The McNeill Cup team sabre competition for October was fought out last week, in a particularly exciting fashion. Four teams contested the prize witn none of the matches decided by more than five points. Hats off, in that regard, to Jon Dawkins for seeding the teams so effectively. The winning team was made up of Xavier Hillier, Daniel Molnar, Jimmy Taylor and Dan Wilkinson (c).
Not to be outdone, our epeeists piled in with a thriller of a club epee championship for October. The podium places were:
1st: Nick Scott-Samuel, 2nd: Patrick Durant, 3rd: Jack White.
Saturday also saw the first of this school year's Bristol White Eagle FC junior sabre championships saw fencers from school years 3 & 4 contest for medals and glory. Much courage and skill were on display from all participants.
The medal places were:
Yr 4:
Gold: Sam Cunning (Holy Trinity)
Silver: William Seviour (White Eagle/Holy Trinity)
Bronze: Kian Reardon (Colston's Primary) & Xavier Stockhausen (Colston's Primary)
Yr 3:
Gold: Arlo Hugh-Jones (Colston's Primary/White Eagle)
Silver: Arthur Rees (Elmlea Juniors)
Bronze: Oscar Barraud (Colston's Primary) & James Webber (Holy Trinity)
Many thanks to our referees: Gianna Colligiani, Robert Hillier and Robert Greenwood.
Especial thanks to Gianna for the preparation and organisation that allowed the event to run so smoothly.
Thanks too to our friends at BFC for their kind assistance with boxes and spools.
This coming Saturday, the Yrs 5, 6 & Secondary School Age sabreurs will have their matches. As ever, our younger students and adults will fence as usual.
Last but not least, club epee coach, Jon Mason filed this report on the first foray into ternational fencing for his son Luke at the Kalgenfurt Cadet International:
Flew to Salzburg on Fri morning then took a leisurely drive down to Klagenfurt for Luke's first international epee competition on Saturday.
The event started 8.30am (he checked in and did an extremely rigorous weapons check the previous evening). There were 210 male cadets entered with 1 round of pools then D.E's. Luke fenced brilliantly in the pools perfect timing and piste control winning 5 out of 6 the one he lost was timed out at 3 - 2.
This placed Luke at 28th seed. Then came the hanging around for 2 and a half hours!
Finally Luke was called up against a tall thin Swiss pommeller. The match started and the Swiss guy immediately put pressure on Luke by forcing him backwards, but Luke scored with some lovely well timed counters which frustrated him. I could see the opponents coach telling him to take the blade which he tried but Luke still hit with disengage counters.
After the first break the the score was 14 10 to Luke. Thats when things started to turn!!
We knew his opponent was going to pressure him and try and take his blade so all Luke had to do was keep his distance and counter when he knows the moment is right. But Luke got impatient and chose the wrong moment twice so got hit 14 -12 then twice more 14 -14 then again NO too late 14 -15!!!
We're both gutted but atleast I didn't have to say anything Luke knew he rushed. We all do mybself included and you get punished.
Still a great experience for us both and Finland next time😀
Jon