Photos by Eric Guy Click on class for pics of each class!

 

BNBF British Championships 2008

Report by Brian Lewis

 

It is hard to believe that already a year has passed since Raymond James and Jane Carter became the BNBF’s newest pro bodybuilders. However, here we were again with Glasgow’s SECC playing host to over 90 competitors which is a phenomenal number considering last years competition had a staggering 71 competitors on the day. These numbers are incredible and are testament to how far the BNBF have come since its fruition in 2000. This was the 9th British Finals so far and I don’t think I was quite prepared to encounter such a high standard. My jaw hit the floor more than once upon witnessing some incredible line-ups, which had me scribbling frantically, as I tried to translate into words what my eyes could hardly believe!

 

Masters over 60’s

Sponsored by www.cnpprofessional.co.uk

 

The first line-up of the day and this class is now held in memory of the late great Eric Morris, a former champion and regular figure in this class. So, with 5 competitors, the show got underway. Among them the ever-present Ted Clifton, last year’s winner David Brice, Eric Dowey who was last years runner up as well as a former Champion, Ronnie Cooney via qualification as this years Scottish winner, and last but not least Paul Phillips having qualified via victory over David Brice at this years Southern qualifier.

 

In 5th place was Ted Clifton. At 66 years old, Ted competes in at least half a dozen shows each year! Ted is in great shape for a man his age but doesn’t quite have the amount of muscle or favourable genetic shape to contend with some of his opponents but he makes the most of his time on-stage and the crowd always appreciate his efforts.

 

In 4th place was David Brice. The defending champion has a decent structure and good upper body but is a little week in the legs, which he didn’t get away with today as his condition wasn’t quite there. He was very lean but the standard in this class was so high, any slight weakness was severely punished.

 

In 3rd place was Ronnie “The Diamond” Cooney. As soon as this class came out my eyes were drawn to him straight away. Although the smallest competitor in the class, he was in superb condition and well balanced top to toe. He had great detail showing throughout his physique, shredded quads and plenty of diced muscle everywhere else too! I actually had Ronnie 1st and I’m sure he was a little disappointed but he accepted his placing like a gent.

 

In 2nd place was Eric “Evergreen” Dowey. Great shape, shredded hamstrings and quads, and a fantastic poser, Eric has real charisma on-stage. The Grand-daddy of the BNBF was right up there and even at his 72 years showed he is more than capable of ruffling a few of these younger guys feathers!

 

In 1st place was Paul Phillips, huge in stature, with broad shoulders tapering into a neat waist, and a superb most muscular shot. Great posing routine too as this class set the trend for several competitors using props on the day, as Paul did with his top-hat, collar and cuffs. For me, I wasn’t quite sure if he had quite the condition to take top honours but the judges must have decided he had the most complete package on the day.

 

Masters over 50’s

Sponsored by www.monstergym.co.uk

 

Next up, the over 50’s with 6 competitors. Defending champion Rick Waters was in for a tough time today as this class had some top opposition.

 

In 5th place was Tommy Campion, an experienced competitor, here through qualifying at the Central. Tommy was in great condition and has added a little more mass since I last saw him compete a few years ago. He’s still a little weak in the legs but his shoulders and chest looked great- full and vascular and his abs were razor sharp.

 

In 4th place was George “The Razor” Kerr, this year and last year’s Scottish champ. George was in great shape and looked nice and full. I’ve seen him a little sharper before but at the sacrifice of a little fullness. I prefer what he brought to the stage today albeit at the expense of the razor sharp glutes he has wowed us with before.

 

In 3rd place was Denton Wilson aka, Mr Boombastic! Denton always gets in really good condition, but he’s a little blocky in the legs and they don’t seem to separate well even when his top half is so conditioned. However, at over 50, he has an upper body that is incredible, full thick muscle bellies and well balanced. His posing routines are always hugely entertaining too and he seems to have added in a few extra manoeuvres since the last time I saw him.

 

In 2nd place was Rick Waters. This is the best I’ve seen Rick for a few years. While keeping all his thickness and fullness he was in great condition. Great arms and his huge thick chest on his prominent rib cage looked incredible in his side poses. There wasn’t much in it between the top two so Rick shouldn’t be too disheartened from his unsuccessful defence of the title.

