Garnell Nutrition BNBF Welsh Championships 2007- Report by Kerry Napier

One year on from an impressive inaugural running of the BNBF Welsh Championships, the BNBF crew returned to Wales and the Dolman Theatre in Newport to present the 2nd rendition of what will be an annual Welsh Championships.
With competitor numbers up 50% and a large and enthusiastic audience on hand, the picturesque Dolman Theatre was ready to house a fantastic event!!
The tireless backstage crew of Guy, Davy J, Gordon and Chris had everything shipshape and ready to go, the fantastic tanners: Will, Annie, Crow and Andrew Jackson, were all gloved up and hard at it, The Judges:PNBA pros Vicky McCann, Jakki Law, Chris Nsubuga, Pete Chown and your humble reporter were ready and waiting. And our much appreciated sponsors Garnell Nutrition had their logo (easy winner of most impressive banner to date) hoisted high above the stage.
The music rolled, the lights sparked on and it was time for what would be a memorable show.

UNDER 23’s Sponsored by ENROL-BNBF

The first competitors onstage were the future of the sport, the Young guns. The BNBF hierarchy had decided this year to increase the age limit on the junior class from 21 to 23. At the earlier Scottish qualifier this had led to a high quality field and here in Wales we were equally blessed. There was no Teen class on offer at today’s show but one 18 year old was on hand to defend his decade’s honour. 6 competitors took to the stage and after a hard close-fought battle the judges opted to invite 4 to this years British champs.
1st Place – Lanjul Stocks. The winner of our class was the youngest one. 18 year old Lanjul displayed incredible condition and separation in his muscles that allowed him to slay bigger and older rivals. His Back and Legs in particular were as detailed as any anatomy chart. Added to that this young guy had a great stage presence with professional posing, an energetic routine and a beaming smile which the audience couldn’t help but be captivated by. His delight at winning 1st place was great to see. Lanjul will be competing in the teenage class at the upcoming northern champs and will likely compete at the British in the teen class where he will be very hard to beat indeed.
2nd Place winner Lawrence King ran Lanjul very close. Lawrence had a big wide frame with plenty of muscle giving him a very symmetrical and well balanced physique. What he was missing today that stopped him from reaching the top spot was the necessary condition to display the musculature he clearly had. His legs in particular, although large, were lacking the detail needed to challenge for the top spot. Lawrence should take heart though he has the physique and he posed well, if he can whip himself into top condition for the British he be very competitive.
3rd Place went to Perri Mahmoud. Perri has a very pleasing physique will all the parts flowing into the next. He is a little bottom heavy though. He has very impressive leg development which unfortunately at this stage tends to overpower his upper body. When his upper body catches up with his lower half this guy is going to be very hard to beat. Added to that he is an excellent poser and performed an excellent routine which resulted in him being awarded the best Junior Presentation Award sponsored by BNBF ENROL. If that wasn’t enough his aforementioned legs were voted the best in show and he also went home with the BEST WHEELS trophy.
In 4th Place Peter Bullard displayed a physique that again didn’t have the upper body to match some very well developed legs. In most bodybuilder’s legs are the hardest thing to build, so he is at an advantage over most competitors already, so when his upper body fills out he is going to find himself placing much higher!!

Ben Jenkins had a terrific set of guns and a powerful chest. He wasn’t in good condition though and his back and legs weren’t well displayed due to this. If he comes to his next contest in shape he will be challenging for the higher places.
James Adshead has an excellent shape and a strong upper body. His legs need improving though and a poor tan didn’t help to display his physique to its best. If he works on his legs, improves his condition and tan then he has the symmetry to do very well.

With these young blokes at the helm the future of Natural Bodybuilding in Britain looks very secure.

NOVICES sponsored by Total Sports Nutrition

1st Place Ryan Smith was in a word HUGE!!! Tall and with a massively muscled upper body. Easily the biggest bodybuilder I have seen on a Natural stage and that includes the likes of WNBF Heavyweight champ Ben Tennison. This guy was plain freaky!! A huge domed chest, massive arms, a thick upper body and gallows tree shoulders. Perhaps his back wasn’t a match for his front but it was impressive none the less. His only weakness was his legs. It wasn’t that they were small but just as a complete novice to a bodybuilding stage he didn’t know how to pose them correctly. Once this is corrected then its goodbye to all the heavyweight competitors out there. Ryan has a very bright future in Natural Bodybuilding!!!

