Photos by Eric Guy to follow

 

Sponsored by LA Muscle
Report by David Kaye

The penultimate qualifier of the 2009 season saw the BNBF march onwards to St Albans for the 7th annual rendition of the Central championships. For the 5th year running, the grandiose Alban Arena would play host to what has traditionally been a very energetic qualifier. This year would be no exception and by the opening of pre-judging, 60 competitors were checked in, registered and raring to go.
Faced with the momentous task of placing these competitors were our panel of judges: BNBF Pro Annabel Ottey, British Lightweight Champions Glen Danbury and Barry Cunliffe, British Novice Champion David Kaye, Pro World Champion Nigel Davis, Pro Universe Champion Vicky McCann and BNBF Pro Kerry Napier assuming the role of Head Judge. The one and only Crow Dillon-Parkin did a sterling job of crowd entertainer in the role of MC for the evening show.

 

Novice

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The day’s competition commenced with the 12 strong Novice class, and as tradition would dictate, presented some physiques of exceptional standard and paved the way for some fierce competition.

 

In 1st place was Shane Raymond who looked the winner as soon as this class lined up on stage. Shane was very thickly muscled from head to toe and presented a great shape and overall balance. His torso was especially dominant, particularly evident in his chest and delts which were incredibly full and dry. Without being overly critical, in comparison Shane’s condition was somewhat inferior in his lower half, where his quads, hamstrings and glutes appeared to be holding fluid which worsened as the day progressed. If Shane can rectify this issue he will undoubtedly be a formidable novice competitor indeed.

 

2nd place was awarded to Robert Darvill. Robert, like Shane, was very densely muscled and presented sound overall balance to his physique. Robert’s legs were particularly strong and had great shape, although he was another competitor who lacked adequate conditioning in the hamstrings and glutes. A great debut for Robert, nevertheless he must focus on bringing improved condition to the finals in order to be competitive.

 

In 3rd place was Mark Burles. Mark showcased great shape and overall balance with adequate muscle mass and no obvious structural weaknesses. Unfortunately for Mark, on this occasion his condition was just not tight enough to place any higher in such tough company. Nevertheless, Mark should be heartened from this performance as he has the potential to place well at the finals with improved condition.
Rounding off the top 4 was David Coates. David, like those competitors above him, presented a well balanced and shapely physique, although just struggled to compete with the mass and density of the top 3. David made up for his ‘slighter’ build with sound conditioning and great detail across his entire physique and in addition posed very well throughout the day. Well done, David.

 

Also competing: Laurent Lebrun, great structure with impressive back width and arms. With better conditioning would have placed higher and has great potential. Stephen Seagar, great condition from Stephen although he was a little flat on the day and generally needs more thickness all over, again not far off the top 4. Kevin Brown, impressive size in his legs and arms, unfortunately condition was just not adequate on this occasion and should focus on improving in this respect. Colin Hanlon, Colin was relatively well balanced but needs more mass all over and better conditioning to be competitive in this company. Tom James, Tom boasts impressive triceps and a good chest although condition was quite a bit off on this occasion. Richard Pottle, Richard had decent conditioning but lacked a little size and flare to his physique. Mark Score, Mark was in good condition but lost out on size today. Mark is a tall competitor so will naturally take time to fill out his physique.

 

Teens

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In 1st place was Ben Williams. With 2 competitors dropping out from the teen class, Ben was quite literally in a class of his own. Ben is a promising teen, sporting a nice, balanced shape with strong traps and an impressive quad sweep. Top that off with adequate conditioning and Ben should look forward to a future in bodybuilding very positively.

 

Juniors

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Since the extension of the age limit for the junior category to under 23, the class can no longer be seen as merely a ‘stepping stone’ to the senior classes, but rather a hotly contested competition in its own right. At these championships, 7 competitors would battle it out for top honours in what proved to be an exceptionally close class.

 

Taking home 1st place was Ben Clarke. Ben possesses a very thickly developed and tapered upper body and in particular his arms and delts were among the best in the class. Ben was certainly in great condition and with posing demonstrated impressive vascularity across his entire physique. Ben’s lower half was a little slight in comparison to his upper body and he should now focus on improving in this respect in the lead up to the finals. A great performance nonetheless.

 

Finishing in a very close 2nd was Daniel Ellis. Daniel boasts a fantastic natural shape, showcasing great back width, a full chest and capped delts all set upon thick, flaring quads. His posing was admirable for someone so young and indicated great potential for the future. On this occasion Daniel’s condition was just slightly down on that of the winner and very narrowly missed out on top honours.

