Cumberland and Westmorland Wrestling

Bad weather felled three wrestling events last week. Lowther Horse Trials looked like a First World War battlefield after two days, and then it really rained on Saturday night. Two sets of ultra keen wrestlers were disappointed to arrive at Forestburngate in Northumberland to find it had been cancelled: Stuart Watson, returned to civilian life in Carlisle after an army career, is trying to rediscover the skills he learned at Carlisle Wrestling Club many years ago; and the other travellers were the Gibson family with young Thomas and his sisters, Dawn and Megan, ready for action throughout the Northern Counties At Ings Sheepdog Trials Megan raised a cheer when she buttocked big sister Dawn for a consolation fall. Ahead of them were the Hodgson sisters Hannah and Connie, who are the leading girl wrestlers at present. Two wrestlers had double wins at Ings. Scott Brocklebank wrestled strongly to win at both Under 15 and Under 18 Years, then he went on to contest the All Weights final with John Harrington. As a result the judges awarded him the trophy for the best performance in all the wrestling. The other double winner, John Harrington, always had too many options for the other wrestlers. He was pushed hard but always had an answer.

At Dalston Show there was a different scenario for Harrington for he reached the finals of all three senior categories, won the first fall in each, and then found three wrestlers with more answers than him. In the 11½ stones Richard Dixon twice showed how to trump the hank by arching his back and throwing the hanker back and over his shoulder to the ground. In the 13 stones Harrington won the first fall against Richard Fox with a good outside-hipe, but lost the next two to a right side twist, and then a Fox back-heel which set him off balance, and unable to stave off Fox's follow up attack. The new auctioneer at Wigton Mart, David Bowman, recently resettled in the area, had aninauspicious start to the All Weights final when John Harrington caught him nicely with a twist and outside-stroke. Despite suffering from a twinging leg, Bowman remembered that he was significantly taller and heavier than his opponent, and proceeded to lift Harrington high before inside-hiping and then swamping any escape attempt by Harrington. Amongst bigger lads Joe Thompson proved to be too much of a handful and won both at Under 15 and Under 18 Years. His opponent in the final of the Under 18s, Jack Ewart, had been last seen heading off from Ambleside Sports in an ambulance, so it was good to see him so quickly back in action.

Under 12 Years 1, Jack Hall; 2, P Potts; 3, T Gibson.Under 15 Years; 2, D Miller;3, Jack Hall.Under 18 Years 1, J Thompson; 2, J Ewart; 3, James Hall.11½st 1, R Dixon; 2, John Harrington; 3, D Miller.13st 1, R Fox; 2, John Harrington; 3,J Thompson.All Weights 1, D Bowman; 2, John Harrington; 3, R Dixon.