On Air Now

Elisa Hilton

3:00pm - 6:00pm

Now Playing

Bonnie Tyler

Holding Out For A Hero

Over 200 fencers attend Harrogate Fencing Club sporting event

Harrogate Fencing Club held an sporting event in York.

Harrogate Fencing Club is planning to host another sporting event after more than 200 people attended its recent event in York.

The event was a revival of the York Open six-weapon event, which ran for 40 years.

It invited fencers from across the UK to come together to “improve and challenge themselves.”

The event was sponsored by York-based Walker Crips Investment Managers and Ison Harrison Solicitors, plus a couple of private donors.

Jill Mooney, Harrogate Fencing Club Coach who helped organise the event, said:

“We had a wonderful turnout from across the UK with fencers from Edinburgh, London and Cardiff for the revived York Open six-weapon event.

“Local competitions have stopped running due to Covid so it has been very difficult for fencers to improve and challenge themselves.”

“So, we are delighted with the response to the York weekend and aim to run it again next spring.” 

There is also a Youth York Open competition (U18's) planned for November 2025.

The maximum entry numbers for all male weapons was reached beforehand.

Jill said:

“GBR Para Fencers and other seated wheelchair fencers gave a demonstration and 'have a go sessions' in the hope to run a seated open competition next year 2026.”

Sheriff of York Fiona Fitzpatrick visited to present the medals and trophies.

Jill added: 

“You can fence from the age of seven to ninety. The nationwide British Fencing umbrella club has about 11,000 members.

“Some 250,000 people get the chance to try fencing every year through local clubs and schools.” 

The results were as follows:

Men's Epee:

  • GOLD: Alistair Bullward - Leeds Fencing Club
  • SILVER: Nathan Foster - Skipton Fencing Club
  • BRONZE: Scott Willis - Wingerworth Fencing Club and Hon Chun Ko - Lancaster University Fencing Club

Women's Epee:

  • GOLD: Erika Hodkinson - Four of Clubs
  • SILVER: Evelyn Coe - Harrogate Fencing Club
  • BRONZE: Juan Du - Crawley Sword Club and Megan Upton - Four of Clubs

Men's Foil

  • GOLD: Samuel Blair - Louth Fencing Club
  • SILVER: James Rose - Oxford University Fencing Club
  • BRONZE: Jacob Forey-Miller Durham University Fencing Club and Luca Florea - Hereford Fencing Centre

Women's Foil

  • GOLD: Lucy-Belle Williamson - Sheffield Buccaneers Fencing Club
  • SILVER: Tegan McCallum - Durham Phoenix
  • BRONZE: Karina Calderon Brown  - Unaffiliated and Amelia Price - Sheffield University Fencing Club 

Men's Sabre:

  • GOLD: Ge Luo - BVRC, Hungary
  • SILVER: Drew Thornley - University of Manchester Fencing Club
  • BRONZE: Josh Samuel, Camden Fencing Club and Samuel Walmsley - Premier Sabre Academy, Altrincham

Women's Sabre:

  • GOLD: Maiya Choi - Premier Sabre Academy, Altrincham
  • SILVER:  Raluca Lazarescu - Camden Fencing Club
  • BRONZE: Abigail Johnson  - University of Liverpool Fencing Club and Emily Berry - Premier Sabre Academy, Altrincham  

More from Local News