 

In 3rd place was Andrew Beeston. Andrew is a very densely muscled and compact junior. His legs are especially strong and he boasts an impressive quad sweep. Andrew’s condition was fair, but in this company he needed to be harder to crack the top 2. Nevertheless, another impressive junior competitor amongst an excellent class.

 

Rounding off 4th place was David Guevara. David, like Andrew, carries an impressive amount of muscle for a junior competitor and generally appeared to be well balanced, if not a little weak in chest development. David needed to be in better condition to place higher in this quality line up and would benefit from increased focus in this respect.

 

Also competing: Aaron Bolton, Aaron has a very pleasing structure with excellent symmetry and V-taper. Aaron just didn’t quite have the required mass or condition to crack the top 4 on this occasion but demonstrated potential for the future. Calum Macaulay, Calum carries a good amount of muscle, especially in his arms and legs. On this occasion, however, his condition was not quite good enough to challenge for the higher places. Amir Farjadpour, great back width from Amir but unfortunately was not in the sort of condition required to be competitive at this level.

 

Masters O’50

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From the youth and vitality of the junior class, attention now moved to that of the Master’s classes. The first class to take to the stage was the over 50’s, and although small in competitor numbers, the class was certainly made up for in competitor quality.

 

In 1st place was Fraser Watts. An impressive outing for Fraser, showcasing a very heavily muscled and balanced physique. Fraser owns an impressive chest and set of arms and held a great fullness throughout both pre-judging and into the evening show. In addition, Fraser capped off a splendid performance with sound posing and a great tan.

 

Taking 2nd place was David Brice. David, who was the only over 60’s competitor of the day, presented a very polished and detailed physique indeed, complemented fully with sound conditioning. David did lack a bit of fullness in comparison to Fraser and should aspire to achieve that fine balance of condition and fullness for his next competitive outing.

 

Masters O’40

Sponsored by Udo’s Oil

 

Taking home the first place award was the inimitable Lazaro Almenares. Lazaro, as ever, was in incredible condition, rock hard and bone-dry from every angle. Lazaro has phenomenal abdominals and presented an altogether very polished performance indeed. Never one to disappoint the audience, Lazaro delivered an entertaining free-posing routine comprising of three red roses and his now customary Cuban trunks!

 

Grabbing the 2nd place award was Jonathan Travers. A very muscular competitor, Jonathan gained momentum from pre-judging through to the evening show to comfortably grab the 2nd place finish. Jonathan was heavily muscled all over, and had particularly powerful legs which were formidable when he posed them correctly. If Jonathan can come in with tighter conditioning to the finals then he will be very competitive.

 

In 3rd place was an elated Mike Dancer. Mike had made considerable improvements to his physique since his Southern outing and deservedly took home the 3rd place trophy. Mike has a very detailed upper body with a good chest and wide back, all Mike has to do now is bring his legs up to match and he will present a nicely balanced and competitive package. Mike seemed to lack a little confidence on stage and should endeavour to impose himself more in front of the audience and judges.

 

Rounding off 4th place was Colin Nelson. Colin possesses a great natural structure, his upper body thick and tapered with impressive chest, delt and arm development. In this company, however, Colin did need to be quite a bit harder to place any higher and in addition his tan was a little pale.

 

Also Competing: David Whatley, plenty muscle from David and a good posing routine but on this occasion, better conditioning required. Gordon Clarke, a nice balanced structure, just lacking in condition to enable Gordon to showcase this adequately. Gordon would benefit from a darker tan also.

 

Guest poser – Chris Nsubuga

Following a short interlude to proceedings, the stage was set for the arrival of special guest poser Chris ‘Big Fifty’ Nsubuga. If bodybuilding concerns itself with size, then they don’t come much bigger than Chris whose immense physique is perhaps only surpassed by his irrepressible personality. A perennial fan favourite, Big Fifty surpassed all expectations, treating the Central audience to a graceful posing routine, full of silky smooth transitions and stunning poses. For most watching, that routine in itself would be enough to satisfy even the harshest critic. However, not to be outdone, the ‘real’ Chris Nsubuga that we all know and love, quickly returned to centre stage sporting a fine gold wig and matching trunks and proceeded to set the entire auditorium off in a wave of rapturous applause with his hip-shaking routines and larger than life stage presence – for such a big man, he sure can move! Well done Chris, the crowd loved you – a true superstar.

