Edinburgh’s University theatre was once again the setting for the BNBF British Championships. Incredibly, the BNBF is now in its sixth year - incredible because those six years have flown, and with each successive year, the Federation has increased not only its membership but its following, and clichéd though it may be, the standard of competitor increases each time. On this occasion, 66 combatants took up their invitation to do battle, each having to pass a polygraph before even being allowed to compete, and all class winners (plus some random selections) were urine tested following the show.

Doubtless impressed by the professionalism with which BNBF shows are run (a result of much groundwork and graft by a team who give up their time freely to ensure the day runs as smoothly as possible), the list of sponsors too has grown, and each class winner received a “goody bag” comprising over £400 of top quality products from each of the show sponsors, with an additional package for the overall men’s champion. The trophies themselves, as ever, were superb.
Judges for the day were WNBF Pro’s Nigel Davis, Rob Hope, Karen Mason, Kerry Napier, Rachael Hayes and myself, Cheryl Myers, BNBF champion Campbell Brogan, and guest judge Mike Duffy, with WNBF Pro David Hannah acting as head judge. It was, as ever, an unenviable task – in all honesty, the toughest show I have ever had to judge.

MASTERS O-60 (sponsored by Udo’s Choice)

Three gentlemen (and true gentlemen they are) lined up to contest this class. Could Eric Dowey re-gain the title from last year’s champion, Eric Morris, the “Auld Yin”, or would Ted Clifton put a proverbial spanner in the works? Ted, who must surely compete more times than anyone on the planet, was as good as I’ve ever seen him, managing to come in fuller yet tighter, with his quads in particular showing improvement, and his routine to a Spanish-themed tune was upbeat. Ted just loves competing, but on this day, the battle was between the two Erics.
Eric Dowey had regained the condition which has won him two British titles. His shoulders and chest were particularly tight, emphasized by an improved tan, and he has a V-taper the envy of many a much younger man. As always, his routine was fluid and dramatic (without being overly-so). By contrast, Eric Morris was more bouncy, and had the capacity crowd clapping along in time. At 72 years of age, Eric’s recent powerlifting exploits are legendary, and he apparently decided to take up his invite to the Britain at a relatively late stage. This may have contributed to him being slightly less tight than last year, particularly in the midsection, although his legs were the best in the class; he even had striated glutes, for goodness’ sake!
In the event, the first blood of the day was drawn by Eric Dowey, with Eric Morris in second and Ted Clifton in third, no shame in this company.

MASTERS (sponsored by Fitness Factory, Irvine)

This was a huge line-up of 11, including winner for the past two years, Rick Waters. From the outset, three athletes immediately stood out, and by comparison, it became clear that by his own standard, Rick was a little off his best. Whilst his quads were separated and he still had his trademark arm and shoulder development, he looked softer from the back, and appeared to be holding water around his abs. However, Rick is a fighter and as ever, gave his all onstage, but on this day, he was not in contention with the top three.
Taking third was Tom O’Neill, who presented an impressive package. He’s a stocky guy, hard and lean on the day, with huge peaked biceps and one of the best backs in the class, although compared to the top two, he has a naturally thicker waist. Tom’s quads were fantastic – but, on occasion, he seemed to forget to flex them, which may have cost him. It’s all there; you just gotta show it! I’d also like to see a little more calf development, but other than that, I was very impressed.
Lloyd Stewart is HUMUNGOUS! He has worked incredibly hard to address previous problems with his symmetry, and at well over 6’ tall, disproves the theory that tall men can’t build muscle; Lloyd has muscle in abundance – massive pecs and delts which popped with cross-striations when he flexed, and incredible obliques. His legs are now on a par with his upper body, although perhaps not quite as tight, despite which, striations came out on his vastus medialis when he flexed, and his skin tone was as fine as Lindt’s best. Posing to Imagination’s “Body Talk,” Lloyd’s body was saying all the right things, and the title would have been his had it not been for Yeovil’s Ian Johnstone.
Ian had improved from the qualifier. His physique has a ruggedness about it, a density and hardness emphasized by deep cuts to every aspect of his frame, but for all that, he remains aesthetic, and everything still “flows.” Wide, rounded shoulders, shredded pecs, detailed back, deep, thick abs and cut legs ( though to be nit-picking, just a little softness under the glutes – what do you mean, I shouldn’t be looking?..), Ian had left nothing to chance, and, just that bit harder than Lloyd, took the Number One spot.
With sporting Rick Waters taking fourth, the top six were rounded off by Mr. Personality, Denton Wilson in fifth, whose entertaining routine brought the house down and included more bodybuilding poses than at the qualifier. I thought Denton was a little soft today, and although his upper body started to come through during the compulsories, his legs remained smooth. Tighten up, Denton, and you’ll have a wicked combo there. By contrast, sixth place Roy Hodgson was about as tight as they come. Having already lost three stones to compete in the qualifier, he lost a further stone, which brought out the detail in him, especially the quads. Roy wasn’t the biggest on stage by any means, and to be fair, he will need more thickness, especially in the lats, to challenge higher, but it’s been a fine debut year for him, and he has every reason to feel proud of his achievements.
For anyone who is thinking they are “too old” to be bodybuilding, they should take a leaf out of these guys’ books; when the likes of George Kerr and Davy Jay can continue to train consistently and as a result make noticeable improvements year in, year out, let them be an inspiration…