2nd Place went to Ministerica Cordreany aka ‘Mini’. Mini fortunately doesn’t live up to his nickname. He was unlucky on the day to come up against a lump like Ryan as he displayed a very impressive physique for the novice ranks. He is very wide, with a strong upper body particularly Chest and Arms. His legs though like so many others today had the size without the separation, I think though in Mini’s case a lot of that was due to lack of experience in how to pose them as every now and then glimpses of detail would spring forth from them. Mini has the physique so with work on his posing and condition he can be successful in the BNBF.
3rd Place went to a delighted Ed Karikari. Ed has the classic X-frame, wide shoulders and back, narrow hips and sweeping quads. He still needs to add mass to his upper body though to challenge for top spots. He does very well in the symmetry round but is still a little too slight to be competitive in the muscularity round. This was also further hindered by a blurry coat of oil. With more muscle and separation on top of his god given shape he will place higher. I’ll also add that his routine was excellent, very fluid and graceful.
4th Place winner and the last of the Britain invites in this class was Justin Manning. When Justin walked onto stage my eyes were drawn straight to him. He was shredded and his upper torso was chiselled and extremely powerful looking. Alas like many novice’s his posing, particularly of his legs, wasn’t very good. In the pre-judging he did all he could to hide his impressive physique. Fortunately he did give the judges enough looks, particularly in a strong evening routine, for them to see that he warranted a high placing and an Invite to the British. As I said to Justin on the day if he practices his posing and brings his legs up some, a trip to Edinburgh in the autumn could be very profitable for him.
Harj Minkas was perhaps just a little over conditioned as he looked a tad stringy onstage. He still displayed a very separated upper body. He needs more thickness and bigger legs to break into the top positions. He could also benefit from a more relaxed onstage demeanour.
Antonio Marques was just back from holiday after his 2nd place finish at the Scottish Qualifier. What Antonio should learn from this show is that he really needs to be in tip-top condition to be competitive.
Dominic Boardman had a great time onstage, a thoroughly entertained the crowd with his ‘rubber-legs’ routine to Mr. Bombastic. He needs to improve his condition though.

Masters sponsored by Key performance Nutrition

1st Place went to Mr X-frame Mark Houghton. Mark was in great condition. He had a fantastic shape with wide shoulders and flaring quads. His legs were well detailed and his calves were thick too. His physique was excellently balanced, with every muscle group complimenting the next. His muscle separation front on was superb, he wasn’t as sharp from the rear though, but I would attribute that more to the fact that he was a little flat on the day than to a lack of muscle in the area. Excellent posing and a polished routine helped to cement his 1st place.
2nd Place went to the excellent Jeff Worgan. Jeff was in fantastic shape and pushed Mark all the way in this competition. In the end he just couldn’t match Mark’s natural width and symmetry. Jeff was heavily muscled, and his muscles were very well defined. His condition was spot-on too and he did everything he could on the day to push Mark for 1st place. His only real weaknesses were in the hamstrings and quads, where he could look a little soft. Jeff will do very well in any masters competition and if Mark turns up a little down on what he was today, then Jeff could very easily overturn this one at the British.
3rd Place Christopher Williams. Christopher had a very good upper body and was in very condition front on. Unfortunately his legs and back were a bit soft which stopped him from getting into the mix and challenge the top 2. His standout parts were his arms and shoulders and he had a very strong most muscular pose.
Top 3 in this class were invited to the Britain but also invited to compete in the Over 50’s category at the British finals was today’s over 50’s champion Patrick Duffey. Patrick has a lot of muscle with a wide back and large thick legs. Patrick wasn’t in as good condition today as I have seen him but I’m sure he can rectify that before the Finals.
Simon Owen took 4th with a wide muscular physique. He had impressive arms but wasn’t in the condition required to challenge for an invite.
Bryn Norman rounded out the field. He certainly seemed to have lots of fun but has a lot of dieting and training to do before he can really start to enjoy being on stage.