 

In 1st place was Martin Duckett. A phenomenal structure with full thick muscle belly’s, well balanced and in great condition. His old school type physique with a big rib-cage and sweeping quads, really ticked a lot of boxes for me but he could have posed better. He didn’t quite commit to a lot of poses and may even have been a little lucky that it didn’t cost him. However, if he makes improvements in this area he may be the man to beat in this category for many years to come.

 

Also competing was: -

Peter Middleton – not in bad shape but the standard in this class was so high he was never really in the mix even though he has plenty of muscle and a nice shape. Better condition from Peter and I’m sure he could get among the placings in future.

 

Masters over 40’s

Sponsored by www.monstergym.co.uk

 

Another incredible line-up with Rodger Waters back defending his title. 13 competitors were on the stage and once the top 5 had been decided, it was hard to believe the names that were left unplaced!

 

In 5th place was Lazaro Almenares. One of the smallest guys in the class but truly shredded and enjoying every second on-stage as he milked every moment. Well balanced with plenty of muscle packed on his small frame, he was hugely entertaining and the only time his huge grin disappeared, but only for a moment, was when he was called out for 5th place.

 

In 4th place was Mark Houghton. Mark possesses a fantastic X-shape and was in good condition. Lots of muscle on his frame and nice flaring quads for such a tall man, Mark may feel a little unlucky to place as he did but there wasn’t much to separate places 2nd-4th.

 

In 3rd place was Andy Hallahan. Andy presented a nice balanced physique and good condition. He often seemed to pinch his shoulders together though, narrowing him in the front and rear relaxed pose. However, he has plenty of dense muscle and big thick abs and if he improves on his posing he’ll be in the mix again next year.

 

In 2nd place was Henry Elsom. Henry has a great structure, low lats, and was in good condition which if improved upon could make him a real contender next year. He’s got some great poses in the bag too, especially his side chest. A little fortunate to place 2nd I think, but as I said 2nd-4th place was very tight.

 

In 1st place was Rodger Waters. The biggest guy in the class by far, he was absolutely diced! Shredded glutes, thickness everywhere, cannonball biceps and flaring quads which were well separated. He’s not quite the most pleasing physique, with high lat attachments and a physique that doesn’t quite flow but he’s just so damn big!

 

Also competing was: -

Rick Bannaghan - who was last year’s runner-up. A torn pec didn’t quite detract from an otherwise nice frame and great posing but today he wasn’t in the sort of condition needed to contend. Charlie McKee - whose upper body from the front is incredible and a back which has almost caught-up, still needs to bring the legs up to match. Lee Ottey – great chest, great width and overall shape, may be a little light in the arms and just needs more condition. John Rafferty – great shape, similar condition to his Scottish win, deeps cut flaring quads but even John was struggling in this class of exceptional standard. Davie Reid – a former Britain runner up and 2 time Scottish champion hadn’t quite brought his best to the stage and couldn’t believe how the standard had improved since he last stepped on stage at a British finals in 2006. Peter Sampson – this year’s Northern winner who never seems to pose that well which is a shame as he should be looking to place high in this category. Paul Todd – chiselled abs but a little soft form the rear. And Jeffrey Worgan - who had a decent physique, nice abs and plenty of muscle, but again the standard was just too high.

 

Teens

Sponsored by Gracemount Gym
http://www.bebo.com/Profile.jsp?MemberId=5093091003

 

Ritchie Hopper was back to defend his title against 3 other competitors in this class. And as we always say, the future of the sport looks more than secure judging by the standard we’ve been seeing, not only today but in all the qualifiers this year.

 

In 4th place was Ben Davies. Nice shape, and well balance with no particularly weak body-parts and a great most muscular pose from Ben. I think he was a little soft but he has great potential to do well in future.

 

In 3rd place was James Cumming. For me James had the best back in the class, along with great width tapering into a tiny waste, topped off with nicely capped delts. He was also in good condition but this was a tough class on the day.

 

In 2nd place was Luke Seabrook. Luke was in good condition and is a very competent poser with a particularly impressive side chest shot. His posing routine was also very impressive as he commanded the stage and posed with control and composure.