 

Miss Physique

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4 Physique competitors would take to the stage to do battle for top honours in what proved to be a fiercely contested class of excellent standard.
Taking the 1st place award was Anne Gardner. Anne arrived on stage in excellent condition, hard and detailed from head to toe. Her physique was well balanced, showcasing hard earned muscle in a variety of poses, in particular a knock out side chest pose. Anne would benefit from opening up more in back poses rather than ‘rounding’ her back in order to demonstrate her width more effectively. In spite of this, her rear double biceps was still very impressive and clearly demonstrated her level of conditioning. Anne has a commanding stage presence, deservedly taking home the 1st place trophy and clearly elated to do so.

 

In 2nd place was Rosie McKenzie. Rosie was in contention for top honours today but ultimately lost out to Anne on balance and condition, especially in her legs. Rosie was very tight and neat in her upper body, but this was overpowered somewhat by her legs which were big, but a little soft, subsequently throwing off her symmetry. Rosie should take confidence from her performance, and realise that with improved conditioning in her lower half, she has the potential to reverse this placing. Anna would also benefit from more precise posing.

 

Grabbing the 3rd spot was Anna Millington. Anna presented a very complete and balance physique on stage and posed well throughout the day. Anna’s upper body was particularly crisp, sporting fantastic delts and shoulder width. Anna’s legs were slightly behind in condition in comparison to her upper half and she should focus on achieving more balance for future competitions. Nevertheless, great potential from Anna.

 

Rounding out 4th place was Sandra Mounsey. Sandra has good balance and a very complete overall shape. In this company, Sandra was the smallest competitor on stage, thus needed superior conditioning to rival her fellow competitors. On this occasion however, Sandra’s legs lacked the required condition to crack the top 3 and she must focus on bringing a tighter overall package to the stage for her next competitive outing. Sandra does, however, pose very well and delivered a polished free posing routine.

 

Lightweight Mr

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The lightweight class is always highly competitive, as would prove to be the case at these championships. Come show day, 7 lightweight competitors would take to the stage to fight it out for the top spot.

 

Winning that 1st place trophy was a delighted Simon Stevens. This was Simon’s second outing of the season, and with that brought an improved package to the stage. Simon has a very aesthetic shape with wide capped delts tapering down to a neat midsection, all set upon thick, flared and separated quads. Simon’s condition was good, improving into the evening show, but he could still be tighter and should make this a focus going into the finals in October to ensure he presents his best package.

 

In 2nd place was Chris Redmond. Chris had prepared well for this show, evidenced by his superb level of conditioning. Chris was rock hard from every angle and showcased tremendous detail in his quads and hamstrings. Chris did have the advantage over Simon on conditioning, yet could not compete with Simon’s flaring shape and in the end had to settle for a well earned runner up spot.

 

In 3rd place was Richard Berry. Richard, like those competitors above him, had arrived on stage with solid conditioning, particularly in his upper body. Richard had great arms which were evident in his rear double biceps pose, which was indeed impressive. My only criticism of Richard was that his legs were lacking in condition somewhat compared to his upper half and he needs a greater sweep to his quads. All in all, a good performance from Richard.

 

Rounding off the top 4 places was Ryszard Tokarczyk. This was also Ryszard’s second outing of the season and a successful one it proved to be. Ryszard’s condition was greatly improved from his previous showing, yet could still be sharper and was unlucky not to place top 3, missing out by the narrowest of margins. Ryszard should take confidence from this performance as he was very competitive and has great overall balance, it’s just a case of nailing that condition.

 

Also competing: Louis Ben Crangy, great upper body with wide shoulders and an excellent V-Taper. Louis’s legs were somewhat weak in comparison and this subsequently affected his symmetry. His tan was also too pale. Stephen Bannan, good condition from Stephen with impressive arms and great calves. Stephen needs to focus on bringing up his quads to achieve balance with his upper body. Stephen also suffered from a poor tan during pre-judging but seemed to rectify this by the evening show. Chris Flanagan, a better showing this time from Chris with improvements in condition compared to previous outings. I would still like to see Chris achieve the superior conditioning he showcased at last year’s finals which he needs to be competitive at this level. Chris also delivered a nice free posing routine.

 

Middleweight Mr

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Despite losing 2 competitors, the middleweights gained another with a competitor dropping down from the heavyweight division. In the end, 6 competitors would contest this year’s championships, and the class was wide open.

