Killington Sports..................

...........is another country, a lost world, part of my childhood fifty years ago, when every village had its sports with potato, three-legged, sack, fell and sprint races, pillow fights and wrestling. Only the egg-throwing event is new fangled since War-time rationing ended.

Year by year this event, lost along the narrow lanes and thick hedges of South Cumbria, draws wrestlers and runners in their droves. Jack Haile, for example, came all the way from Rothbury in Northumberland to register his second win in four days when he felled Scott Brocklebank in the final of the Under 15 Years. Brocklebank has grown stronger and taller, but went down to Haile's persistent leg-up buttock for the first fall. He rallied to take the second fall but Haile went on to take the decider.

Richard Fox and Joe Harrington, members of Carlisle Wrestling Club, also made the journey and entertained the crowd with a series of close bouts with tricky footwork and sudden twists as the advantage veered back and forth. Fox eventually won the 13st final in straight falls, but Harrington pushed him every inch of the way.

The rest of the spoils went to Kendal Academy wrestlers. Tracey Hodgson proved to be top sister in the girls' wrestling when she felled both Hannah and Connie. Ben Brocklebank continued his excellent season in felling the Northumbrian, Jack Brown, in the final of the Under 12 Years. And, top of the pile was Joseph Robson who felled the heavy men, John Wilson and Jason Davidson, on his way to the All Weights final with the middleweight winner Richard Fox. Robson seemed to be cruising when he won the first fall of the final, but a dog fall and a win by Fox set up tense decider as the last bout of the day. This time Robson, the bigger man, won by finesse when he cross-buttocked neatly to win.

Jack Brown of Haydon Bridge, who trained regularly at Carlisle during the winter, arrived two hours early to the sports field with his father and Peter Hunter. Five hours later he was still going strong. He may have only gained second place in the wrestling, bur he won lots of other events including the Junior Fell Race.

One of the highlights for me as referee was weighing in the 13 stone men. Although the scales were rusty and dusty, they were nicely balanced…..once we removed the dead crow from the innards! With five minutes to go, the weights only added up to 12 stones, but a committee man rushed home and saved the day by returning with a stone of sheep feed in a bag to make up the rest.

Results: Killington Sports

Under 12 Years: 1, B Brocklebank; 2, J Brown; 3, D Hodgson.

Under 15 Years: 1, J. Haile; 2, S Brocklebank; 3, J Ewart.

Girls Under: 16 Years 1, T Hodgson; 2, H Hodgson; 3, C Hodgson.

13st: 1, R Fox; 2, Joe Harrington; 3, S Wilkinson.

All Weights: 1, J Robson; 2, R Fox; 3, Joe Harrington

 

(Roger Robson is Author of the book 'Cumberland & Westmorland Wrestling' published by Bookcase 1999 )