 

In 1st place was Ritchie Hopper. A successful defence and a worthy winner as Ritchie was in great condition. The last time I saw Ritchie on-stage was at the 2006 Northern qualifier and its great to see that he has made good improvements to his physique as well as improved his presentation. It will be interesting to watch his progress over the next few years as I think he could be a real contender as a lightweight in years to come. No pressure Ritchie!

 

Juniors

Sponsored by Enterprise Health and Fitness Gym, Glasgow

 

Andrew “Mushy” Chappell was another competitor coming back to defend his title. This class promised to be something special as earlier in the year Robert Waterhouse had blown the competition out of the water at the Scottish with a physique that many seasoned competitors would sell their Granny for.

 

In 5th place was Anthony Hague. A little narrow shouldered but Anthony is pretty tall which can often exaggerate a lack in width. However, Anthony was in excellent condition with a particularly good chest and sharp abs. His posing routine was also very impressive as he incorporated some gymnastic manoeuvres showing off his agility and athleticism.

 

In 4th place was Ashley Smith. Ashley displayed really nice dry, crisp condition and despite being one of the taller guys had mega width with a great chest and nice capped delts. He seemed to hunch his shoulders at times though, detracting from an otherwise impressive physique. Get working on the posing Ashley!

 

In 3rd place was Shyamenda Purslow. Shyamenda really caught my eye when he first came out as he has such a fantastic structure, even though facially he looked about 14 years old! Nice flaring quads, wasp waist and wide shoulders. Dare I say, almost a mini Nigel Davis-no pressure wee man. Not quite as developed as Mushy or Robert but he held his own and looked delighted to receive his 3rd place.

 

In 2nd place was Andrew Chappell. The defending champion was toppled but had battled all the way in what was a very close call. Mushy had shown up in great condition, vascular as ever and had certainly made further improvements since last years triumph. Its goes to show the standard when someone with Mushy’s shape, symmetry and muscle has to settle for 2nd place.

 

In 1st place was Robert Waterhouse. Robert really put a spanner in the works at this year’s first qualifier as he stepped on-stage looking monstrous and he had tightened up a little more since his Scottish victory while also making improvements to his posing. Robert’s got great wheels and muscle thickness everywhere and the new junior champ looked delighted to take 1st spot.

 

Also competing was: -

Stephen Burke – a wee bit soft but good shape. Also needs to bring the legs up a little. Anthony Francoisy – also a little soft but tonnes of muscle on a nice structure. Lee Frapple – great quad sweep, really nice shape and particularly good front double bicep pose but needs better condition. Flavio Mendonca – Good condition but a bit imbalanced top to bottom. Really good side poses though. Jason Rose – Great chest, shoulder and arm development, but a little high in the lats and needs to improve condition.

 

Miss Figure

Sponsored by www.extremenutrition.co.uk

 

Now with a Pro Card up for grabs, there really is a lot more incentive for the ladies competing in this class to get themselves in top shape and get a chance to compete against some of the top Miss Figure competitors stateside.

 

In 5th place was Trudy Wood. Great presentation from Trudy, flawless tan and immaculate posing. Trudy stepped on-stage in her best shape so far and hopefully she won’t be too disappointed at her placing. There was not a lot to separate some of the girls as they all had extremely different shapes.

 

In 4th place was KT Coates. Nice shape and good posing too, apart from a slightly awkward front-relaxed pose. Needs to tone a little more and in pre-judging I felt her tan look a little peculiar, but this was rectified by the evening and KT performed an entertaining and adventurous posing routine which the audience lapped up.

 

In 3rd place was Layla Docherty. Layla was a little too conditioned on this occasion, having come in leaner again since her win at the Scottish where arguably she may have already been too lean. She looked a little stringy and didn’t pose to the standard which we have been used to seeing her and this really cost her. However, she has an ideal shape and structure for this category and hopefully we can see her at her best next year.

 

In 2nd place was Claire Harper. Really nice condition from Claire and particularly good posing in her t-walk. Claire is quite tall with thin limbs and with a little extra muscle on her frame would complete a great figure and make her tough to beat in future.

 

In 1st place was Heather Smith. A great win for Heather who had the most complete package on the day. A really well balanced figure and in the right condition for this category. I thought she looked a little awkward during her t-walk but she performed well in the evening show and executed a nice controlled posing routine. The first BNBF Pro Figure!