Guest Star- Garnell Nutrition sponsored athlete Pete Chown

Pete Chown winner of last years INBA Mr. Universe title and Britain’s newest PNBA Pro wowed the audience with a rocking guest spot. Pete is renowned for his incredible leg development but I feel that his upper body is definitely finally catching up with those mighty pins. As such he is certain to be a contender when he makes his debut in the PNBA.

Miss Figure sponsored by Steve’s Gym Devon

Steve had apparently requested to sponsor this class in particular, and who can blame him as when the time came to present the trophies he got to do so to 3 beautiful women. All 3 competitors were invited to this year’s British from what was a very competitive class.
1st Place after much deliberation was finally awarded to Aleksandra Fowler. Aleksandra had the classic long flowing , toned, elegant physique of the Figure girl. Beautifully proportioned with nice separation in her muscles and good condition in both her upper body and legs, all she really lacked was a bit more width in her back. Unfortunately for Aleksandra her music failed to play for her evening routine, but unperturbed she presented a graceful and subtle routine that perfectly highlighted her qualities. She even did the splits.
2nd Place Anita Albrecht. Anita had travelled all the way from the middle-east to take part in today’s show yet regardless of that presented herself wonderfully. She had the most muscle of the 3 girls in the class with good balance throughout. Her upper body muscles were well defined in particular her excellent back shots. Unfortunately for Anita although her legs were well muscled and shapely they were a bit too soft, especially from the rear. Anita has a great body and if she dieted a little harder would make an excellent physique competitor because her physique is so well balanced. Anita’s routine was very high energy and sassy and deservedly won her the Female Best Presentation Award sponsored by 247 bodybuilding.
3rd Place Wendy Newman. Wendy’s physique was a bit slighter than the other 2 competitors. She was in excellent condition, particularly in the evening when she was much dryer which allowed her detail to show through much more, particularly in her shoulders and arms. Again she posed gracefully and only needs a little more mass to be a real contender in the figure class.

Mr. Lightweight sponsored by Savant Distribution

The lightweight class was on next and proved to be a great battle for 1st place between 2 excellent physiques. These two were invited to the British where I’m sure they will renew their rivalry.
1st Place Steven Morris. Steven took this class with a wide, well conditioned, thick and muscular body. He was very dry which allowed his big muscles to be clearly defined. He had a great flare to his Quads, a tight waist, a thick powerful back and bazooka arms, which given his condition looked phenomenal with etched triceps and long biceps. The biggest compliment I can pay Steven is that he reminded me a great deal of the ‘diamond’ Dean Garratt’s physique. With bigger arms, but slightly less impressive legs. All in all though an excellent lightweight.
2nd Place David Bloch battled Steven all the way. He was excellently conditioned again with a wide well proportioned physique. His Upper body muscles were full, hard and well defined. Where he eventually fell short of Steven was that his Legs lacked the size and separation of his rival and he was blockier in the mid-section which affected his symmetry. With more leg mass he could reverse the result. An impressive showing.
3rd & 4th were a little down on the top 2. Daniel Phillips took 3rd. He was in very condition but he needed more size particularly in his legs to worry the top 2. Fraser Pullin in 4th was similar to Daniel. Again he was in good condition but he was a little slight. More mass all over added to that condition will improve his placing in future.

Mr. Middleweight sponsored by www.pronaturalmuscle.com

Only 2 competitors in this class but for me it was the hardest class to judge. Both competitors had strengths and weaknesses and in the end the result came down to the evening show. Both these guys will be going to the British.
1st Place Clive West. Clive had a very wide muscular body which was in excellent condition. He posed very well which helped him show off the detail in his upper body, and also get the most out of the detail in his legs. His legs were a bit down on his upper body but he posed well allowing him to look pretty well-balanced. His routine in the evening was excellent. The only person to utilise any sort of prop, with white tape on his face he posed to a classic Adam Ant track. For this he won the Male Best Presentation award sponsored by Jan Tana/247 Bodybuilding. This display coupled with the fact his condition had improved the most from the pre-judging gave him the edge and 1st place.
2nd Place Matt Bembridge. Matt ran clive right down to the wire, in the end Clive’s condition pipped him. Matt was very wide and symmetrical, his wide back, shoulders and legs gave him a classic X shape. He needed a bit more upper body mass but he was well detailed and balanced. He also posed very well and he also did a very polished routine. In the end it was Matt’s shape and muscle against Clive’s muscle and condition. With better condition at the British he could very well turn this one around.

