New World Record at the 2025 British TIMBERSPORTS

The original extreme sport lived up to its reputation at the 2025 British TIMBERSPORTS Championship this weekend. Returning to the Royal Three Counties Show in Malvern, Worcestershire, the competition was back with a bang as Rachel Ferrington from Hay-on-Wye produced an awesome display on the Stock Saw to secure a new Women’s World Record.

The edge-of-your-seat action continued throughout the entire weekend, starting with the first competition, the Pro Qualifier, on Friday, June 13. This event featured 14 competitors, including four from Ireland, and aimed to identify the best participants, with the top six qualifying for the British Pro Championship on Saturday.

80,000 Hours

That’s a remarkable amount of work hours for a single machine, the Norcar 600 owned by Erkki Rinne is taken well care of, it even has the original Diesel engine.
Kieran Anders Forestry

Kieran Anders is a forestry contractor working in the lake district. His work involves hand cutting and extracting timber using a skidder and tractor-trailer forwarder.
Promoting safety in the workplace

It is not possible to eliminate chain shot, but there are simple steps that can be taken to reduce the risk.
Glasfryn Fencing and Sawmill

Arwel takes great pride in the fact that the mill has no waste whatsoever, “the peelings are used for children’s playgrounds, gardens and for farm animals in barns in the winter and the sawdust has multiple uses in gardens and farms as well.
Keeping Timber Hauliers Safe

Timber hauliers need to encourage young blood in, and also look after the hauliers we have, we need make the sector a safe and positive place to work.

FIND US ON

The high stakes certainly resulted in an exciting competition, showcasing 32 new personal best times. Notably, Daragh Clogher set a new Irish National Record, and Gerald Lloyd broke the British National Record, both in the Stock Saw discipline. In this discipline, competitors must saw two discs, or “cookies,” from a log using a STIHL MS 661 chainsaw. Over the weekend, personal best times were achieved by 28 athletes, including Ferrington’s World Record.

Ultimately, consistent performance across all disciplines is necessary to secure a top spot on the podium. In the Qualifier, all three positions were claimed by Irish athletes: Gav Thompson, Daragh Clogher, and Seamus Ryan. The remaining three qualifiers for the Pro Championship were Osian Williams, Martin Price, and John Lewis.

Glen Penlington was aiming to defend his Pro title for the fourth consecutive year on Saturday, but he remained cautious. “You never know what could happen on that stage. Even the best athletes can make mistakes, and I’ve had plenty of issues with my Hot Saw before,” said Penlington.

There were many competitors vying for the top spot, including the 2024 Team GB athletes: Rob Chatley, George Spencer, Graham Turner, and Tom Redmond. Spencer achieved personal best times in the first three disciplines—Underhand Chop, Stock Saw, and Standing Block Chop. However, his chance of winning took a turn when he was disqualified in the Springboard after his axe head became loose. Despite this setback, he managed to remain calm and set a new National Record in the Hot Saw, ultimately securing third place overall.

As the final Hot Saw heat of the competition approached, Chatley and Penlington were tied at 60 points each, meaning the winner of this heat would take the title. Athletes are given 60 seconds to warm up their saws before the heat starts, and Penlington appeared increasingly anxious as his saw failed to start during the warm-up period.

When judge Andy Hall issued the starting call of “Athletes ready,” Penlington had no choice but to take his position and hope for the best. Fortunately, as the whistle blew, his saw started on the first pull, and he delivered an impressive time of just 8.73 seconds. However, joy turned to anxiety when the judges called for a video review to ensure he had cut three complete cookies. After what felt like an eternity, Hall announced that both cuts were valid, awarding Penlington the title. This news delighted his nervous family, including his sister Zoe Penlington and girlfriend Georgia Lewis, who were competing in the Women’s Championship the following day.

The Women’s competition was equally dramatic. Rachel Ferrington, who had only taken up the sport in 2023, set a new Stock Saw Women’s World Record in the first heat, cutting two cookies from the log in 8.82 seconds. Her dominance continued throughout the event as she recorded impressive times, including a new National Record in the Single Buck.

“I actually can’t believe it,” said Ferrington afterward. “I’m still in shock! I’ve never been confident that I can win, but I guess I can start to believe in myself more now!”

Georgia Lewis and Cat Eccles completed the podium, finishing in second and third places, respectively. Eccles, from Ayr in Scotland, was especially delighted with her performance after recovering from a severe injury in 2023. She credits her success to the training she did with her son, Logan McCubbin, who was also competing in the Rookie competition.

The Rookie Championship featured intense competition, and with the absence of 2024 Rookie champion Jack Morris defending his title, several athletes were eager to take his place. Rowan Luxton and Zac Powell had been training hard in preparation, but with six competitors making their TIMBERSPORTS® debut, the final standings were unpredictable.

As the competition began, Luxton, hailing from Llandrindod Wells in Powys, showcased his strength by finishing with the fastest times across all five disciplines. Guest athlete Nicola Trecarichi from Italy put in a strong effort but had to settle for second place, with Jake Bufton following in third.

For complete results from the weekend’s competitions, please visit the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® database.

**STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® British Championship**

– **British Pro Championship:** Pro athletes must compete in all six disciplines: Stock Saw, Standing Block Chop, Single Buck, Underhand Chop, Springboard, and Hot Saw.

– **British Women’s Championship:** Women compete in four disciplines: Stock Saw, Standing Block Chop, Single Buck, and Underhand Chop.

– **British Rookie Championship:** Rookies, defined as athletes under the age of 25, compete in five disciplines: Stock Saw, Standing Block Chop, Single Buck, Underhand Chop, and one-board Springboard.