Caterham Sabre Fencers Step Up, at Home and in Europe

Four Caterham pupils, Karam N, Laris C, Richard P and Nansun N, have had an action-packed autumn on the fencing piste. The boys train together in school’s club – Dream Fencing Academy under Sabre Coach Nick Howes, and this term they set out to raise their game.

On 11 October, all four entered an older age group together for the first time. They fenced in the Cadet (U17) Men’s Sabre at the Stratford Cadet BRC ‘B’ Event 2026 in Stratford-upon-Avon, a field of 60 fencers, many of them up to three years older. Karam Nelson fenced superbly and finished 7th, and all four gained valuable experience of the speed and intensity of cadet-level sabre.

Before the end of October, Karam, Laris and Nansun travelled to Bulgaria for their first European event as a trio: the U14 European Circuit Sofia Svechnikov Sabre, a European Fencing Confederation (EFC) event with 66 fencers from 14 nations. Karam finished a creditable 21st, and the trio came home with valuable international experience and plenty of inspiration.

All four boys are steadily climbing the British Fencing national rankings. Results are only part of the story, though. Sabre is a fast, split-second sport that asks a lot of young fencers: the resilience to bounce back from a lost bout, the calm to think clearly when the score is tight, and the courage to take on older, more experienced opponents. The boys have grown in all of these, and their friendship has grown with them. They train and travel together, coach each other from the side of the piste and celebrate each other’s wins. They are proud to represent Caterham School and are already looking forward to their next competitions.