2018 Southern Counties
Photos courtesy of Sam Solarfly, Matt Marsh Photography
The 2018 season goes from strength to strength as over 70 athletes descended on the beautiful Camberley Theatre for our third annual Southern Counties on 19th August.
Just when we thought the standard of this years athletes couldn’t get any better, the crop of members that battled it out for the titles today raised the bar just a little higher and left us anticipating some epic battles at October's finals.
The results were as follows:
Teenage Men
1 – William Tshikomb (Walsall)
2 – Jack Wilson (Stamford)
A classic “apples vs oranges” contest kicked off the days proceedings with a huge and well balanced Will taking the nod over the smaller, more conditioned but slightly less aesthetically pleasing Jack. Both young men with an incredible future who will feature strongly at the finals. Will needs to focus on nailing his condition, and Jack on his posing a little for them both to have to maximum impact in October.
Junior Men
1 – Charlie Canes (Thatcham)
2 – Jonathan Taylor (Braintree)
3 – Byron Willicombe (High Wycombe)
Another hard battle between three very well matched athletes. Charlie was the hardest of the three, with nice balance and shape and good presentation. Jonathan was the biggest of the three, with a hard and detailed upper body but needing a little more size and condition in the legs to match and should focus on getting his lower body harder for the finals. Byron was heavily muscled and quite well balanced, with a thick upper body when viewed from the side in particular. Improvements to his condition for the finals could see him turn things around from today without doubt.
Masters Men
1 – Ian Stevenson (Pembroke Dock)
2 – Elvis Hall (Pinner)
3 – Matt Hall (Maidstone)
In the best shape he’d ever been in, Ian took the class as he presented his rugged “no nonsense” physique in absolutely blinding condition, absolutely shredded and tight as it gets. Ians progress has been steady and consistent over the years and it’s a real pleasure to see him hitting his peak. Elvis was lean and shapely, with a crisp and detailed upper body and decent posing but lacked the legs to match, which left him unable to challenge the winner harder today. Matthew just missed second place, with a big, full and well shaped physique that just needs the required condition to leap the placings.
Grandmasters Men
1 – Kenny Rye (Worthing)
2 – Adrian Hampton (Devizes)
3 – Paul Thorpe (Truro)
4 – Ian Preston-Kline (Kettering)
A great UKDFBA debut for Kenny who ran away with the class with a great classical shape, rock hard condition and superb posing which saw him close to lifting the best poser award. He was hard to fault and will be one to watch at the finals in this class. Adrian was a solid runner up, close to his best ever and much improved over last season. Paul was not quite as big and full as usual, which was understandable with him having sustained an injury a few weeks before the contest which would have prevented a lesser man from even finishing the course. It will be interesting to see how he rebounds from this now he is back match fit and has time before his next stage appearance. Ian in fourth was hardly recognisable from the man who competed last season, steadily chipping away at his condition and well on the road to what I predict will be a very impressive end product once he reveals what looks to be a very heavily muscled and well balanced physique.
Ladies Masters Figure
1 – Sara Robinson (Abingdon)
2 – Elaine Lepkowski (Portsmouth)
3 – Michelle Lawrence (London)
4 – Joyce Nunu (Ilford)
The Masters Figure class was without a shadow of a doubt the toughest of the delay to judge, with a diverse mix of physiques which all had elements of a great figure athlete but none quite the complete package. In the end, Sara took the win with a nice balance and lean condition which was vastly improved on the USN Classic in June. A touch harder still with some work on her posing in the short term will benefit her for the finals with a little more overall size required long term and Sara will be well on track for future honours in this class. Elaine took runner up and was too well balanced but needing a touch more condition and size long term. Michelle was one of the standout athletes in the contest, with an unbelievable structure and shape which featured a V taper that dreams are made of and incredible back development. Sadly, she was notably too heavily muscled for this discipline and had to settle for third as a result. However, Michelle was invited back onstage a short time after with the Bodybuilding class to be evaluated and was subsequently invited to the finals in that class where with a little more condition (particularly in the lower body) could prove hard to beat in October. Fourth placed Joyce split opinion wildly amongst the judges, looking ideally muscled and conditioned with the best back shots in the class but struggling in terms of shape and symmetry when viewed from the front and more and most notably so from the side. If she can tweak her posing to create a more aesthetic shape onstage, she could do some real damage in this class in future.
Novice Men
1 – Kyle Davies (Cardiff)
2 – Jon Gosman (Ramsgate)
3 – David Smith (Portsomouth)
4 – Greg Norris (Bournemouth)
5 – Greg Sinclair (Bracknell)
6 – Stephen Moreton (Cantebury)
An epic battle for top spot between Kyle and Jon who were both balanced, pleasing to the eye and in unbelievable condition boasting striations all over including shredded glutes and hamstrings which belied their novice status. In the end, Kyle took the nod due to being just a fraction thicker. Kyle can do no more for the finals other than appear in this shape. Jon could do with a little adjustment on his tan which looked a little “grubby” and did detract from him slightly. David took third with a shorter, more compact physique which was also rock hard but not quite as pleasing as the other two men and needing a touch more detail in the legs to match his top half. Greg Norris in fourth was huge and well balanced and just missed the top three. If he brings his condition in tighter and takes another shot at qualifying, he could cause a major upset. Greg Sinclair was his best yet, bigger, leaner and with ever improving stage presence. He was just desperately unlucky to land in such a high quality class today. Stephen finished sixth, with the makings of a great compact physique but needed to be harder today and would benefit from a darker tan.