JUNIORS ( sponsored by CNP / Dorian Yates Approved)

This has probably been the best year ever for the overall standard of Junior; every qualifier has produced at least one who was capable of winning the title. Today, eight youngsters lined up, presenting a contrasting array of physiques, which made judging difficult. At only 18 years of age, Abdul Miah has outstanding lats; he doesn’t even have to flex them – they are just THERE! Combined with his wide shoulders and depth in his pecs, this gives him an extreme taper. His quads too are well-rounded, although his hamstrings need to be fuller to balance his legs, particularly in the side poses. I felt Adbul’s condition was a little “off” today. He looked to have improved since the qualifier, but could still have taken off a few more pounds to bring out more detail, particularly quads and abs, which sometimes came through, sometimes didn’t. By complete contrast, Antonio Balsamo was the only one in the class to hit optimum condition. Taller than Adbul, he is deceptive, as the first thing you notice about him is his condition, yet he still packs a good amount of muscle on his frame. His condition in the back is not as strong as his front poses, and on this occasion, Abdul’s natural structure and fuller development won him the advantage to take first, with Antonio claiming the runner’s –up spot.
Dan Millar, in third, has good potential. During the afternoon, he was visibly nervous onstage. He has nice symmetry, although he is a little wider in the waist straight on than Abdul or Antonio. His condition improved with flexing, particularly his quads, which became feathered, and his side poses showed him off to his best advantage. By the evening show, he had tightened up considerably, and did a terrific routine. Philip Tebajjwa has a comparatively slight frame, despite which he has built a fine upper body, with beautifully-rounded delts in particular, tapering down to a midsection of deeply carved abs, serratus and intercostals. He’s still a little light in the legs, and I’d like to see him smile a bit more, but otherwise a good showing.
Fifth was Aaron Mwale, who was thickly-muscled but needed better condition to show off his undoubted potential, although like Dan, he too had tightened up by the night show, and he had a nice stage presence – quietly confident. Rounding out the top six was Mark Score, tall and lean, again with good condition in his upper body, but like Philip, needs to bring his legs on, particularly hamstrings.

NOVICE (sponsored by LA Muscle)

With eight in the line-up, for once, the Novice class wasn’t the largest of the day, but for all that, it still provided as many challenges for the judges as for the competitors.
Brandon Greenwood made history at the Northern qualifier by becoming the first Novice to subsequently take the over-all title. Could he equal his form there for the final? The answer was a resounding “yes;” from the moment the class lined up, Brandon immediately stood out. Not only was he the most balanced in the class, but also the best conditioned, in fact one of the best-conditioned athletes in the show. Combined with impressive size and improvements to his posing (although he still leans backwards just that tad too much in the back poses at times), these attributes ensured that Brandon more than lived up to the reputation which preceded him, and took the class, easily in my opinion.
The battle for second saw Daniel Lampard and Darren Vernon resume their battle, ironically again from the Northern. Daniel has an enviable natural structure – wide shoulders and full lats tapering down to a narrow waist and flaring quads, although his hamstrings are slightly less developed, which is noticeable in the side quarter turns. Whilst not having Brandon’s density, he’s certainly no lightweight either, ditto Darren, whose upper body muscularity was simply bulbous, particularly arms and traps. Daniel initially appeared tighter, although Darren’s condition improved with the seemingly endless comparisons. Both could work on aspects of their compulsories: Daniel sort-of crouches over when performing a side chest rather than standing upright and twisting to emphasize his natural taper, whilst Darren tends to nip his scapulae together in the double bicep poses, causing him to look narrow when in fact, he isn’t. In the event, Darren came out on top to reverse the decision at the qualifier and take second, with Daniel in third. It must have been close.
Rob Riches, in fourth, had all the aesthetic qualities to place highly, but had neither the size nor the condition to challenge the men above him, whilst Sean Slaney was massive. He had fair condition, but in comparison with the top four (and let’s face it, it is how a competitor looks IN COMPARISON with the others on stage on the day that dictates the outcome of any competition), he looked blocky. His quads were humungous, especially the lateral aspect, but he’s another who needs to bring those hamstrings up to match, and he could work on his tan and presentation of his compulsories to place higher in future. Finally in sixth was Tom Haywood, who, whilst showing promise, was more lightly-muscled and needed to be tighter.

