Page 70 - The Light Dragoon 2024

The Regimental Journal of The Light Dragoons
At the start of the year the Light Dragoons Boxing Team had our eyes on a potential brigade boxing night in Edinburgh in mid-July. We got the names in early and started the boxing medicals in February, with the plan of a good run of sparring into the championships. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be with the competition being cancelled just a couple of months prior. With the cancellation of the brigade competition, we switched our focus to the Royal Armoured Corps Boxing Championships where we aimed to defend the trophy that has proudly sat in the Regimental Headquarters for the last two years.
As the RAC Championships are at the end of the year, this meant a change of the team with C Sqn and elements of HQ Sqn being deployed. The boxing team started a rigorous training schedule under the keen eye of SSgt Cribbin, supported by Sgt Atkinson and Cpl ‘Iron Mike’ Rutherford to get the boxers fighting fit and at the right weight.
We arrived at Bovington with a team of eight boxers ready for action, and once the weigh in and draw were complete, we had seven bouts confirmed. One of those bouts would be Sgt Monaher vs Tpr Churchward, as sometimes happens in these compe- titions. Boxers have found themselves without a bout so agree to fight a fellow Light Dragoon. Although this isn’t the traditional way to box in the RAC, it means that all the hard work in the build-up was
RAC Boxing
Boxing
not wasted, but more importantly, it means both boxers get the experience of a bout, showcasing their skills in front of the RAC.
First up was Tpr Cribbin, no pressure with his dad in the corner as the lead coach, he starts the night with some great boxing. Fighting from a lower guard, he used his lateral movement to evade the opponents’ attacks, then making him pay with some precise counterpunching. Despite a dubious judge seeing it as a split decision, this was an impressive and comfortable win for Tpr Cribbin, and gets the Light Dragoons off to a good start.
As Tpr Cribbin receives his trophy, the next Light Dragoon makes his way to the ring. Tpr Blakemore starts the light- welterweight contest with some brilliant movement, making it hard for the opponent to track him down. Once he had weighed his opponent up, he launched sharp attacks from different angles which pushed his RTR opponent onto the back foot. He continued the front foot aggression which earned him a unanimous win. 2-0 Light Dragoons.
The third contest of the evening was Tpr Percival. He was up against a taller
RACs Tpr Blakemore beats his opponent to the punch