Ambleside Sports a Traditional Lakeland Event
'A Grand Day Out in the Lakes'
For over 200 years spectators and competitors have enjoyed traditional Lakeland sports at Ambleside. The day consists of Cumberland & Westmorland Wrestling, Guide & Fell Races, Hounds Trails, Track Races & Track Cycling all supported with Local Trade Stands, a Craft Fair and a Brass Band and it always takes place on the last Thursday of July each year.
The one sport that is unique to The Lake District is Cumberland & Westmorland Wrestling.
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| Photo Courtesy of Ambleside Sports |
The traditional costume consists of long johns and an embroidered vest with a velvet centre piece over the top.
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| Photo Courtesy of Ambleside Sports |
The starting 'backhold' position involves the wrestlers standing chest to chest while holding each other around the body, the umpire calls "en guard" then "wrestle".
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| Photo Courtesy of Ambleside Sports |
The wrestlers then attempt to unbalance their opponent and get them to fall by using lifting throws 'hipes', twisting throws 'buttocks' and trips 'inside click', 'cross click', 'back heel' or 'outside stroke'. If both fall down at once the fall is disqualified this is known as a 'dog fall'. The first wrestler to achieve three falls of his or her opponent wins.
The next event on the agenda is cycling which has been integral to Ambleside Sports since 1892 and it has remained a track cycling event despite the popularity of mountain biking taking over at other sports events.
It takes place round a 300m track with various distances for juniors and seniors, all the races are handicapped to keep the racing close.
The cycling peaks with the very exciting race 'The Devil Takes The Hindmost', at the end of a certain number of laps the last rider to cross the line is eliminated from the race. When just a few riders remain they sprint for the finish and the first past the post wins.
Unfortunately no awards for a 'hands free track stand'
I have always wanted to visit Ambleside Sports and of course enter in the Fell Race. "The Heart of the Lakes Rydal Round" is essentially a run around one of Lakeland's best known walks the 'Fairfield Horseshoe', you have to be a serious fell walker to even consider this route - never mind running it!
It had 'poured-down' all the way up the M6 that morning and by the time we were passing Lancaster I was having serious doubts, did I really want to run 10 miles with 3,000ft of climbing in rain and fog? Surprising however no sooner had we turned off the M6 at Junction 36 than it stopped raining and although the cloud-base was well below 3,000ft my enthusiasm was building for the event.
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| Photos Courtesy of Barbara |
On arrival I signed on for the race, having paid for entry onto the sports field it is then free entry into the race. I had got changed in the luxury of our new camper-van.
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I then I had a look round for some of my club-mates from Clayton-Le-Moors Harriers and soon found Richard and then some of the others.
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| Team Briefing!!! |
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| The Start of 'The Heart of Ambleside Fell Race |
After negotiating 10 miles and 3,000ft of climbing mostly in clag, (northern term for fog on the fells) and the infamous Bad Step or Bad Drop if you don't clamber over a wall to avoid it, I arrive on the looong track back to the finishing field. When asking for a few tips/advice from an experienced fell runner friend John Lenehan about the race route all I he said was "the track at the end is a killer it just goes on & on" and it did.
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| The Looong Track (description on the Pete Bland Sports, Event Map). |
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| Photo Courtesy of Barbara |
I didn't win but at least I got back with clean feet!
Any athlete will tell you about the importance of 'post race nutrition' and Ambleside Sports catered very well for my needs at least.
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| Photo Courtesy of Barbara |
Never has a sausage tasted so good.
While taking care of my strict dietary requirements I got the opportunity to watch the children's races it certainly looked seriously competitive! and I was now getting into my new found spectator role...
but the best seats in the house were already taken for 'The Guides Fell Race'
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| The start of 'The Guides Fell Race' |
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| The Guides Race - The Thin Line |
The history of Guides Fell Racing goes back to the mid 1800's, they were named 'Guides' Races because the competitors were largely made up of local men who guided tourists up onto the local fells and mountains. These races flourished in the Lake District and The Yorkshire Dales. They were often held at local shows, fetes or existing sports meetings and featured short, steep, up & down courses. They also featured betting and cash prizes which led to them being classed as a professional sport and a deep rift developed in the sport of fell running between the amateur and professional organisations that carried on into the 1980's.
and of course the band played on
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| Photo Courtesy of Barbara |
Now the racing was starting to get really serious
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| Photo Courtesy of Ambleside Sports |
and it was time for a little flutter..
Barbara and I sought expert advice on the subject and invested our £1 on 'the favourite outsider'
Then they were off in a blur
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| Photo Courtesy of Ambleside Sports |
Leaping over fences and walls and disappearing over the fells. To
this day we never knew which dog our money was riding on but we were assured by the bookies that it didn't win!
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| Photo Courtesy of Barbara |
and after a Grand Day Out at Ambleside Sports all the spectators and the competitors made their way home.
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