A 71-YEAR-OLD blacksmith who has only started entering competitions in recent years has emerged as the reserve national champion at his first attempt.

John Gould has been a blacksmith for well over half a century and has been a steward at the blacksmiths' section in the New Forest Show, as well as competing in recent years.

It was only this year that he decided to go around the national circuit of big shows - and after picking up prize after prize, he has heard he is No 2 in the country.

The national championship is based on work submitted at up to nine affiliated shows, which include the New Forest Show, where he was again among the prize-winners, and Devon and Exeter, where he won all his three classes.

He also picked up prizes at the other three shows he entered, which are among the biggest in the UK - the Royal, Royal Welsh and Royal Bath and West Shows.

But he admitted that he had only gone to the shows for the sake of the traditions.

"These shows do like support and if they don't get that support, they die. I was asked by other shows if I would go and submit my work and I thought that if I didn't do it now, I never would," he said.

He is not planning to make a regular habit of going on the national circuit, as competitors have to be away from home for up to five days for each show.

After being apprenticed to Charlie Hutchins at the Bramshaw Forge, he moved to a forge at Sway and after National Service with the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, he worked for the specialist wrought iron firm of Caslakes at Sway.

Since then, he has been working with highly successful wrought iron craftsman Colin Phillips at Ornate Ironworks at Woodlands Road, Netley Marsh.

Colin's work includes The Millennium Tree outside Totton Library and the Sails sculpture in Rope Walk, Southampton.