Ladies Figure
1 – Susan Currie (Portsmouth)
2 – Laura Pyszora (Portsmouth)
3 – Carla Chacksfield (Ashford)
4 – Kayley Warrington-Smith (Brentwood)
5 – Kara Yui (Kingston)
Susan was a deserved winner in this very good class with ideal muscle development and condition. She could be a front runner at the finals, with some attention to her posing which looked a little awkward at times and as if Susan was a little uncomfortable onstage. Laura took a solid runner up spot, also near perfectly muscled and just needed a touch more condition to close the narrow gap between her and the winner. Third placed Carla had an incredible structure and was superbly developed. If she could tighten up a little further condition wise she could quite possibly turn the tables on the top two come the finals and has incredible potential for future success. Fourth and fifth was a close battle, with Kayley the harder of the two but needing a little more size and fullness and Kara boasting the better developed figure but needing to be a little tighter today.
Also competing were Kirstie Elbourn and Anastasia Zichenko. Both were in good shape and posed well but needed more muscle development to challenge the placings today.
Ladies Bodybuilding
1 – Tereza Slezova (Barnet) ** Best Poser Award
2 – Jo Barrett (Taunton)
3 – Ann Chan (New Malden)
4 – Marta Chlanova (Egham)
A very close fought battle for both first and second places and for third and fourth, with the first battle edged by a best ever Tereza who was bigger, harder and more confidently presented than last years appearances with a great routine which earned her the best poser award for the contest. Jo was just edged into second, and looked incredible with a well muscled and symmetrical physique which just needed perhaps a little more lower body condition today to tip the balance in her favour. Ann and Marta were likewise very evenly matched, with Anns slightly more compact physique getting her the nod today. Both ladies will benefit from being bigger overall for future contests, but both have made huge improvements since starting their contest careers and should be proud of themselves.
Open Men, Lightweight
1 – Andew O’Connor (Farnborough)
2 – Musa Dilek (Kingston)
3 – Jack Pe-Ad (Brighton)
4 – Achie Gyedu (Bracknell)
Identical to the first class, both the first two placings and third and fourth were closely contested and could have gone either way. Andrew took a well received win by virtue of incredible conditioning and a super thick upper body with the best back in the contest. If his legs had a little more size to match the upper he would run away with practically every contest he entered. Musa was also hard and cut, with a better balance than Andrew but not quite the detail and density and could have taken the win with no complaints. He is another who can do nothing more for the finals than just turn up as good as he was today. Achie and Jack were inseparable too, with Jack hard, wide shouldered and aesthetic but needing a little more muscle for his frame and Achie being the heavier muscled of the two but being a little off the mark for condition, especially from the bac
Open Men, Middleweight
1 – Jack Gadd (Weston Super Mare)
2 – Alex Gallagher (Aylesbury)
3 – Ryan Vickers (Wolverhampton)
A solid class, with all three men boasting great physiques and earning finals invitations although their placings today were fairly clear cut. Winner Jack was the best balanced of the three between size and condition, with a superb V taper and some killer back shots. Jack has a huge frame which although adequately muscled currently is capable of taking more and when it does he could be hard to stop at any level. Alex, making a welcome return to the stage after a considerable time away returned with a bang with his beautifully shaped physique reminiscent of the likes of Zane and Paris. He was in great condition and posed superbly. With a little more size and maturity he could reach lofty heights in the sport. Ryan was probably the biggest of the three relative to his frame with thick legs and arms and a well shaped torso. He needed more detail to tip the placings his way today and should focus on this for the finals.
Open Men, Heavyweight
1 – Alastair Stewart (Shepperton) ** Overall Winner
Another incredible UKDFBA debut at this contest came from Heavyweight winner Ali, who sadly didn’t have any opposition today in his class but would almost certainly have seen them off if he did with a scary physique, with shed loads of dense muscle on every body part, well balanced and in frightening condition for a Heavyweight. Ali on this form is likely to be a pre contest favourite in the lead up to the finals, and today took the Mens Overall with a unanimous vote from the judges as he proved just too much for the rest of the class winners when they all lined up.
Ladies Bikini
1 – Chanelle Williams (Portsmouth)
2 – Nicola Osbon (Norwich)
3 – Claire Sands (Barwell)
4 – Rebecca Lewis (Mytchett)
5 – Megan Baker (Aylesbury)
Chanelle took a runaway win in this competitive class sporting a lean, muscular athletic figure in great shape which was untouchable from the second the ladies filed onstage. With a tendency to cover her back shots up with her hair which will cost her at the finals, she will do well to adjust her presentation a little in this respect. Nicola was lean and with a nice structure and a well developed upper body but needs a little more muscle in the upper, particularly the back and a little work on her presentation to meet the rules of the class with our association. Claire has a lovely structure and is well developed and presented, but needs to be a touch leaner. Rebecca just missed the top three with an athletically muscular figure which would have benefitted from a little more tan and a more relaxed presentation as she looked a little tense onstage. Megan took the final top five slot with a lean and well presented package which just needs a little more muscle.