 

In 1st place was Tshala Kabala. Tshala was in fabulous condition, showcasing a level of conditioning across his entire body that was virtually unmatched. This was especially evident in his quads which were crisp, dry and deeply separated. Tshala boasts a stunning natural structure with supreme back width, full chest and delts all tapering into a neat midsection. If I were to be critical, Tshala’s legs are still playing catch up to the rest of his physique to some extent, but nonetheless are greatly improved. A fine blend of conditioning and shape ensured that Tshala won this class convincingly.

 

Taking 2nd place was Chris Drake. Chris, Like Tshala, has a great structure. His upper body was particularly impressive, showcasing quality muscle thickness, especially in side poses and arguably owned the biggest arms in the class. In spite of this, Chris could not compete with the condition of the winner, particularly in the lower half and should make this his focus going into the finals in order to be more competitive.

 

Grabbing the 3rd place spot was Frank Mensah. Frank had prepared well for this show, tight, full and dry, especially in the upper body. Frank possesses a great V-taper and his physique can become deeply separated in certain poses. Frank does have decent legs, yet failed to reap any benefit from them due to slack posing and should look to rectify this for the finals. Frank would also benefit from holding his poses a little more robustly during pre-judging, yet in saying this, did deliver a fantastic free-posing routine.

 

Rounding off the top 4 places was Peter Batai. Peter was one competitor who seemed to have it all, certainly in terms of shape. Peter has been blessed with a fabulous structure, tremendous back width and sweeping quads all uniting to create great symmetry. On this occasion, however, Peter’s condition was just not adequate amongst strong company, yet if Peter can rectify this for the finals, will be very competitive indeed.

 

Also competing: Barry Mulcahy, Barry was very thickly muscled all over and owns a powerful looking set of legs. On this day, however, Barry was not quite in the type of condition required to mix it with the higher placed competitors. Tony Sheene, Tony was definitely in tighter condition than compared to his last outing, yet must continue to work hard to achieve the level of conditioning required to place higher. Tony didn’t use his legs effectively on this occasion and should look to improve on his posing for future competitions. Nevertheless, an improving competitor.

 

Heavyweight Mr

Sponsored by TRU Sportswear

 

With one competitor dropping down to the Middleweight division, 4 heavyweight competitors were left to contest this class, and all was to play for.

 

Taking home the 1st place award was William Uelese. A formidable sight, Will combines massive muscular development with first class symmetry, great presentation and stage presence and ultimately looked the winner as soon as he stepped on stage. Will’s entire physique is armoured with thick, dense muscle and owns the most enormous set of legs and calves one is ever likely to see on a natural bodybuilding stage. Will won’t be particularly shocked to hear that his condition, whilst adequate in today’s company, will need to be much tighter if he is to improve on his runner-up finish at last year’s British Finals. Come on Will, it’s time to nail that condition!

 

Grabbing 2nd place was a delighted Sotonye Dokubu. Sotonye was perhaps the only other competitor in the class that could rival the winner in terms of muscle mass, at least in his upper half. Sotonye had a tremendously full chest and an altogether thick and impressive upper body, complemented with good conditioning. In comparison, his legs were somewhat slight and this imbalance was only further illustrated when standing next to William Uelese. Overall, a promising performance for Sotonye and with more attention to leg mass and posing precision, should well be a competitive heavyweight in forthcoming competitions.

 

In 3rd place was Phil Walker. Phil brought a balanced physique to the stage, showcasing a good taper to his upper half and reasonable muscle mass. Phil did give away quite a bit of size in comparison to those competitors ahead of him, and subsequently needed to be rock hard to be competitive. Ultimately, on this occasion this wasn’t the case and Phil had to settle for 3rd place.

 

Rounding off the 4th place was Mark Harvey. Mark was probably the best conditioned competitor in the class today, but just lost out on muscle mass and balance. Mark is a very tall man and like many others, lacks the leg development required to balance out his physique. On a positive note, Mark’s upper body was impressive, boasting a full chest and big arms combined with fine detail. Mark should take heart from this performance and focus on bringing those legs up in size to achieve better symmetry.

 

Miss Figure

Sponsored by Soho Gym

 

The final class of the day saw an impressive 8 figure competitors take to the stage, giving the judges an altogether tough task of placing them.

