Backhold Wrestlers: Gary Neilson & Robert Clark

Bearsden Highland Games 2001

Backhold Wrestling

Gary Neilson & Robert Clark at Bearsdean Highland Games 2001

Backhold Wrestling

Bearsdean Highland Games 2001

Puliing Power

Bearsdean Highland Games 2001

Backhold Wrestling

Robert Clark at Bearsdean Highland Games 2001]

Scottish Backhold Wrestling

Bearsden Highland Games 2001

Hammer Thrown

Bearsdean Highland Games 2001

Backhold Wrestling

Behind Bars

Fraser Ewan at Bearsdean Highland Games 2001

Stop peeking!

Bearsden & Milngavie Highland Games 2001

Tug O' War

Bearsden Highland Games 2001

Rugby Lads Simply Red

Bearsden & Milngavie Highland Games 2001

Tug O' War

Bearsden & Milngavie Highland Games 2001

Kilted Secrurity Guard

Bearsdean Highland Games 2001

Hammer Throw

Bearsden & Milngavie Highland Games 2001

Expressions

Bearsden Highland Games 2001

Tug O' War

Bearsden & Milngavie Highland Games 2001

Scottish Backhold Wrestling

Bearsden & Milngavie Highland Games 2001

Alone in a crowd

Bearsden Highland Games 2001

Tug O' War

Bearsden & Milngavie Highland Games 2001

Out for the count?

Bearsdean Highland Games 2001

The Art of Backhold Wrestling

Scottish Backhold is a style of wrestling originating in Scotland. The wrestlers grip each other around the waist at the back, with the right hand under the opponent's left arm and the chin resting on the opposite right shoulder. When the referee is sure that both wrestlers have taken a firm grip, he shouts "hold" and the bout starts. Should either wrestler break his hold or touch the ground with any part of his body except his feet, he loses. There is no ground work and the bouts are usually best of five falls. The rules may be found on the website of The Scottish Wrestling Bond PIctured on right Scottish Champion Wrstler: Robert Clark

Throwing the Hammer

Fraser Ewen throwing hammer at Bearsden Highland Games 2001. Hammer Throw: a round metal ball (weighing 16 or 22 lb for men or 12 or 16 lb for women) is attached to the end of a shaft about 4 feet in length and made out of wood, bamboo, rattan, or plastic. With the feet in a fixed position, the hammer is whirled about one's head and thrown for distance over the shoulder. Hammer throwers sometimes employ specially designed footwear with flat blades to dig into the turf to maintain their balance and resist the centrifugal forces of the implement as it is whirled about the head. This substantially increases the distance attainable in the throw.