern era...
of 1896, leads one to imagine him capable of winning seven gold, a silver, and a bronze medal. However, by 1896, Dinnie was approaching the twilight of his sporting career.
Dinnie was a 19th-century superstar, with widespread fame
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
, success, and riches. Dinnie held the title "World Champion Wrestler", and obtained the unofficial titles of "Greatest Athlete in the World", and "Strongest Man in the World". He was so well-known that "heavy artillery shells in the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
were nicknamed 'Donald Dinnies.'" This man brought fear into the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Not only did he intimidate the American strongmen, but in addition he also captured most of the world's attention as well. His documented achievements worldwide consist of "2,000 hammer throwing contests, over 2,000 wrestling matches, 200 weightlifting contests, and about 500 running and hurdle events. He also made a good living at all this, earning at least £25,000 in his career, a sum that would be worth about US $2.5 million today. And to this day his image continues to endorse commercial products in Scotland."
Touring athlete
As Scotland's greatest athlete, Dinnie competed in sixteen Highland GamesHighland games
Highland games are events held throughout the &Highland games are events held throughout the &Highland games are events held throughout the &(-è_çà in Scotland and other countries as a way of celebrating Scottish and Celtic culture and heritage, especially that of the Scottish Highlands. Certain...
seasons in his native land. He first toured the United States' Caledonian Circuit in 1870. In that year he earned a fortune. Dinnie, then thirty-three, was titled "The Nineteenth Century's Greatest Athlete". However, others despised and criticized Dinnie for his incredible strength. He continued to tour, and in his 60th year he was in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
as a successful professional athlete.
Donald continued to be involved in theatres and at Highland Games as a judge, or in veteran events, until 1912. In 1903 Robert Barr
A.G. Barr
A.G. Barr plc or commonly known as Barr's is a British soft drinks manufacturer, based in Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is particularly notable for the manufacture of the popular Scottish drink, Irn-Bru. A.G. Barr is the largest manufacturer of soft drinks in the United Kingdom...
invited him to endorse his soft drink Iron Brew, using Donald's image on the label with Donald proclaiming "I can recommend BARR's IRON BREW to all who wish to aspire to athletic fame, signed Donald Dinnie, All-round Champion Athlete of the World." Later in Donald's life he struggled financially, and in his 70's was still performing as a strongman in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. His act was to support a platform made from a large table while two Highlanders danced a "fling
Highland Fling
This dance is now performed at dance competitions and events around the world. It is no longer danced on a shield, but it is still the goal of the dancer to stay in the same spot throughout the dance. The Highland Fling is danced at almost all competition levels, from Primary to Premier. It is also...
" on it. Eventually London authorities terminated his performing licence because of his advanced age. To help with his, situation a benefit concert was organised, which provided Dinnie with a small annuity
Life annuity
A life annuity is a financial contract in the form of an insurance product according to which a seller — typically a financial institution such as a life insurance company — makes a series of future payments to a buyer in exchange for the immediate payment of a lump sum or a series...
.
Family
Donald and his family lived in GlasgowGlasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, where they owned a fish and chip restaurant and tea-room in the Govan
Govan
Govan is a district and former burgh now part of southwest City of Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated west of Glasgow city centre, on the south bank of the River Clyde, opposite the mouth of the River Kelvin and the district of Partick....
area. They then lived for 2–3 years in Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
, before finally settling in London where Dinnie died in 1916, aged 78 years. In the United States The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
paid tribute in the paper's obituary column.
In 2002, Donald Dinnie was inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame
Scottish Sports Hall of Fame
The Scottish Sports Hall of Fame is the national sports hall of fame in Scotland, initiated on St Andrew's Day 2001. It is a joint project organised by sportscotland, the national governmental body for Scottish sport, and the National Museums of Scotland. It is also funded by BBC Scotland and...
in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
. Donald's relative Gordon Dinnie accepted a cut glass trophy on Donald's behalf. Gordon Dinnie also still owns an original astrakhan
Astrakhan
Astrakhan is a major city in southern European Russia and the administrative center of Astrakhan Oblast. The city lies on the left bank of the Volga River, close to where it discharges into the Caspian Sea at an altitude of below the sea level. Population:...
breastplate that carries 19 medals won by Donald Dinnie from 1860 to 1896. A 23 inches (58.4 cm) carved statuette of Donald Dinnie, engraved with the words "Presented to Donald Dinnie, Champion Athlete In Appreciation of his Athletic Prowess, by his Scotch Friends, In Newcastle 1870", is in the Aberdeen Art Gallery
Aberdeen Art Gallery
Aberdeen Art Gallery is the main visual arts exhibition space in the city of Aberdeen in Scotland. It opened in 1885, in a building designed by Alexander Marshall Mackenzie....
along with many of Dinnie's medals.
Titles
- World Champion Wrestler
- Scottish Champion; 1856-1876
- Strongest Man in the World
- Greatest Athlete in the World
See also
- Angus MacAskillAngus MacAskillAngus Mòr MacAskill, frequently referred to as Giant MacAskill or Black Angus , was a Scottish-Canadian giant, and is the world's largest "true" giant...
- Angus Graham (strongman)Angus Graham (strongman)Angus Graham was a strongman born circa 1812 on the Isle of Lewis, Scotland and died at Habost in the Port of Ness in the year 1896. Throughout life Angus achieved a name for himself as a man of outstanding physical strength. He was widely reported to be the strongest man on Lewis and possibly...
- Stone putStone putThe stone put is one of the main Scottish heavy athletic events at modern-day Highland games gatherings. Similar to the shot put, the stone put more frequently uses an ordinary stone or rock instead of a steel ball...
- Hammer toss
- Weight for DistanceWeight throwThe weight throw is a track and field event that is held at Scottish Highland games and occasionally at indoor track meets.In the Highland Games, the weight throw consists of two separate events, the light weight and the heavy weight. In both cases, the implement consists of a steel or lead weight ...
- Weight for HeightWeight over the barThe Weight Over the Bar competition is a test of strength featured at Scottish Highland games. The weight is a steel or lead weight attached to a metal circular handle. The weight is thrown one-handed over a bar set at increasing heights above the thrower. The thrower has three attempts for each...
- Sheaf tossSheaf tossThe sheaf toss is a traditional Scottish agricultural sport event originally contested at country fairs. A pitchfork is used to hurl a burlap bag stuffed with straw over a horizontal bar above the competitor's head. Typical weight for the bag is 16 pounds . Three chances are given to each...
External links
- Rules of the Scottish-American Athletic Association (PDF file - 819 KB)
- Donald Dinnie entry at the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame
- Famous Scotland competitions and competitors
- stained glass window commemorating Donald Dinnie