MISS FIGURE (sponsored by Gracemount Gym)

In its first year as a BNBF category, the outcome of this class was always going to be controversial. Whilst the standard of the Figure entrants throughout the qualifiers has undeniably been high, the judges (and audience) have been presented with a dilemma – what actually constitutes a Figure? With this in mind, the judges on the day were given a written reminder of the criteria: The Figure competitor should, in Round 1 (symmetry), present “a symmetrical figure with a look of elegance”, and in the muscularity round, “some muscle tone and shapeliness; condition should not be prevalent but also should not be penalized, providing it does not detract from the natural curves (i.e. should not look straight up and down, or like a “skinned rabbit”). Again, a look of elegance.” The routine “should show the body shape adequately, and be graceful and entertaining, but not aggressive.”
Even with these criteria uppermost in mind, I found it difficult to judge this class. The eye is automatically drawn to condition, in any class, but in Figure, when is condition too much? and how much muscle is “just right?” – it is still a bodybuilding show after all…
At opposite extremes of the spectrum today, we had hard, muscular Jo Fairbairn contrasting with Helen Everson, who truly has a figure – wide shoulders, tiny waist, curvy (in the nicest sense of the word) hips, and legs that go on for ever; however, did she have enough muscle? Between these extremes were five girls who varied in their level of development and condition, and with no two presenting even vaguely similar physiques, it was, in truth, like comparing apples and oranges; the judges, myself included, had a nightmare.
For top three, I was torn between Jo, Caroline Oram and Nicola Burrows. Caroline, last year’s Miss Exercise champion (before the class change to Figure), had put on a lot of muscle since then, and she has wonderful stage presence, however, I couldn’t help feeling that she was just a little leg-heavy today. Nicola, like Helen, has a figure, and on a par with Caroline, probably just the right amount of muscle for the class. She looks wonderful from the front and in the side poses, but, akin to many of the other girls in the class, her glutes were soft. So, did Jo’s condition detract from her shape? I felt like Vicky Pollard – “yeah but, no but…” After much deliberation, Jo had it for me, though if Caroline’s bodyfat had been just that teeny tad lower, I think I would have jumped that way instead.
Jo, in the event, took the class she had the best balance of shape and tone with good development in both upper and lower body wide shoulders neat hips and long toned legs. Caroline took second (and also the coveted ladies’ Best Presentation trophy, provided by Dougie Black, based on her exceptional routine and her conduct on stage throughout the day), and Nicola in third. I thought Nicola’s costume for the evening show was more a more flattering cut than her choice for the afternoon session, and her routine was deeply sensual. In fourth was Angie Woolacot, changed over from Physique last year. One of the tighter girls in the class, the move suited her, with her back her best bodypart. She just needs a bit more leg size to balance her upper body.
A disappointed Helen Everson placed fifth. Helen, as I say, has a true figure, and with her impeccable presentation, she is elegance epitomized. For me, I’d just like to see her gain a bit more in terms of both muscle and tone to emphasize that shape. In sixth came Trudy Wood, always smiling, though a little nervous at first. Trudy has good upper body development, although I thought she had lost a little size since the qualifier, and also wasn’t quite as tight, meaning that her leg definition didn’t come through. She’s another girl with great stage presence, to whom it’s impossible not to warm. Well done Trudy in your first year of competition. Finally, also in her first year , was very glamorous Anne Ackerman, whose condition had improved since the qualifier, particularly her midsection. I’d like to see Anne with more upper body development to balance her legs, and more condition in her legs to match her upper body condition, but again, well done.

