Touring successes
Last updated 19:37, Thursday, 28 February 2008
TWENTY-TWO wrestlers from Northumberland and Cumbria took Brittany by storm when they travelled to Carhaix for the sixth Brittany Backhold Championships.
In the morning session for the youngest categories our wrestlers carried all before. The only time any of them lost a bout was to another Cumbrian.
Jack Lashley felled Stuart Mason in the final of the 77kgs and Joe Thompson felled James Hall in the 77kg plus, the All Weights.
The going got tougher in the afternoon with the likes of Katy Brown competing in an open age section.
She reached the final of the 57kg, but there met Virginie Kerjean, who later in the day was the winner of the Open competition against much bigger women. Donna Thompson nearly did not wrestle, for she fell on frosty ground in the Alston two days previously, and had a badly bruised leg.
However, she stuck in and hiped and twisted her way to a gold medal in the Open category for women.
The event was particularly important to some of the Breton wrestlers for they were competing for places on the Breton team for the upcoming European Espoirs Championships in Tenerife.
In view of this Andrew Ord did well to weather the early action from the Bretons. Mael Dugue, who wrestled so well in England last Summer, took two falls off Ord before he had quite woken up in the pool wrestling.
After that, he fought back to win, and when he again met Dugue in the final of the 90kg he was able to fell the brilliant Breton with confident hipes.
Only two English wrestlers took part in the Senior wrestling, the two Rothbury Wrestling Club Coaches, Jason Davidson and Darren Whitfield. Davidson had a bad start when a tricky Breton bamboozled him with his footwork.
However, he later made amends in the Open Competition at the end of the day, when he cut a swathe through the Bretons to reach the final.
Unfortunately for him, the other Northumbrian coach, Darren Whitfield was waiting for him there. Whitfield had wrestled previously with patience, care and sudden violence and the same worked for him in the final.
Even though no Breton was in the last final of the day, the crowd stayed to watch and generously applaud the two Englishmen.
The Breton hospitality was excellent as usual, and on the day after the competition, our wrestlers were given a master-class in Gouren, the Breton wrestling style, at Ti ar Gouren (The House of Wrestling in theBreton language).
“Our lads stuck in well in the alien style before boarding the coach for the long journey back to Cumbria.
Results: Brittany Backhold Championships, Carhaix
Cumbrian Gold Medal Winners: Girls: 50kg Connie Hodgson; 57kg Hannah Hodgson. Women: 70kg plus Donna Thompson. Boys (Benjamin): 46kg Jack Brown; 52kg Jamie Nicholson. Boys (Minime): 45kg David Miller; 50kg Paul Murray; 77kg Jack Lashley; 77kg plus Joe Thompson. Youths 74kg plus Jack Hale; 90kg Andrew Ord. Men 90kg plus Darren Whitfield.
