FIRST BRITISH WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIPS TO BE HELD

STIHL Timbersports will host its first ever British Women’s Championship in June, where they say the best female lumberjill athletes in Great Britain will put their axe, saw and chainsaw skills to the ultimate test to become the inaugural female British champion. 

The landmark event will take place at Royal Three Counties Show in Malvern on Friday 17 June and will see the top eight female logger sports athletes battle against each other in three disciplines; Stock Saw, Single Buck and Underhand Chop.

Each discipline will see the athletes slice and chop their way through large logs in seconds using a combination of axes, two-metre crosscut saws and chainsaws, all requiring high levels of power, precision and endurance to succeed. Competitors are awarded maximum points for the fastest time, with the athlete accumulating the most points crowned the best female Timbersports athlete in Great Britain. 

Competing in this ground-breaking event will be Beth Parker from Southport, Catherine Eccles from Scotland, Dee Hardwick from Redditch, with the remaining five athletes in Justine Narusa, Kristy Bray, Martine Arrowsmith, Sarah Cox and Zoe Penlington all hailing from Wales. The athletes have been sharpening their logger skills at Timbersports training camps throughout the year and say they are ready to put on a high octane performance in front of a live audience. 

The 2022 STIHL Timbersports British Championship and British Rookie Championship crown will also be fought for at the Royal Three Counties Show on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 June respectively. In the British Championship, the top male athletes from around the country will compete against each other across six disciplines. The rookies, who are under 25, will take part in four events, accumulating points in each round based on their placing in each discipline. The overall winner in each competition is the athlete with the most points once all rounds have taken place. 

Simon Hewitt, head of marketing at STIHL GB, said, “After several behind closed door events, not only are we thrilled to be bringing Timbersports back to a live audience, but we are also very excited to introduce the first British Women’s Championship. 

“All of the competitors want the chance to be the champion in the first Women's Championship, so all eight athletes have been working hard, but even the smallest slip-up on the day can have a huge effect, so anyone can win it! We can’t wait to see the best-of-the-best female athletes compete for the ultimate logger prize.”