Amateur Week: The History of Jennie Gray

FMS was under the impression that our own history with the gorgeous Jennie began this year, when we recommended Best Muscle Video's edit of her at last year's North Americans in April's Tube Watch. "In Figure," we noted, "doubtless 'too muscular'."

Just in case you didn't take notice then...



During the course of our research for today's post, however, it turned out that we had previous with Jennie long before that - perhaps as long ago as 2015, when this picture made it into a week of dressed-up muscles. We didn't know Jennie was Jennie then, we just loved the pic (and still very much do). And judging by the size of that beautiful, big, bulging bicep, she was probably 'too muscular' for Figure even back then.



Jennie's contest history goes back a little beyond that - the contest history we can find anyway. She was competing in Over 35 Masters classes in 2014, which I personally find amazing looking at her now. She made her first North Americans appearance that year, qualifying by winning Masters and Overall titles at an NPC show in New York.


NPC Powerhouse FX New York Classic 2014

Three more North Americans - 2015, 2016, and (as seen in the Best Muscle Video edit) 2017 followed. She made the top 3 in her (now) Over 40 class in the last two of those years, but never better than that. Again, I'm flabbergasted - such a vision of mature muscular beauty, were the women in her class really better than her for four consecutive years? Probably, as they say, 'too muscular' (and a cursory - and very far from objective - check of some of the women who finished above her at her four North Americans has, I am proud to say, confirmed my own pet theory 100%).



Jennie, 2014-2017

What is such a womanhunk of gorgeousness to do?

Clearly she had improved year-on-year, and the overall trend during this time in the division was undoubtedly towards a more muscular look. Her placing by 2017 was by no means low, but given the sheer number of pro cards on offer at the North Americans (in 2015, for example, 18 were awarded in Figure alone), Jennie was, by the end of last year, probably a bit fed up that she hadn't got her hands on one yet.



The answer, delightfully, was heels off, posing on.

Earlier in the month she made her Physique debut at the NPC Battle at the River in Tennessee, and it went rather well. Two class wins - B and Over 35, plus the Overall title. That made two samurai swords plus a real Excalibur of a weapon to get home.



Cue celebrations and all sorts of comedy opportunities.

The smile on my face says it all - my backside looks like this! she wrote, proudly displaying her epic body before finals. No more reining in the training to avoid getting 'too muscular'. I can't wait for the next chapter in The History of Jennie Gray.



Watch Jennie take the Overall title at the Battle at the River.

Follow Jennie on Instagram.

Enjoy!

Barbara & A British Winner in San Marino

The start of June saw the second of the new pro shows in Italy. Well, sort of new. The San Marino Pro has been held before, in 2014 - men only - and then last year with the chaps again but also Figure and Bikini classes. This year though, just as with the Galaxy Pro in Bari in May, the only female division missing was Fitness, and amateur contests held on the first day fed the class winners into the pro show the following day.



In Bari, the new Female Bodybuilding pro had been Cristina Maffeis (see FMS passim). In San Marino, another Italian won the right to compete with the pros.



Barbara Carita won both the amateur Physique and FBBing classes. An asterisk by her name on the list of pro card winners revealed a line at the bottom of the list that should warm the cockles of any fan of big time female muscle - "The athlete chose to compete in the pro Female Bodybuilding class". Barbara prefers her double biceps close-fisted. I liked her already. And it was also the smart choice. In Physique she would have competed against Cris Goy Arellano, Paloma Parra, Joanna Romano... The sole entrant in Female Bodybuilding was Cristina Franzoso.



By the end of the weekend, then, Barbara had three first place trophies and an invite to the Rising Phoenix. I won everything! she exclaimed afterwards. I've achieved the biggest goal of my career... and more! I'm finally an IFBB pro and there will be a tricolor [Italian (flag)] flying among all those prestigious athletes [at the RP].



She may not be among the favourites come September, but mio Dio! she does get freaky. And - again, this should warm the cockles - she is by no means backwards in coming forwards to show that freakiness off, testing the limits of Instagram censorship on a regular basis during her San Marino prep, and providing us with (for my money) the most thrillingly repugnant leg vascularity since Lisa Giesbrecht's pomp.



She does the showing off in clip-form too. Here we see the eye-popping state of her legs "the night before the exams" as she put it, one day before she took to the stage.



Delicioso!

And while this veteran Italian was making her dreams come true, in the Figure class, Britain's sole female representative at the event was having her best ever pro day.