GUEST STARS

Having already wowed the audience when he performed a guest spot at the Northern qualifier, it seemed only appropriate that current WNBF Mr. Universe and over-all World Champion Rob Hope should be the choice for the climax of the BNBF year. Rob is awesome. I think all the superlatives have already been used, but Rob is one individual who not only lives up to them, but exceeds them. His physique blasts away all the misconceptions about Naturals not being able to gain muscle / get into condition etc. Rob could compete at the Worlds in the condition he had here and still crush most of the field, so with another six weeks’ preparation… well, heaven help them.
With all this in mind, who could possibly be worthy of sharing a guest spot with Rob? None other than Vicky McCann, that’s who. In her roles as BNBF chairperson, show compere, judge (add to the list as appropriate), it can be easy to forget that Vicky is, first and foremost, not only a bodybuilder, but, THE top natural lady bodybuilder in the country. It’s good to be reminded of that. Vicky’s excursion into powerlifting has brought an added depth and thickness to her already shapely physique; her back width has improved beyond recognition this past couple of years, and oh, those shoulders…they’ve always been to die for, even more so now.
They looked to be having a lot of fun on that stage with a bit of good-natured aggression, alternately complementing and eclipsing each other, then showing how the quarter turns and compulsories SHOULD look. The audience, as one would expect, went wild.

LIGHTWEIGHTS (Sponsored by Peak Body Nutrition)

More than any of the men’s classes (with the possible exception of the clash for the over-all), the lightweight class has been a cause for hot speculation. However, whilst it’s fun and adds an extra dimension to the event, it is, of course, the comparisons on the day which determine the outcome rather than reputation. I wonder how many speculators put their money, actual or hypothetical, on Iain Smith? He simply nailed his condition, and whilst her perhaps lacks the bulk of a couple of the other lightweights, he has a very, very complete, aesthetic physique. His biceps were peaked, midsection carved, legs cut (and balanced), and when he flexed, cut glass striations shattered across his pecs and back. There was no denying him today. Andy Burrill has a huge frame for a lightweight; the amount of muscle he carries, he must have hollow bones, and he was in good nick. He’s one of the few who can live up to the claims that his signature theme tunes make, and he’s always entertaining to watch, but, he looks more impressive from the front than the back, and he really needs to bring those hamstrings up, as they flatten out in his side quarter turns. Working on these imbalances will, I’m sure, see Andy take the title he covets.
Jason Barnett had more depth and thickness than anyone in the class, and he works so hard on stage. However, Jason really, really needs to be in 101% condition, and today, he was probably 7lb off his best. The detail was all there when he flexed, and when he’s bang-on, he’s always a threat to any lightweight with aspirations to the title, but it wasn’t to be today. Watching Carlos Dos Santos, in fourth, is frustrating. You just know he has all the qualities needed to make a champion, yet somehow he falls down. His structure is outstanding, with naturally wide shoulders and a miniscule waist, and good flare to his legs. His condition was very good, probably better than at the qualifier, but, whereas many on the day seemed to tighten up as the comparisons (and indeed the day) progressed, Carlos seemed to have the opposite problem. He’s another who tends to nip his scapulae together when executing the back double biceps pose, and whilst there’s no way he should ever, with that structure, look narrow across the back, this is the effect. With just a little tweaking, he is more than capable of placing higher. Fifth was young Robb Maddocks, a more angular physique, but without losing any aesthetic appeal He has a great taper – lovely side chest pose – very good midsection and back development, and promising legs, although the cuts didn’t always come through, and his routines are always classy. Barry Cunliffe, in sixth, was promising, although I felt his upper body overshadowed his legs somewhat.

MIDDLEWEIGHTS (sponsored by Maximuscle)