 

Also competing was: -

Katie Dykes – nice width, neat waist but needs a little more muscle on her upper body. T-walk poses could have been better but nice tan and performed an elegant posing routine. Deb Francis – a little too much tan and needs a little more muscle on her frame, but nice posing and good t-walk poses. And, Julia Rayner – Needs to stop rounding her shoulders as this detracts from her overall shape but nice back poses and needs to work on more leg tone.

 

Novice

Sponsored by www.bodytonewarehouse.co.uk

 

This class promised to be another great prospect with some outstanding novices being unearthed at this years earlier qualifiers, in particular David Kaye from the Scottish and Jason Meek from the Central.

 

In 5th place was Peter MacDougall. One of the best conditioned athletes in the class, and showed this off well with controlled posing. Peter is well balanced and was also extremely vascular with deeply separated quads, shredded glutes and fantastic detail everywhere. Although the smallest competitor in the class, Peter held his own as he was sandwiched in the line-up between monsters Kaye and Meek!

 

In 4th place was Alex Prescott. Alex was in really good condition, complete with tight hamstrings and thick hanging lats, but his posing was really poor in all rounds which was a real shame as his physique was exceptional. If Alex can get himself along to a few BNBF clubs and get help with his posing he’ll prove to be a really good heavyweight.

 

In 3rd place was Nick Montgomery. Nick was in great condition with feathered quads and great back detail. He also has a really nice structure and performed a graceful controlled posing routine, displaying all manner of classic poses.

 

In 2nd place was Jason Meek. As soon as Jason came out on-stage I thought, here we have our winner! He was the one of the biggest guys in the class, well balanced, diced condition and no real weakness anywhere, either structurally or in muscle development. Then he began pose. One of the worst posers on the day which is such a shame as this monster could have been in real contention for today’s overall prize.

 

In 1st place was David Kaye. What really separated David from Jason was presentation. He can hit the shots and doesn’t forget to squeeze everything at the same time. I thought David looked that little bit better than he had done at the Scottish, a little bit drier, especially in pre-judging. And although a little out-massed by Jason, David’s posed his fantastic x-shape to the best of his abilities, showing of his huge sweeping quads and thick tapered upper body effortlessly.

 

Also competing was: -

Steve Bonner – good abs, nice shape and decent condition. Needs to work on his presentation and may fair better. Daniel Awolola – a little soft but good structure. Another who needs to pose better, mainly to squeeze that bit harder to bring out more detail. Rob Harris – off condition but loads of muscle, especially good quads and calves. And, Martin Pedro – tan was a little light but fantastic condition which wasn’t quite shown off due to poor posing. Great side poses from Martin though.

 

Lightweight Mr.

Sponsored by www.maximuscle.com

 

I had only managed to see one qualifier for myself this year, that being the Scottish, at which the lightweight standard was superb. Also with the number of quality lightweights competing these last few years, I thought this class was going to be a blinder. Unfortunately, a couple of athletes that I was particularly interested in hadn’t quite brought the same package to the British stage.

 

In 5th place was Darren Loxton. Darren has a neat structure and was in good condition. Not heavily muscled but a good balance of everything. If Darren can make steady consistent gains over the next few years I’m sure we’ll see him steadily climbing placings.

 

In 4th place was Dave Pownall. Nice condition from Dave but a little light with the tan at pre-judging. Dave has a really pleasing structure from the front but he’s a little 2-dimensional, there is not a lot of thickness front to back which is something he needs to work particularly hard on, especially as he has a very flat rib-cage which over emphasizes a lack in thickness. However, Dave’s got great legs and barn-door wide shoulders which complement his neat waist and polished presentation.

 

In 3rd place was Liam McKeon. Great condition from Liam, huge quads too but let down a little at times by poor posing. Liam is so heavily muscled, easily carrying the most muscle in the class but his rugged structure is a little blocky round the waist, which detracts from an otherwise impressive physique.

 

In 2nd place was Jason Barnett. Former winner of this class, Supernatural Jason Barnett, hasn’t made much of an impact in the finals for a few years but he was in top shape and presented himself superbly. Jason commanded the audiences attention as he performed his posing routine with effortless control.

