SUTTON Forest will be bagpipe central this Sunday when talented young pipers from Scotland and across Australia vie for the title of Australasian Young Piper of the Year, which includes the prestigious Silver Tassie trophy.

Divided into five age groups, from under 12s through to under 26s, the musicians will don their traditional Highland garb and perform solo pieces before an audience and judging panel.

The top two from each group will go through to the grand final, and this year Ben and Jamie Hunt plan to be among them.

This will be their second year in the competition, having both placed third in their age divisions in 2008.

And to make it that little bit more interesting, they will both be playing in the under 21s section on Sunday.

“I pulled my finger out and I’ve really been practising,” 20-year-old Jamie said.

18-year-old Ben has been working just as hard, although he has to fit study for the HSC in-between rehearsals.

But he’s still confident he’ll be coming home with a place this year.

Growing up in Tamworth, Australia’s country music capital, piping opportunities are relatively hard to come by.

So the Tamworth and District Highland Society Pipe Band are always looking to sign up new members.

“Dad was born in Scotland,” Ben said.

“He has a friend in the pipe band who he always bought raffle tickets from. And every time we saw him he’d try and recruit my brother and me.”

Ben wasn’t particularly interested but 10-year-old Jamie agreed to give it a go. And he loved it.

After six months of listening to his brother, Ben decided to sign up too.

“People often don’t realise just how different pipes are, the variations in sound you can achieve,” Ben said.

“I really enjoy playing.”

And just as well, considering the distances they have to travel to do so.

With few performance opportunities in Tamworth the brothers are well used to driving for hours for a competition.

They regularly join the Hawkesbury Pipe Band – who they will be competing with for another event in Wollongong tomorrow.