An original line-up of four was suddenly increased to seven with Barrie Williams, John Heaton and Mike Bell dropping down from heavyweight on the day. Immediately they stepped out on stage, John Rafferty, himself a former heavyweight, stood out. He looked his best ever, the best condition in the class, emphasized by a deep tan that made him resemble the very trophies they were fighting for. Vince Mwayi, will always, always have that sort-of bulbous depth and muscles that seem to hang off his frame, and Martin Jukes is another mass monster with incredible density. Compared to Vince and John, he is a little blocky, but his upper body width and depth, combined with those monstrous (in the right sense of the word) legs mean that he carries it off. These would be the top three.
Initially, I thought Vince was soft; in the early stages, he looked to be retaining water under his abs, but as the compulsories progressed, he tightened up considerably, to bring out the deep striations across his upper body, delts, pecs and triceps particularly. I’d still like to see him tighten up further, and also to bring up his calves and the medial aspect of his thighs, but on the day, Vince did enough (and as if that wasn’t enough, won the bench press competition to boot, with 36 reps at bodyweight). Martin comes across as a quiet guy, perhaps a bit less naturally showy than some of the others (during the posedown , he kept himself to himself at the back rather than pushing and shoving for prime spot at the front), or maybe it’s just quiet confidence? Whatever, when he flexes, he simply explodes with muscularity, no real weakness anywhere, and what a routine! Martin is one of the few who can actually carry off the movement where he swishes one of his thighs from side to side then suddenly flexes, and when he did, he drew gasps from the capacity crowd.
John Rafferty picked up third. On his showing this year, he must surely qualify as one of the most improved athletes in the BNBF. His shredded condition today highlighted the depth and separation in his quads and abs, and his shoulder-waist taper has improved dramatically, even since his victory at the qualifier. He still needs a little more size and depth on his triceps, and was just that tiny tad soft in the glute-hamstring tie-in when seen from the back, but other than that, another outstanding performance from John.
Picking up fourth was Brian Lewis, Mr. Potential. He had arguably the best proportions on stage, and boy can he pose, but (and he knows this), he needs come in tight. As it was, he was just too soft to place higher. It’s definitely all there Brian – you know you can do it. John Heaton was a disappointed fifth. Despite dropping down a weight class, he still didn’t look as sharp as when he caused ripples in the Novice category last year. With a damn fine upper body, he still needs more size and depth on those long legs to place higher, and I’d love to see him smile a bit more; sometimes he looks downright scary! Rounding out the middleweight placings was Michael Bell. Being a middleweight suits him, but I would have assumed that this meant he would have been tighter…he did look a little smaller, as one would expect, but the condition he had last year in taking second in the heavies simply wasn’t there today. His presentation is great – he’s another who is a pleasure to watch for his compulsories alone.

HEAVYWEIGHTS (sponsored by Sports Lab Technologies)

Down to six in number, three men stood out as possible contenders for this crown. Alun Davies had the most phenomenal condition I have ever seen on a Natural; His skin was so thin it was all-but transparent, and every bodypart was not only etched, but notched with striations. His glutes resembled a proverbial cheesegrater. For all that, he is still symmetrical. Yes, he’s a monster, but still retains a good taper. However, despite all this, compared to the rest of him, his pecs were not as strong.Defending champ Chris Nsubuga is Mr. Symmetry personified, with full, rounded delts and triceps, peaked bi’s full, flaring lats, tiny waist and full, thick thighs. Whilst Chris was in the best condition of his life, Alun undeniably had the edge condition-wise. They were like chalk and cheese, both exceptional, but with different qualities.Then there was Peter Chown. As expected from Pete, his legs were his forte – hugely developed, deeply separated and striated. Whilst he’s worked hard to bring on his upper body, it is still a little behind his legs – for some bizarre reason, his lat spread is huge from the back, but doesn’t come out as well from the front. However, his presentation is beyond fault, so he took home the men’s best presentation award. So, I had a three way split – Symmetry Round – Chris; Muscularity Round – Alun; Routine-Pete. I think the rest of the judges had similar problems, and the final result must have been close: First place to a very shocked, emotional Chris Nsubuga, second to an equally shocked Alun, with Pete in third. With no disrespect to previous heavyweight line-ups this was the toughest, best quality heavyweight line-up the BNBF has ever seen.
Gus Fisher was fourth. He’s another frustrating one, as when he hits his condition, he’s scary-good, but he still needs to add more size to those legs to bring him up to a top three placing. His biceps are hugely-peaked, and he has depth and detail across the delts and pecs, but whilst his legs aren’t actually bad, they are very overshadowed by his upper body. I think his head went down a bit today. Miro Chynoradsky, in fifth, had a nice shape and promise, but needs further size to be a competitive heavyweight at the final, and he would have benefited from a better tan, whilst Fergal Mulroe showed good lats, but needs further development and condition to place higher at this level.