Also competing were Kirsty Dekeyzer, Anne Foulkes, Grace Wellstood and Lisa Moore, all of whom need a little more size overall to create the shape needed to make an impact in this class.
Mens Physique, Short
1 – Nathaniel Goldstein (Cambridge) ** Overall Winner
2 – Izaak Dunk (Coventry)
3 – Gerald Barreda (Camberley)
4 – Tomos Parsons (London)
5 – Carl Hewer-Elliott (Taunton)
The first height class was taken by a clear margin by Nathaniel, who was fuller and more muscular than last year and now right at the limit of what the class will allow in terms of size and condition. He posed superbly and looked totally at home onstage, just requiring more mass in the lower legs to balance out his upper body a little. Izaak and Gerald battled through a split decision for second, with Izaak lean and hard but not quite as full as last year and Gerald improved notably from his last appearance with a lovely full upper body and great condition. Tomos needed a little more muscle to place higher than fourth today but had a nice shape and was in good condition. Fifth placed Carl had an incredible physique. Heavily muscled, in good proportion and with evidence of heavy quad development through his shorts, Carl was thickly built with good depth to his upper body and was in great shape. He definitely needs to swap the shorts for trunks and switch to Bodybuilding, where he’s got potential to cause nightmares.
Also competing were Sulav Shrestha and Rajkiran Subba, who both needed to be generally larger and more muscular to place higher today.
Mens Physique, Medium
1 – Jackie Wilson (Canterbury)
2 – Courtney Jerome (Shepperton)
3 – Muftah Dugali (London)
4 – Martin St John (Portsmouth)
5 – James Coulton (Abergavenny)
Another clear winner in this class came in the shape of Jackie, who was well muscled with an incredible wide shouldered aesthetic shape which looked virtually picture perfect from every angle. If he gets a little harder for the finals he could be a significant threat. Courtney took second with a very impressive physique, which was caught in somewhat of a “no mans land” today in that he was perhaps a little heavily muscled for physique (which was clear to see when he flashed a cheeky double bicep shot during his stage walk) but not quite hard enough condition wise for bodybuilding. In reality, his best bet would be to nail his condition and make the switch to Bodybuilding where he would stand his ground at open level and be tough to beat as a novice. Muftah in third was hard and muscular but lacked the aesthetics to place higher, whereas both Martin in fourth and James in fifth boasted such aesthetics but bot the level of conditioning required to show it off to its best. James in particular would have pushed the winner all the way to the wire had he hit the mark with his conditioning today and looks to have superb potential.
Also competing were Anthony Davies, Chris Simmons and Mike Allinson. All were muscular and in good shape but lacked the size and shape required to topple those who placed ahead of them today.
Mens Physique, Tall
1 – Chris Davies (London)
2 – James Hart (Hitchin)
3 – Simon Weidemann (London)
4 – Sam Robinson (Wolverhampton)
5 – Sam Harvey (London)
The final class was taken by Chris in his best ever shape, looking excellent with hard condition and an incredible midsection. As he adds size to his impressive structure he has potential to bag major honours in future. He was pushed hard by James however, who only missed out on the class win by a split decision and was a little fuller and wider than the winner but a fraction short of the condition he needed to possibly turn the result around. The progress he has made physically since his finals appearance in 2016 is clear to see and it will be interesting to see him in top shape at the finals. Simon and Sam were hard to split for the final trophy spot, with Simon being more pleasingly shaped and presented but Sam looking more developed and muscular but not posing to his potential and leaving the judges guessing just how good he was, especially from the rear. Simon shaded into third on this occasion leaving Sam in fourth, but with potential to have leapt a few places had he showed his physique to the best. Sam Harvey took fifth, in perhaps the most ideal shape he has displayed of the season but still looking very tense onstage and “bunching up” a little in his poses. If he relaxed a little and allowed his shoulders and back to flare out more, he could possibly leap up the placings.
Also competing were Ryan Summers, Mitchel Hosking, Stephen Otieno, Alex Rosoman, Jonathan Ford and Jonathan Wright. With the exception of Stephen (who took sixth place) who needed to be a little harder to push for a higher spot, the rest of the class all needed more size to break into the top five today.
Finally, the overall Mens Physique line up took the stage where it became immediately apparent that there was no beating Nathaniel today with his level of development and condition which gave him a clear victory for the final award of the day and has no doubt got a number of his fellow finals invitees ramping up their training ahead of the big one in October.
And that ended a superb day of competition. Thank you to all who supported the contest, especially to a loud and enthusiastic sell out audience who made our journey South a pleasure and made every athlete who stepped onstage feel like a superstar.
Onward now to the Northern, as the season continues...
Overall Winners
UKDFBA Team