 

In 1st place was Barry Cunliffe. Barry was in top condition, shredded top to toe, vascular as hell with full thick muscles. His posing has come on a great deal over the last few years and this has also made a huge difference to his placings. He was the bridesmaid last year and this year he made it all the way.

 

Also competing was: -

Helder Barroso – great condition, really good upper body but very weak in the legs showing obvious imbalance, good poser though. Philip Bell – great structure but way down on condition from his Scottish win. Chris Flanagan – Great chest and has made some major improvements to his condition but still needs to work on his leg development. Stuart McCulloch – probably only a few pounds from the same condition he showed at the Scottish but being lightly muscled needs to be 100% to be in the mix. And, Felix McAlinden – I thought a little down on condition after a long season for the journeyman!

 

Miss Physique Class 1 (lightweight)

Sponsored by www.muscletalk.co.uk

 

A brand new category, and hopefully much less of a headache for the judges, or so it should have been. This promised to be interesting viewing with last years runner-up looking for top honours.

 

In 4th place was Carol Adams. Carol was the victor in this years earlier Scottish qualifier and had brought a similar package to the stage. She was in good shape but her petite structure just lacks a little muscle density especially in her upper body.

 

In 3rd place was Dawn Roberts. Dawn’s natural shape gives her an advantage straight away and if she was a shade harder she may well have sneaked in a place higher. With enough muscle on her frame and great presentation Dawn will always be in the mix in this new category.

 

In 2nd place was Sandra Mounsey. Really nice condition from Sandra, showing some nice separation in her upper body but marginally lost out on mass. Really good posing too and hopefully she will be back on-stage in this class again next year.

 

In 1st place was Sarah Meek. Sarah was in great shape, really well balanced and plenty of muscle. Fantastic posing too, displaying a great front and rear lat spread. Sarah was well deserving of her win and could look forward to the overall.

 

Also competing was: -

Crow Dillon-Parkin – improved from the Scottish and looking more assured on stage but still a little imbalanced with work to do on the lower body. And, Sandi Griffin – great front double bicep pose but a little down on condition.

 

Middleweight Mr.

Sponsored by Udo’s Oil - www.savant-health.com

 

With a few athletes either dropping to lightweights or moving up to the heavies, this class was reduced to 4 competitors. All of these guys were in great shape and among them were both last years runner-up and 3rd place finisher, as well as this years Scottish middleweight champion. A couple of these guys had locked horns a few times during the past few years and a great battle ensued.

 

In 4th place was Spencer Dugmore. This guy had the biggest shoulders I think I’ve ever seen! So wide and powerful looking but they messed up his symmetry and even though he posed well and was in really good condition, the standard was just too high. The rest of Spencer’s physique was well developed with nothing particularly lagging but if he can somehow lay off the shoulders for a few years he should expect to do better.

 

In 3rd place was Tissot Regis. For me the best structure in the class but not quite conditioned enough - in good shape but not shredded. Everything about Tissot’s physique just flows and muscle hangs there like it was put there on purpose. Blessed with genetic structure and orb-like muscle bellies, all Tissot needs now is to get a few pounds lighter and he’ll blow most middleweights away.

 

In 2nd place was Daz Cooper. Daz was in great condition, shredded full thick muscles, vascularity everywhere and phenomenal sweeping quads. Really good presentation from Daz but his rugged, dense physique is ever so slightly imbalanced by his gargantuan quads and he may lose out in the symmetry round because of this. However, it was impossible not to be impressed by Daz’s physique on the day.

 

In 1st place was Darren Vernon. Really sharp condition from Darren and like Tissot, incredible ellipses of thick muscle bellies. Another physique that flows so well from top to bottom, and well displayed with great presentation showing off everything beautifully. It looked so close between 1st and 2nd place but shape and symmetry favoured over rugged mass on the day.

 

Miss Physique Class 2 (heavyweight)

Sponsored by www.monstermuscle.co.uk

 

The second phase of the new category with several of last years top finalists back for more.

In 4th place was Flick Williams. Flick has a very pleasing structure and her upper body was in decent condition but she’s still a little bottom heavy. Really nice presentation from Flick though and is certainly one to watch out for in future.

In 3rd place was Donna Jenkins. Donna had particularly good upper body condition with great arms and shoulders as well as great detail showing through in her legs in the side poses. This was a tough class and not much separated the top 3.

