Gisborne’s Tim Garrick has topped reigning champion Tony Bouskill in a thrilling display of speed and skill in the Fieldays Fencing Competition.
The competition was down to the wire, with Garrick coming out on top in the prestigious Golden Pliers® by WIREMARK® Championship final, adding his first trophy to his belt.
Judges couldn’t fault Garrick, and head judge Owen Petersen commends him for his speed.
“Tim was first off the line, finishing at just over five hours”.
The Golden Pliers® showcase individual skill, and the qualifying heats were held prior to Fieldays, with the top eight finalists competing.
It is a chance for them to put themselves out there as an individual competitor,” says Petersen.
“Tim has had a few wins this year at regional competitions that have set him up well”.
First-time qualifier Cameron Hamerton showed promise.
“This was only his second year competing and it was evident to see he had put a lot of training in”, says Petersen.
The Fieldays® Silver Spades™ Doubles Championship also saw Garrick collect another trophy with doubles partner Cory Twigley. The competition attracted international participants Jason Day & Alexander Asser from the USA and South Island qualifiers Craig Sinclair & Will Pei.
The three days of competition kicked off with the Bill Schuler Singles on Wednesday, named after the late legendary Bill Schuler, to encourage younger up-and-coming competitors or those new to fencing competitions. Micheal Trott took out first place, with the judges commenting that he used speed to his advantage but also had enough quality to take the win.
“Fieldays Fencing Competitions are a chance for competitors to come together and discuss ideas and techniques with like-minded people whilst sharing the good spirit that fencing competitions encouraged between contractors in the industry,” says Petersen.
The Fieldays Fencing Competitions are organised and run by NZ Fencing Competitions (NZFC). NZFC was formed in 2013 as a committee committed to promoting and governing fencing competitions in New Zealand.
Results
Golden Pliers ® by WIREMARK® Singles Championship
1st Tim Garrick
2nd Jeff Joines
3rd Cory Twigley
4th Tony Bouskill
5th Shay Robertson
6th Jared Nicholson
7th Cameron Hamerton
8th Wilton Weeks
Best Quality – Tony Bouskill
Nick Liefting First off the line trophy – Tim Garrick
Fieldays Silver Spades® Doubles Championship
1st Tim Garrick & Cory Twigley
2nd Shane Bouskill & Tony Bouskill
3rd Jeff Joines & Craig Smith
4th Shay Robertson & Cameron Hamerton
5th Wilton Weeks & Burne Maxted
6th Martin Leveridge & Troy Brooky
7th Craig Sinclair & William Pei (South Island Team)
8th Jason Day & Alexander Masser (US Team)
Bill Schuler
1st Micheal Trott
2nd Craig Sinclair
3rd Murray Graham
4th Troy Brooky
5th Tom Dingle
6th Burne Maxted
Best First Year – Craig Sinclair
Best Second Year – Cameron Hamerton
The Fieldays Silver Staples cadet competition
1st Smedley Station 1, Bradley Anderson/Cameron Chambers
2nd Geraldine High School 1, Thomas Batty/Lachie O’Connell
3rd Geraldine High School 2, Jackson Marriott/Cullen Gordon-Wilson
4th Pukemiro Station 1, Ryan Craw/Holly Bird
5th Pukemiro Station 2, Harry Peacock/Ben Solomann
6th Smedley Station 2, Jordan Miles/Angus Kopua