‘Stoking’ the flames of victory, Stoke strongman Shaun Blairs takes victory in the 2021 Rotherham Highland Games

 

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 07.09.2021

 

 

‘Stoking’ the flames of victory, Stoke strongman Shaun Blairs takes victory in the 2021 Rotherham Highland Games

 

 

On a glorious Sunday afternoon, despite not having the dramatic peaks of Scotland as the backdrop, it was Clifton park in Rotherham that hosted this years Rotherham Highland Games with 11 Strongmen competing for the title.

In front of a sizable crowd the athletes wowed the show with some impressive fetes of strength in this unique show run by Man Beast strongman events.

With athletes from Yorkshire, Lincoln, Hull and Stoke been tested across 5 tests of strength the crowd were treated to some great entertainment with the giant log press, caber toss, stone throw, stone carry and world strongman favourite atlas stone. But it was Stoke that took the title home in the end!

Special judge visiting was Yorkshire’s strongest man Jake Rideout and Mark Anglesea, two times Guinness world record holder as head referee.

Shaun Blairs, from Stoke, got amid table in the opening event, the log but In the stone throw it was Shaun who blitzed the field with a 9 metre 70 throw, the nearest to that at 1 metre 10 less was last minute replacement Nathan Pettit who had a fantastic performance throughout the games.

In the caber toss (60kg) a wooden pole is thrown and ‘tossed’ (rotated) for distance, with both former Yorkshire’s strongest man Simon Knowles and Shaun Blairs joint with a 7 metres 90 throw.

Shaun Blairs, from Stoke, dominating the throwing events after amassing valuable experience at the Peak District Highland Games and looking super impressive today racking up top table points in most the events so far.

Next came the stone carry, a 150 kg Husafell stone (23 stones in weight), that is carried for time across 20 metres, Stevie Speakman taking this event with a sub 10 second time of 9.04 – untouchable at this event.

Simon Knowles in second place with a time of 10.21 seconds, always fast on this event, followed by Nathan Petit impressing us in his first outing with us. Shaun Blairs (current leader across the 3 events) with solid points on the board with a 5^th place finish in this event.

Going into the last event saw the atlas stone event, in 60 seconds the stone has to be rolled up the shoulder from the floor as many times as possible. Matt Jackson, the best dressed athlete of the show, with a solid 5 reps, the slightly smaller guys seemingly finding this event easier.

Justin Beedham, another late entry, failed this event, in his first Highland Games appearance with many of the events new to him, a case of learning on the job, but still recording respectable times in the caber toss and stone throw,

Dave Johnson, with the slightest of margins with 1 rep, struggling with his wide shoulders to roll the atlas stone up.

At the top end of the field and with a battle ensuing for overall first position,  Stevie Speakman, Simon Knowles and of course the high performing Shaun Blairs were tussling between themselves.

With Stevie Speakman recording 7 reps in front of his army of loud supporters, looking pretty easy for him, and Simon Knowles racking up a solid 5 reps the pressure was on Shaun Blairs to deliver.

And boy did Shaun deliver, equalling Stevie’s 7 reps in front of a buzzing crowd to take the overall win and becoming the 2021 Rotherham Highland Games Champion.

                                                        Stokes Shaun Blairs attacking the stone

Andrew Picken and Mark Anglesea from Man Beast strongman events stated, ‘Shaun has twice appeared at our Peak District Highland Games show and is improving year on year. Today was his day securing big points in the throwing events and finishing with a joint first on the atlas stone which was enough to secure the win’.

 

MAN BEAST STRONGMAN – ABOUT US

We coordinate and arrange regional, opens and National strongman competitions.

We also run a strongman demo roadshow, themed roadshows with the Country’s strongest men for business, events and entertainment for a variety of public and private sector clients.

We specialise in strongman vehicle pulls and can pull over 20 tonnes of machinery for great how spectacles.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITOR

Main Contact: Andrew Picken

Details:

manbeastevents@gmail.com

Tel: 07887400202

 Founded in 2014

Instagram @manbeaststrong

Facebook: @ManBeast28

 

Shaun Blairs on the stone

Results

1^st Position – Shaun Blairs 47 points

2^nd Position Stevie Speakman 44 points

3^rd  Position Nathan Petit 42 points

4^TH Position Simon Knowles 40 points

5^TH Position Jimmy Sharp 31 points

6^TH Position Richard Hiley

7^TH Position Mark Thomson

8^TH Position Jack Tipper

9^TH Position Dave Johnson

10^TH Position Matt Jackson

11^TH Position Justin Beedham