by Roger Robson

Last updated at 14:25, Friday, 03 August 2012

Six events in five days meant a busy time for wrestlers, organisers and supporters.

While the 2012 Olympics is showcasing London’s iconic sites and sights, we in our area watched excellent wrestling in the midst of an agricultural show, a horse racing track at a Border’s Common Riding, a village sports meeting, a massive steam gathering with soot in the air and huge decibels in our ears, and a big traditional Lakeland sports meeting with the mountains looming round.

Jack Brown, of Haydon Bridge and Carlisle Wrestling Club, will have special satisfaction in his achievements at Ambleside Sports. In the 11½ and 12½ stones he was unbeatable. In the biggest test, the final of the 12½st against John Harrington, he oozed confidence and went for his trips, hipes followed in by back-heels.

Henry Hail had no hesitation in awarding him the Guinness Trophy for the best performance in all the wrestling.

My other highlight of the week came at Penrith Show when Richard Fox was applauded back into the ring for the 13 stones after such a long absence. You could see that he was ring-rusty to begin with but as each bout progressed he improved further.

In the final he lost the first fall to a Jack Brown hipe, but he fought back with a twist over the knee, and clinched the win with a trade-mark buttock. It was good to see him later wandering in the crowd with a cup in his hand and a smile on his face.

When I sit down to type up the results, I know that my task will be greater when the Brocklebank family has been travelling around with their long surname and three brothers at nicely spaced ages and weights. Last week the Brocklebank family were everywhere in the results, culminating at Flookburgh where each of the brothers, Ben, Graham and Thomas, all had wins.

Archie Singer, of Rothbury, had a strange upside down sort of week. At Ambleside he did what he was supposed to do when he stormed through the Under 15 Years with power and panache.

At Langholm, in the Under 16s, he was felled by James Hayhurst in the semi-final. In the 11½ stones he reached the final with Jack Brown and took the middle fall, and then in the All Weights he played David to Kevin O’Neil’s Goliath and won himself a place in the final where he was beaten by John Harrington.

Harrington showed form at Langholm though James Hayhurst did fell him in a brilliant final of the 13 stones when each wrestler was at his fastest both in defence and attack. In the decider there were six or seven chances to win before Hayhurst got the last twist.

The toughest final of the week was at Ambleside where Stuart Fleming and Joe Threlfall battled out a war of attrition.

Fleming won the first by jumping ahead of Threlfall’s hipe then landing and twisting.

Threlfall is strong and fit this season, and he came near with late twists, but Fleming was able to resist and there were three dog-falls until Threlfall had to retire with an injured shoulder.

First published at 14:10, Friday, 03 August 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk