“The Bressuire Highland Games in France has unquestionably grown into one of the top Highland Games on the international circuit under the leadership of the Association Sportive des Jeux d’Ecosse en France (AJEF) president Jean Louis Coppet and his amazing Highland Games committee,” Francis Brebner said, and last weekend it hosted the 2013 IHGF European Championships in front of a crowd estimated at over 10,000.

The competition included what Brebner called “the best of Europe’s amateur Highland Games athletes:  Jimmy Van De Walle (Belgium); Pieter Karst Bouma (Holland);  Martin Schiller (Austria); David Frey (Germany); Csaba Meszaros (Hungary); Attila Szabo (Hungary); Amine Amroun (France); Belkacem Smahi (France); Jonathan Kelly (Ireland); and Stuart Anderson (Scotland).”
 
Overall points: Amateur Class

“In the challenge events, a new world record was set with the 56-lb. the Coreff (Ale) Keg over the bar by Jonathan Kelly at a height of 16’ 8”.  In the Bouchain Bouvet-Ladubay 28-lb. cork putt, a new world record was also set by Attila Szabo with a distance 30’ 1”.
 
“In the French category, two new records were set by Amine Amroun:  57’ 3” in the 28-lb. weight for distance and 28’ 11” in the 56-lb.weight for distance,” said Brebner.

 Scott Rider (England); Sebastian Wenta (Poland); Aaron Neighbour (Australia); Hans Lolkema (Holland); and Uli Muller (Germany), competed in the Open class.
 
“Wenta won the 22-lb. Braemar stone with a class putt of 44’ 2”, surpassing the ground record previously held by Scotland’s Gregor Edmunds,” Brebner said, and “in the 16-lb. open stone, Rider pulled out a rip-roaring putt of 54’ 4” for the win over Wenta, who placed second with 51’ 4”.


“In the 28-lb. weight for distance Rider again showed excellent form, winning with his throw of 80’ 6”.   

“The 56-lb. weight for distance was a duel between Wenta and Rider, both going all out.  Wenta prevailed with a throw of 44’ 2”, a new ground record and a personal best.   

“Wenta kept up his winning form in the 16-lb. hammer, topping out at 129’ 1” and he also won the 22-lb. hammer, making 107’ 11”.
 
“The caber, an 18’ and 140-lb. implement, was tossed by Wenta for three perfect 12:00 results,” said Brebner.  

Rider won the 56-lb. weight for height to get right back in the hunt, ending the competition in a tie with Sebastian Wenta.
 
Overall points: Open Class

Watch for Francis Brebner's full report in MILO: A Journal For Serious Strength Athletes.

 
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