MISS PHYSIQUE (sponsored by Musclescience)

How refreshing to see nine ladies in a physique line-up! There is, I think, a common misconception about physique ladies, even amongst some of the girls themselves. The biggest girls don’t necessarily win. Today, it was the two tightest, hardest girls in the class who battled for top honours.
Marina Cornwall can always be relied upon to turn up to any contest she enters in top condition, and today was no exception. Tiny in stature, she nonetheless packs on a good amount of hard and deep muscle, and has become known for her steely-hard condition from top to toe, especially in the back and legs. Not many girls can equal Marina for condition, but on this day, Michele Gough was her equal. Taller than Marina, Michele had full muscle bellies, in particular, rounded shoulders, biceps and deep, carved triceps. Both girls had cuts and separations in their legs, although Marina’s were fuller, especially in the hamstrings, but Michele was fuller in the upper body. Both girls were detailed and striated across the back, but again, Michele was fuller and somehow more rounded, giving her a better taper. Tight as she was, Marina’s abs didn’t always come through, and I think this may have hurt her, as did her tan, which, compared to some of the other girls’, was a little on the light side during the afternoon, a problem she had addressed by the evening show. Marina has improved her presentation over the years and performed a sold routine on the night, but on this occasion, she was beaten into second by Michele, who, after many years of trying, finally won her coveted British title, and her Pro-card to boot. Marina has been invited to represent the BNBF at the amateur World Championships, so a Pro-card may yet be hers.
Taking third was a girl with a most impressive structure, in fact one of the most pleasing shapes in the class. Hazel Kidd has plenty of potential: very good back and shoulder width, small waist, complete with strong legs and calves. With her condition improved from the qualifier, especially leg separation, I’d like to see a little more arm and shoulder development, but a very good first year of competition for Hazel; Well done. In fourth was Dawn Roberts. Following her BNBF debut as a Figure competitor, it was felt that Dawn’s level of development was more suited to the physique class, and despite her initial reservations, Dawn pulled out all the stops to go for it in the final. She, like Hazel, has an outstanding shape – very wide shoulders, wide lats tapering to a tiny waist, and full thighs. Her routine was rousing; she was alternately perky, naughty, cheeky yet powerful in her presentation. By her own admission, Dawn still needs to tighten up further to bring out the separation, and to add size to her arms, but the look on her face when she heard her name called in fourth showed how happy she was. Definitely a good move in changing classes.
Sharon Simmons took sixth. She looks so composed, even serene on stage, which doubtless belies the nerves she probably feels. Sharon has all the size to hit the top spot, with particularly impressive legs and calves. Adding a little more back width would nip her waist in more, and she still needs to nail that condition; when she does, with that level of muscularity, she’ll be a serious contender for top spot. Rounding out the top six was Louise Court who was fifth, she was in very good condition; her abs were detailed without even flexing them, and she was hard and muscular all over. She was very aggressive throughout the compulsories and her routine, but she didn’t execute her compulsories particularly well, looking awkward in some of the poses ( especially the back double bicep, when she tends to lean over to one side at a strange angle, which is a pity, as Louise’s upper back and shoulders in particular are extremely muscular). Working on these aspects will see Louise place higher in future, but again a very good debut year.

OVERALL MR. – The Battle for the WNBF Pro Card (Sponsored by Musclescience)

The climax of the show brought together Eric Dowey, Ian Johnstone, Abdul Miah, Brandon Greenwood, Iain Smith, Vince Mwayi and Chris Nsbuga to draw swords for the coveted Pro card, and what a line-up it was; arguably the best over-all line up ever seen at a BNBF final. With no disrespect to the other fine competitors, it was immediately apparent that the leading contenders were Brandon, Vince and Chris. Big Chris had his outstanding symmetry and proportions, and had hit the form of his life; Vince had a depth and density to his muscularity that belied his middleweight status; Brandon presented deeply etched condition on his muscular, proportioned frame. After all their hard work to even qualify for the overall, it seemed cruel to put them through as many comparisons as they did, constantly changing their places in the line-up in relation to one another, but it was so close that it was the only way to separate them. To say it was close is an understatement, and any one of the top three contenders would have been a worthy choice, but, when the dust settled, it was a jubilant Chris Nsbuga who took the overall, and his Pro card at his third attempt.

And so the curtain fell once again on another successful year for the BNBF, a year which has culminated in the best BNBF Britain ever, both in terms of the number and the standard of competitor. Two new Pro’s were crowned, and based on their showing on this day, an amateur team was selected to accompany the Pro’s on their venture to the WNBF / INBF World championships in November 2005. The BNBF would like to thank the sponsors for their generosity, the competitors for their dedication and talent, and the audience for their support. None of this would be possible without an enormous amount of work by a team of friends and helpers who give up their time, free of charge to make the BNBF shows amongst the best, and most professionally-run shows in bodybuilding.

Report by Cheryl Myers