by Roger Robson

At the Cumberland Show, Andrew Ord was the surprise winner of the 14-stone title, and last week at Penrith Show, 18-year-old Graham Brocklebank fulfilled his potential by winning the 13 stones - his first senior championship.

Although he is so young, Brocklebank's win came as no surprise.

He has the pedigree, training, experience, physique and attitude to be a champion.

His father Harry, and his grandfather Wilf, were heavyweight champions over many years.

The family wrestling culture means that Graham has been carted off to wrestling over many years, and to Kendal Academy in the winter.

While the latest of the family's prolific crop is not of the typical Brocklebank mould he is nevertheless a powerful wrestler, positive in attitude and difficult to fell.

At present he is working at Silverdale Golf Club, like brother Thomas, as he awaits A-Level results.

In the first round he met Fraser Hirsch, who had travelled down from Dundee to compete.

Hirsch is a strong, clever wrestler, but Brocklebank had his measure, felling him with a cross-click and then an inside-click.

Brocklebank seized hold down amongst the ribs, spinning Fox round anti-clockwise until he flipped over for the fall

The second round was a crunch match with John Harrington, which took four falls to sort out. Brocklebank went ahead with a twist off the chest and seemed to be winning the second bout but a Harrington hank produced a dog-fall.

We then saw John Harrington at his best as he gripped Brocklebank's head, then attacked with an inside-click which transformed into a leg-up buttock.

The decider was almost an anti-climax: Harrington went for an outside-hipe, a favoured chip of his, only to be counter-twisted by Brocklebank.

A bye in the semi-final took Brocklebank through to meet Richard Fox in the final.

Fox is in great form at present as shown on the previous day when he won both the 13 stones and the All Weights at Langholm against strong and numerous opposition.

The two wrestlers fell to the ground together in the first hold, but Brocklebank touched last so won the fall.

Fox's most potent weapon is the buttock, but he wisely rations its use, and now it was needed and once more it delivered the goods and levelled the score.

The deciding fall was wrestled at close quarters with Brocklebank always trying to mend his hold and Fox chesting off.

Fox tried a right-leg back heel, but Brocklebank turned it into an inside-click and Fox backed off.

Much the same move came a second time, but when Fox retreated, Brocklebank seized hold down amongst the short ribs, and from then on he kept control, spinning Fox round anti-clockwise, lower and lower, until he flipped over for a decisive fall.

The Brocklebank family had yet more to celebrate when Thomas overcame a big weight disadvantage to fell Wigton auctioneer David Bowman in the final of the All Weights.

John Harrington is lighter than usual at the moment because of clipping sheep, and he was a surprise entry in the 11 stones at Langhom Common Riding, which he duly won.

His final opponent was Craig Ridley of Slaggyford who had wowed the crowd with his skill against much bigger opponents in the under-16 years.

That skill was further evident when he caught Harrington cold in their first bout, riding a hipe and twisting on landing.

Normal service was resumed when two Harrington outside hipes put the youngster in his place.

There was an excellent response to the All Weights competition at Langholm - with 18 entries of great physique and strength.

Richard Fox had his arms full but survived the biggest opponents before meeting the great former champion Lee Wall in the final.

Wall's wrestling career came to a halt after a serious neck injury playing rugby.

At Langholm he was on good wrestling form, going for the spectacular as always, but in the end Richard Fox was too sharp and battle hardened for him.

There was yet more wrestling action at the Flookburgh Steam Gathering where Jack Ewart and Thomas Brocklebank both had their second win in two days.

Milnthorpe's Jack Lashley had a first senior win in the 13 stones, while brother and sister were a winning team when Joe Thompson won the under-15 years and older sister, Donna, won the ladies.

On a sour note, Arlecdon wrestler Paul Murray pulled neck muscles at Penrith, putting at risk his chance to defend his under-15 years-eight stone Championship at Gosforth in August.