Mr. Heavyweight sponsored by Evolution Gym Sheffield

1st Place Yoyo Butler. Last years host Yoyo donned the posing trunks for this years show and swept to a deserved heavyweight victory. In excellent condition he displayed a very impressive upper body, which was both thick and detailed. His Back and Side on poses were particularly impressive. His legs like so many today lagged somewhat behind his top half, and to do well at the British he will need to rectify this. Yoyo was super dry in the evening and clearly revelled in performing before his home crowd. His delight when 2nd place was announced was clear for all to see.
2nd Place Sean Ferguson. 2003 BNBF Lightweight Champion and on the comeback trail, Sean competed here today with the sole objective being to qualify for this years British Final. He achieved this though his Natural structure was hidden by a lack of condition due to an almost life threatening illness in the run up to this show. His evening routine to chumbawambas- I get knocked down, was very apt. Regardless of his condition he displayed his physique well, showing off his great stage presence and his super-peaked biceps. Hopefully Sean will suffer no more setbacks on his prep for this years finals where in condition he will be a contender.
3rd Place Grant Sullivan moved to this class from the masters. He was too soft to contest for the two qualifying spots. In better condition his big arms and shoulders could do more damage.

Miss Physique sponsored by Crystal Feeva

Two girls contested this class and both were of a sufficient standard to warrant an invite to this years Finals. Again even though there were only 2 girls this was a really tight class and the final decision was very close.
1st Place Jane Millar. Jane’s 1st ever competition ended in victory. Jane had gotten herself into excellent condition, which really complemented her shape and musculature. Her upper body muscle’s were very defined. Especially her shoulders, arms and back. She lacked the mass of her opponent but her condition counter-acted this. Her legs were down on the rest of her and not as detailed but they were shapely which stopped it from hindering her symmetry. She posed well for a first timer and can only get better. With greater leg detail coupled with her excellent upper body she will challenge at the finals.
2nd Place Sharon Simmons. Sharon had the greater mass on her physique but looked a bit blockier than her opponent. She wasn’t as conditioned for the pre-judging but had improved considerably by the evening which gave her the evening show on this judges card. With a wide well shaped back, good separation in her quads and big shapely calves and a detailed mid-section. She certainly looked the part in the evening, she just needs to peak earlier to improve her placing.

Overall Mr sponsored by Garnell Nutrition

So to round off the days competition the winners of the male classes gathered onstage to find out who would be going home with the last and most impressive Trophy on the stand, and more importantly the coveted title of BNBF Welsh Overall Champion 2007.
From the start 3 men stood out and it would be between them that the battle would be fought. Novice Ryan Smith had his gargantuan mass and couldn’t be over looked but his weak leg posing eventually would knock him out of the running. This left Master Mark Houghton and Lightweight Steven Morris fighting it out. Mark had the symmetry, Steven the muscle mass and condition. In the end the condition would swing it Stevens’s way. Added to his thick, muscled physique and his superior leg development in the end there was a deserving winner.
Steven Morris 2007 BNBF Welsh Overall Champion.
So another excellent BNBF show came to an end. The spectators drifted away, competitors left some Up some Down. Some wandered down to give Urine samples to the ever eager Davy Jay, whose work with the drug testing is what makes the BNBF the level playing field it is for competitors!!!
Rachel Hayes turned off her mike after an excellent performance hosting the show. Well done Rachael!!!
The BNBF crew speedily dismantled the venue day-dreaming of the Chinese to come, and the tanning crew bemoaned their multi-coloured hands whilst trying to touch everyone with them. And I had a big tub of Flumps that the competitors had graciously forgotten to eat!!