 

Taking home the 1st place trophy was Reem Bareeq who looked delighted to come out the victor in this class. Reem has a lovely shape, complemented fully with a classical v-taper, showcasing wide shoulders and a tight mid-section. Reem would benefit from adding a little more muscle to her frame to achieve better tone, yet on the day had the best blend of whole body conditioning and combined with excellent poise and stage presence, took home 1st place.

 

In 2nd place was an elated KT Coates. KT looked thrilled to grab the 2nd place spot, understandably so as she had only given birth 7 weeks prior! Perhaps a little off her best condition, KT more than made up for this in stage presence and enthusiasm and delivered a fabulous T-Walk. KT fought hard for this placing and thoroughly deserved her Finals qualification where I’m sure she can bring her best package.

 

Grabbing the 3rd place spot was Ingrid Charvet. Ingrid arguably had the best shape and muscle of the class, but was not quite in the condition required to place any higher on this occasion. Ingrid did deliver a great T-Walk and combined with her promising shape, grabbed the 3rd place award. With improved conditioning, Ingrid has the potential to do very well at this year’s finals.

 

Also competing: Tracey Parker, Tracey carried a decent amount of muscle and condition, and would perhaps be better suited to the physique class. Tracey looked very nervous on stage and should attempt to impose herself a little more and be noticed. Nevertheless she should take confidence from this performance. Jan Williams, Jan had decent overall conditioning on stage and was very balanced, although like Tracey, really needs to fight for a higher placing on stage and work on improving stage presence. Jan would also benefit from adding a little more muscle to her physique in order to create better tone. Susanna York, Susanna looked to be enjoying herself on stage and presented herself well with a very classical look. Like many other competitors on the day, Susanna really needs to develop some more muscle in an attempt to create a better overall shape, balance and tone. Lina Geraci, Lina brought a reasonable level of conditioning to the stage with some detail in her abdominals and upper body. On this occasion, Lina’s legs were just too heavy in comparison and this affected her overall balance and symmetry. Nevertheless, Lina was a very enthusiastic competitor and seemed to enjoy her time on stage very much. Donna McKenzie, Donna, like Lina, was another competitor with a lovely shape and appearance, yet was just too soft in the lower half to be more competitive today. Donna should look to present a more balanced and conditioned package to the stage in her next competitive outing.

 

Best Wheels Award

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William Uelese

 

Best Presentation Award, Female

Sponsored by 24/7 Bodybuilding/Jan Tana

Rosie McKenzie

 

Best Presentation Award, Male

Sponsored by 24/7 Bodybuilding/Jan Tana

William Uelese

 

Overall Mr

Sponsored by LA Muscle

 

As always, to conclude the day’s competition in style, each and every class winner would take to the stage one final time to battle it out for the title of Overall Central Champion, 2009. With the progression of the symmetry round, it was becoming apparent that the eventual winner would come from one of 3 classes; Novice, Middleweight or Heavyweight. Novice winner Shane Raymond was an immediate stand out with his phenomenally full muscle bellies and densely muscled physique, yet in comparison to the crisp, dry conditioning of Middleweight champion Tshala Kabala, was exposed as being a little soft. Heavyweight winner William Uelese’s imposing structure and unparalleled symmetry looked favourable and would perhaps prove to be simply too much for the rest of the field, yet his softer conditioning would potentially take him out of the running . In the end, the muscularity round would declare a winner and seal the fate of the other challengers. On this day, the spoils eventually went to Novice winner Shane Raymond, whose overwhelming musculature, shape and symmetry eventually edged out the harder and stronger finishing Middleweight, Tshala Kabala, by a sole point. A fantastic debut with the BNBF for Shane, who looked genuinely staggered, if not a little emotional, to be announced the winner and Overall Central Champion, 2009.

 

Final Reflections

So with only one more qualifier remaining this year in Manchester, focus begins to turn towards the impending BNBF British Finals in October. Throughout the qualifiers this year, new champions have been made, reputations forged and the stir of predictions begin to echo around gyms and internet forums across the country. Essentially this is what competition is all about, and ultimately why each and every BNBF season will forever be as exciting as the next.

 

Special Thanks

As always, we should spare a moment to reflect on those hard working and tireless individuals who dedicate their time and energy to ensure that each and every BNBF show runs as successfully as it eventually does. From those backstage frantically tanning and organising the competitors, to those taking care of show security and drug testing and finally to the masterminds who orchestrate show lighting, music and stage organisation, you are all stars in your own right and are an invaluable asset to the BNBF. Once again, from me to you, thanks and goodnight!