Lynette Horsburgh
Born1974 (age 49–50)
Sport country Scotland
Highest ranking1[1]
Tournament wins
World Champion2008 Women's WEPF World Eightball Pool Champion

Lynette Horsburgh (/ˈhɔːrzbʌrə/ HORZ-burr-ə; born 1974) is a Scottish-English semi-professional, world champion pool and national champion snooker player, as well as an international-class player of English billiards. In sport, she represents Scotland. Outside sport, she is a professional Web content producer and journalist at BBC News Online.

Career

Horsburgh began playing snooker at age 8 on a home table, wearing roller skates to reach the table,[2] playing in earnest since 11,[3] and competing in weekend tournaments as a teenager. She says that playing at the Commonwealth Sporting Club in Blackpool in 1983 with her hero, world champion Steve Davis, is what inspired her.[2][4] She lamented the snooker hall's demolition in 2009 (though it had been converted into a bowling alley in 1989) and the role the venue played for her in a sport dominated by men:[4]

I was heartbroken when it closed. It was my idea of heaven. ... If it wasn't for the Commonwealth I probably would never have taken the game up because most local venues at the time didn't allow ladies to play on the tables.

Early years

Despite the loss of her preferred venue and the snooker celebrity crowd – an ideal training pool – that it had attracted during its dozen years, Horsburgh, at age 17, reached the quarterfinal in the 1991 World Masters, losing 4–5 to Stacey Hillyard of England, after beating Kim Shaw of England in the last 16, and Natalie Stelmach of Canada in the last 32.[5]

2001–2004

Horsburgh made it to the final round of the 2001 Women's World Snooker Championship,[6] losing 2–4 to Lisa Quick of England.[7] Horsburgh rose to the no. 1 ranking in the 2003/2004 season on the WLBSA Ladies' World Snooker Tour.[3] She fought to the semifinals of the 2003 WLBSA Ladies' World Snooker Championship,[8] and the final match of the LG Cup, losing only to Kelly Fisher, who was on an unprecedented 48-match winning streak across 10 tournaments. Horsburgh lost 3–4, despite having early leads of 1–0 and 2–1.[9]

Horsburgh began transitioning into pool in 2003[10] and made it her primary cue sports focus by March 2004. She was the runner-up in the EPA 2004 Ladies' International Pool Tour Event 2 early in the year,[10] and relegated her snooker play to amateur leagues one night per week, rarely practising except before a tournament.[11][2]

Nevertheless, at age 30, she won the Ladies' United Kingdom Snooker Championship in November 2004, taking the final in a close 4-frames-to-3 competition against England's Reanne Evans – a full-time player also competing in the open/men's circuit[11] (and later a record-setting ten-time world champion, 2005–2014). Horsburgh had the highest break (consecutive run) of the event, of 82 points during her 4–1 semifinal victory against June Banks.[11] She also scored breaks of 41 and 57 in her 4–1 quarterfinal win over Michelle Sherwin (Ireland national champion), and a break of 52 in the final (Evans managed a 68, but did not win the deciding frame).[8] The UK victory ranked Horsburgh at no. 2 (after Kelly Fisher) in the WLBSA 2004/2005 season.[8] Horsburgh said that she hadn't expected to win this and two national pool titles – WEPF Ladies' National Champion and English Pool Association (EPA) Champion of Champions – back-to-back over a few weeks, feeling her age and media career were disadvantages: "most of the top girls are full-time players and I am getting on a bit, while they seem to be getting younger."[2] She did not compete in the November 2004 WLBSA Ladies' World Snooker Championship or the European Championship earlier that year due to non-sport work commitments.[8][2]

2005–

In 2005, Horsburgh won the WEPF Women's European Championship in eightball pool,[6] in which she was ranked the women's no. 1 that year,[6] and was also a member of the victorious European Team B (Scotland) in the World Ladies' Team Championship in the same discipline.[6][12] She competed again in the WLBSA Ladies' World Snooker Championship, reaching the finals for a second time, losing to Reanne Evans, despite having bested her for the world title in 2004. Horsburgh was also the runner up in a third discipline – English billiards – defeated 136–243[13] by three-time Indian national champion Anuja Thakur.[14] She also competed in the 2006 Ladies' World Championship in the singles and (with Natalie Madden) doubles divisions.[12]

Horsburgh became, at age 34, the World Eightball Pool Federation (WEPF) 2008 Women's World Champion.[15] in the discipline of eightball pool (also known as blackball, and not to be confused with eight-ball). She beat Barbara Taylor (then-current World Cup Champion and later captain of the England Ladies' team) in the televised final, 8–6, after initially trailing 0–2; both were first-time finalists.[3][15] Horsburgh bested the defending and eight-time World Champion Sue Thompson (a fellow Anglo-Scot) in the semifinal.[3][10] Women Sport Report quoted Thompson as saying: "[Horsburgh] was awesome. If I had to lose my title to anyone, it would be to Lynette."[3] Ranked no. 3 at the time in women's eightball pool, Horsburgh won the event in her home town of Blackpool, Lancashire, making it a triple win for locals with a year, as Blackpool natives Paul McGuire and Daryl Peach respectively won the WEPF Juniors' World Championship (at the same event) and the WPA World Nine-ball Championship (in the Philippines, previous November).[10]