In 2nd place was Helen Thwaites. For me, Helen had the best shape and structure in the class. Good posing too and at the evening show she performed an entertaining gymnastic posing routine. If she had been a little sharper she would have taken this class.

In 1st place was Annabel Ottey. Annabel was in great condition and well balanced for such a tall competitor, with a wide back and sweeping quads. Loads of muscle on her nice frame and won this class with her superior condition.

Also competing was: -

Evelyn Day – good abs and plenty of muscle on her but a little better condition required for next time. And, Katie Swenson – again, decent amount of muscle but needs better condition.

Heavyweight Mr.

Sponsored by www.planetbodybuildonline.co.uk

In recent years many of the usual suspects in this class have managed to win their Pro Card so there was a fresh new crop of big lads in this class out to wow the audience, and hopefully the judges too.

In 5th place was Jon Clark. Jon was in decent condition but was simply out-massed today. I think Jon should have a couple of years away from competing, train like a beast, and get himself ready to be a master. A great physique but still lacking leg size and hasn’t made any real improvements for a few years.

In 4th place was Alistair Stewart. Alistair was in good condition and has a decent shape. Has a particularly good front double bicep pose but seemed to lean back a little too much at times when executing some of the front poses. Some great side poses though, really complemented by good condition.

In 3rd place was Martin Jukes. Martin looked a little off to me, hence why he was in the heavies, but he was absolutely huge. I don’t think we’ve seen him at his best for a while but he seems to have gained a shed load of muscle over the last few years. If his quads were any bigger he wouldn’t have made it through the front door, and his most muscular is simply monstrous.

In 2nd place was William “The Hulk” Uelese. Will has great structure and is nicely balanced, he was also in really good condition and with a few more pounds off he would have been absolutely diced. Will has so much quality muscle on his enormous frame and was right in contention all the way in this class. I can’t wait to see him on stage again.

In 1st place was Marias Alcide. One of the shorter guys in the class but Marius has an incredible shape with tonnes of dense thick muscle all over. Shoulders as wide as anyone of the taller guys around him and phenomenal sweeping quads descending from a neat waist. He could have been a little sharper though as his abs didn’t show through well in many of the poses, despite clear separation showing everywhere else. It was almost a little weird to see how conditioned his legs were but for him to have such blurry abs. However, he had too much of everything else for that to get in his way and Marius was crowned the heavyweight champ for 2008.

Also competing was: -

Chris Bolger – moved up from the middles, nice condition and overall structure, with more lower body mass he could be in the mix for top placings in years to come. And, Mathew Allen – a bit soft and overshadowed by some quality physiques in the class.

Overall Miss Physique

Sarah Meek and Annabel Ottey could finally go head to head in the new format and decide once and for all who was this years winner. There was not a lot to compare in terms of symmetry as both were strong in this area but Annabel had the edge in the muscularity round. Sarah ran her so close but in the end the finer detail in Annabel’s physique shone through and was enough to crown her this years new pro. As her name was announced she looked stunned but she thoroughly deserved her win on the day.

Annabel Ottey - Overall Miss Physique 2008

Best Wheels – Rodger Waters

Best Guns – Rodger Waters!

Best Presentation – Jason Barnett!

Best Presentation - Trudy Woods!

Overall Mr.

This class was to prove a major headache for the judges with all the class winners taking to the stage, all different shapes and sizes. For me the standouts straight away were Rodger Waters (over 40’s), David Kaye (novice), Darren Vernon (middleweight), and Marius Alcide (heavyweight). Rodger Waters for sheer mass and diced condition. David Kaye for his amazing structure and flowing shape, Darren Vernon for his flowing muscle bellies and immaculate condition. And Marius for his dense thick well balanced muscle packed on his exceptional frame. This decision was so close that no-one would really have been surprised if any one of these guys took top honours.

After much deliberation the judges awarded Darren Vernon this years title as Mens Overall British Champion and Darren froze as he tried to absorb the news. A worthy winner and no-one could argue that he didn’t deserve it. Having performed so consistently since coming on the scene in 2005, Darren had now acquired the most coveted prize in British Natural Bodybuilding

Darren Vernon - Overall British Champion 2008