Cumberland wrestling round-up

By Roger Robson

The winners assemble for a photo at Eskdale

The wrestling season is beginning to slow down somewhat after a busy summer programme of events.

We are moving quickly from the hyperactivity of the Grasmere period with nine events in eight days leading into September to the gaps in the programme and the plummeting entries of the end of the month.

Nevertheless, there were two events last Saturday, and both were called Eskdale Show.

One took place at Langholm in the Borders of Scotland, and the other in, well, Eskdale just South of Wasdale in West Cumbria.

The show at Langholm was not over-endowed with entries, but there were enough to make it interesting.

Local lads pushed the trained wrestlers hard in the boys' events, but Thomas Gibson of Southwaite kept his cool and his technique to add another win to his growing list at under-12 grade.

Jack Brown of Haydon Bridge made a bad start when he lost the first fall of the under-15s, but he rallied, used his head against some stronger lads and won his own age group and the under-18s, too.

Once the senior wrestlers made their entry, there was less hope for the novices. John Harrington of Bewaldeth took care and time and sudden action to fell Andrew Carlile of Carlisle in the first round of the 12 stones.

However after that he was less challenged, felling young Jack Brown in the semi-final and the local entrant Ashley Hay in the final with outside-hipe and twists.

The prize-list of the All Weights would have graced any event, with six championships in the hands of the three prize-winners.

Best endowed with titles was Richard Fox of Hethersgill, who holds the 13st, 14st and 15 stones challenge trophies, and he made his weight and confidence tell.

Even when he missed with an ambitious attempt at a swinging inside-click in the last bout of the day, he had put John Harrington so far off balance that he succumbed to Fox's twists.

Eskdale in West Cumbria had a poor show of wrestlers, with only the Hayhurst brothers from Natland travelling any distance to compete - however their ambition was well rewarded.

The older of the two, under-15 champion William won both boys events and wrestled up in the All Weights to a big shepherd, Postlethwaite, fresh from the sheep pens.

Younger brother James took a notable scalp in winning the 12 stones by felling Ashley Killip, a clever wrestler from the Waberthwaite Academy.

Plans for the winter are afoot. Carlisle Wrestling Club's annual general meeting will be held next Wednesday evening at Currock House to organise the training and competitions on the indoor mats. Anyone interested in the sport in the Carlisle area is heartily invited.