It was exactly 10 years ago today that Louise Rogers became British Figure champion. Since then she has turned pro, competed on an (almost) annual basis - in Europe, Australia and the States as well as at home in the UK Bodypower Pro event. Until she placed 2nd in Bari at the Galaxy Pro last month, 3rd at Bodypower (twice) had been her best pro placing. But this win beats everything. I'm so thankful to have these new opportunities for pro athletes in Europe, she said, beaming with her medal after the show. Dreams do come true. We are going to the Olympia!



Louise's long overdue triumph is the latest in an ever-growing list of British IFBB pro wins. Lisa Cross in Bodybuilding, Rosanna Harte in Physique, Emma Paveley and Kate Errington in Fitness, and Nina Ross in Bikini have all won over the last few years. And now Louise, the first British pro Figure winner? I don't have the time to check very thoroughly, but I don't recall a British pro at the Figure Olympia before.



There have been high points in the past, courtesy of Andrulla and Gayle, but those wins, amazing as they were, were few and far between. Are we enjoying the Golden Age of British Female Muscle right now? Hopefully, it's just the beginning.



Enjoy!

MUSCLE! @Omaha Pro 2018

Before we get on to the rest of the muscle up on the stage in Omaha (for the Physique dreams at the show see Tuesday's post), let's stop by the Wings of Strength booth...



The Queen herself, Theresa, Kristina Nicole Mendoza, and (as far as I know) for the first time at one of these events, Pauline Nelson, as well as Boss Lady Lenda Murray. You don't have to search very hard to find pictures of fans (male and female) with these magnificent women, and nor do you have to search very hard to find one of more of them cosying up to women from the Physique division either.



Margie had already publicly suggested Valentina Mishina try the more muscular division during the Toronto show, and the charm offensive apparently continued here as well, with Lenda adding her own powers of persuasion. I will think about Female Bodybuilding, Valentina wrote on her Instagram. Maybe I will try the division. (Qualified) Good news! But don't pop your champagne cork just yet. This was, you may recall, Valentina's 7th show of the season, so "not this year" was her ultimate verdict.



There was, however, one new recruit in the Omaha line-up - Canadian beauty Amanda Smith made her FBBing debut, a week after competing in Physique in Toronto.

Looking suitably Amazonian, she explained her reasons to Hayley Delf...



I wonder whether there is an active policy among the WoS posse to woo more muscular Physique women into their cabal. It would be understandable - the future of pro Female Bodybuilding has got to come from somewhere, this year (and last) the line-ups haven't exactly been overflowing with entrants. It's pretty irrelevant whether it is in fact a concerted effort to bring more Physique women into the WoS fold, or whether it's just a combination of Margie, Lenda et al being so damn nice, the size of the prize money available in Female Bodybuilding these days, and IFBB Physqiue judges being so anti-muscle. Either way, it is at the very least getting some great Physique competitors thinking about having a slice of the Wings of Strength pie.



5th place Amanda sounds as though she's here to stay anyway. The comradery [sic] amongst these ladies is indescribable, she wrote afterwards. It’s like a family. And I’ve received a lot of positive feedback from people (which no doubt made a nice change given the kind of feedback she got in Toronto!). I think I’ve found where I belong.



So do we, Amanda. So do we.



A special mention should also go to Amy Hauck. Well over 50 now, Amy won her only previous pro outing in Pittsburgh last year, a Masters class with women up to 15 years her junior in it. This was, therefore, her first non-Masters pro appearance.



As well as going to "new" FBB Amanda for her 5th place, Rising Phoenix qualification points were bagged by Angela Rayburn (4th), LaDawn McDay (3rd), and Canadian beefcake Maria Mikola, who was, as in Toronto the previous week, runner-up.

And the winner...




In sexy "Jessica Rabbit red", Isabelle Turell.



Also seen during the weekend in blue for Dan Ray, bunny ears (just for herself, I think), and in purple for Awefilms - previews of which are available on their Instagram and (if not already seen) will make you glad you bothered taking the time to check.



She also wore the red for Wings of Strength, and was gushing in her praise.

Earlier in the year I was given a great opportunity to be an Ambassador for Wings of Strength. This was a huge honor for me as Bodybuilding is something I love and I love to meet fans and entertain them. I get to go around to shows and events spreading the word of Bodybuilding and meeting the awesome fans. Along with my fellow iron sisters it has been a very rewarding experience and journey. The people behind Wings of Strength - Jake Wood, Alexandra Bandida, Alina Popa - were very understanding with my contest prep, and really accommodated me around it and made a lot of things possible. I honestly could not have accomplished what I did in Omaha if it wasn't for Wings of Strength. They believed in me from day 1 and gave me the tools I needed to help me pave the way for my journey. I will be forever grateful.



With reviews like that, who wouldn't want to compete for them?!

Enjoy!