A YOUNG swimmer from Thirsk White Horse Swim Team scooped gold across the board in the Breaststroke events at the recent Yorkshire County Championships.

Ben Dale-Wood, dominated in 11yo Boys Breaststroke events, taking the top spot in the 50m and 100m long course events held in the 50m international swimming pool at Ponds Forge, Sheffield.

Add to this Spring success a gold medal from the Winter County Championships, at the end of last year, in the 100m short course Breaststroke and a silver in the 50m short course Breaststroke and the Y6 pupil from Carlton Minniott Primary School is shaping up to emulate the success of his swimming idol Adam Peaty.

Ben also won the silver medal in the 50m long course Freestyle event and a bronze medal in the 100m long course Freestyle race at the Spring Championships to hang alongside the bronze he achieved in the 100m short course Freestyle event at the Winter County Championships.

Overall, Thirsk White Horse Swim Team saw 17 of its swimmers qualify for the County Championships in individual events and those swimmers stepped up to the competition and came home with new PBs. The club also took four Boys Teams - 9/10, 11/12,13/14 years and Open Boys along with one Girls Team, in the 13/14 years age group, to the Team Championships.

The 9/10 year old Boys team, Will Dale-Wood, Harvey Mercer, Thomas Dowson and Toby Ryder showed that there is a lot of talent coming through the ranks at the club. The 9/10yo boys came fourth in the Finals of the 200m Freestyle, behind City of Leeds A & B team and City of Sheffield A team. The 9/10yo Boys also came seventh in the Finals of the 200m Medley, an incredible achievement for the Thirsk swimmers given the strength of the competition and number of squads that the big city clubs can put forward.