Grasmere Sports Celebrates the Return of The Bretons!

Grasmere Lakeland Sports and Show is celebrating the news that 15 Breton wrestlers will be back in Grasmere on Sunday August 27 and competing for Cumberland and Westmorland wrestling prizes, including the much-coveted All Weights World Championship title.

The World Champion will be crowned within this C&W wrestling class at Grasmere this year, which could be the ultimate career high for many wrestlers, with Grasmere being “the big prestige event” in the eyes of many who engage in this very traditional regional sport.

With Cumberland and Westmorland back-hold wrestling having taken place in Grasmere since 1852 and having attracted pro-wrestler, George Steadman in the early 20th century, it is easy to see why many regard the event as the one to win.

The Breton wrestlers were very much missed last year an unable to compete the previous two years, during the pandemic.  This will be the first time since 2019 that the crowds have been able to see these colourful wrestling characters from Brittany in France, who bring a unique flavour to the bouts.

Joining them in what could be a triumphant return will be some Scottish wrestlers and there is still a possibility that Icelandic wrestlers will also head to Grasmere again.

The Breton wrestlers bring a special skill to the wrestling bouts, according to Cumberland and Westmorland wrestling expert, Chris Bland. In a sport in which the aim is to get the opponent to the ground, using a variety of methods called ‘chips’, the Bretons have a particular knack of deploying their method of eliciting a fall until very late in the day, catching an opponent by surprise and leaving them with no means of countering.

The arrival of the Breton wrestlers will not just evoke impressions of the Gauguin painting of Breton boys wrestling but also help draw in crowds on August Bank Holiday Sunday, to an event with many facets.

The hound trailing events will this year have commentary as the dogs appear on the fell on their homeward journey to the finish line.  A new Meet a Puppy feature and Trail Hound Puppy Show will sit alongside Grasmere Sports main dog show – in which any dog can compete.  

The fell racers will all be seeking to tackle a course that has created fell racing legends over the years, with names such as Dalzell, Woolcock, Gilpin, Edmondson, Reeves, Sedgwick, Teasdale and Stuart, being written into the history books.

The prestige event of the fell race programme – the Senior Guides Race – will once again see competitors hungry to try to beat the long-standing 1978 record of Fred Reeves, who completed the course in 12 minutes 21.6 seconds.  Seeing whether that is possible, will be Tommy Sedgwick, now Grasmere Lakeland Sports and Show’s Bellman but the long-term adversary of Fred Reeves on the fell.  

When Fred set the record 45 years ago, he broke Tommy’s own 1976 record and pipped Tommy to the finish line.  The rivalry between the two between 1969 and 1979 has probably never been seen since, with the pair sharing the 11 titles – Fred taking 8 (in which Tommy was always second) and Tommy winning 3, just ahead of Fred.

Entry into all Grasmere Sports and Lakeland Show’s sporting events, including all the flat races, the long leap (long jump) and childhood and adult favourites such as the egg and spoon race, is on the day, so anyone can literally have a go and see if they can be on the podium.

A Young Reporters competition will also be in operation for the first time, with youngsters invited to report on the sporting action, create a story and see if they too can be winners. 

The show will also feature classic cars, Wonder Wheelers bicycles – a variety of bikes that are unusual, extraordinary or nigh impossible to ride – stalls, food and music, from both the upbeat and fun-to-watch Fat Cat Brass and brilliant vocalists, Badman Soul.

Children can also learn a few circus skills from Fire Man Dave.  This vibrant entertainer will be giving a circus workshop, to teach kids a few tricks, and also enthralling all ages with his engaging street entertainment.

“We are so excited to have our international competitors returning for the wrestling contests,” says Grasmere Sports and Lakeland Show’s manager, Deborah Black, who is stepping down at the end of the year. 

“Covid could have eaten into all the tradition underpinning this event but we have proved Cumbrian culture is strong enough to survive and emerge healthier than ever.  We would just urge anyone who can get here to do so, so we can make sure all of our cultural heritage continues to be available for our children and grandchildren to enjoy, way into the future.  There is no more beautiful setting or more engaging cultural extravaganza than Grasmere Sports – the prestige event in the Lake District, in so many people’s eyes, since 1868.”

The best value tickets are to be found online and are available until August 26.  These are priced at £12 for an adult, £5 for a child or £28 for a family (two adults and two children).  The on-the-gate tickets available on Sunday August 27, will be priced at £15 for adults and £5 for a child.  Head to www.grasmeresports.com to buy.

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Editors notes

Grasmere Lakeland Sports and Show is an iconic event taking place in the heart of the English Lake District on the August Bank Holiday weekend. Its long historic roots date back to 1868 and it is renowned for its fell running, hound trails and Cumberland and Westmorland wrestling competitions, as well as being a fantastic family day out.