She next won the EPA 2009 Ladies' International Pool Tour opening event in March, again defeating fellow Sue Thompson (7–5), after narrowly besting another former world champion, Emma Cunningham, 6–5.[16] Horsburgh also entered some open events (i.e., competing against male as well as female pros), such as the 2009 Ireland's Invitation 8Ball Pool Pro-Am Classic, where she reached the last 32.[17]

Additional player background

She represents Scotland as an international player, both in pool and snooker,[11] and has competed in the Scottish Pool Association (SPA),[2] the national World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) blackball pool league, as well as WEPF eightball pool and snooker. By 2012, she was focusing on nine-ball, and competing – including against men in open divisions – as far away as the United States for tournaments, and across the UK as one of only three women in the GB Nine-ball Tour, the discipline's professional league in the UK.[18] As of 2015, she had remained active in competitive snooker, too, in the form of pro-am tournaments in ten-red snooker, a fast-paced version of the game.[19] Horsburgh has appeared on BBC One's snooker game show Big Break three times.[20]

Horsburgh has a recorded high snooker break of 135, only 12 short of a maximum break.[3][6] She has trained with snooker coaches Sedge McClelland and Stephen Rowlings in snooker, and with eightball-pool world champion Mick Hill as well as Pete Mercer.[2][10] Like many players, she has various nicknames; hers include "the Ice Maiden" for her cool demeanor, as well as "Spinny", "Spinderella", and "Wee One" for her short stature[3][21] of only 5 foot (1.5 m) even.[2] This is unusual in the sport, in which reach is an advantage and lack of it requires development of skill with the rest (mechanical bridge stick).[2] Horsburgh says she plays in high stiletto heels to compensate, though it causes foot discomfort.[2] She shoots with the same custom-shortened Joe Davis 146 cue stick she has used since her days at the Commonwealth Sporting Club,[6] and favoured three Blackpool snooker halls during their heyday: Potters, Great Harwood, and Rileys.[6] Aside from Steve Davis, she cites Ronnie O'Sullivan as a favourite player.[6] As of 2007, she was sponsored by ProMasters.[6] In 2008, she began working as a personal pool and snooker coach,[22] and an exhibition player (with Karl Boyes, Mick Hill, and Ian McCulloch).[23]

Personal life

Lynette Anne Horsburgh was born in Blackpool[24] on 8 February 1974[10] to Scottish parents James ("Ossie")[25] and Anne (née Regan) Horsburgh,[24][15] and works in nearby Blackburn.[3] Her family ties to Scotland have led her to consistently choose to represent Scotland in sport.[11] Outside of sport, she works as a Web content developer and journalist[26] for BBC News Online,[11][3] and got her start in media as a cue sports reporter for the Blackpool Gazette, and Pot Black Magazine.[23] She completed a degree in law and accountancy at the University of Central Lancashire in 1997.[27][23] Horsburgh's partner Karl Boyes, is also world champion – winner of the 2008 WPA World Cup of Pool (one of the top professional male events in nine-ball)[10] and the 2010 WPA World Eight-ball Championship;[28] he is co-owner of Blackpool's remaining pool and snooker club, Qs Cue Sports Lounge.[29]

Titles

Snooker

Outcome No. Year Championship Opponent Score Ref.
Winner 1 1999 Ladies' Grand Prix [2]
Winner 2 1999 British Open Ladies' Championship [2]
Winner 3 2000 Regal Welsh Open Championship, Ladies' division [2]
Winner 4 2004 WLBSA Ladies' UK Championship [2]

Pool

Outcome No. Year Championship Opponent Score Ref.
Winner 1 2004 SPA Ladies' Singles Championship [2]
Winner 2 2004 WEPF Ladies' UK National Championship [2]
Runner-up 3 2004 EPA Ladies' Champion of Champions [2]
Winner 5 2005 WEPF World Team Champions, Scottish Ladies Team B captain [6][12]
Runner-up 6 2005 WEPF Women's European Championship [6]
Winner 7 2008 WEPF World Eightball Championship, Women's Barbara Taylor 8-6 [15]

English billiards

Outcome No. Year Championship Opponent Score Ref.
Runner-up 1 2005 World Women's Billiards Championship Anuja Thakur 136–243 [13][14]

References

  1. ^ "World title for Evans gives birth to top ranking". Snooker Scene. Everton's News Agency. October 2005. p. 36.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q "Horsburgh on cue". BBC Sport. 23 November 2004. Archived from the original on 18 January 2018. Retrieved 18 January 2018. Interview.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i "BBC Lancashire Web Producer Lynette Horsburgh is on top of the world". WomenSportReport.com. Honiton, England: Women Sport Report Ltd. 6 July 2008. Archived from the original on 18 January 2018. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Snookered by ten pin bowling club". BBC News Lancashire. 26 June 2009. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  5. ^ "Corr confirms world title". Snooker Scene. No. March 1991. Everton's News Agency. p. 11.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "In the Frame – Lynette Horsburgh". 2005. Archived from the original on 29 April 2005. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  7. ^ "Quick to make big splash in pool". BBC Sport. 29 April 2009. Archived from the original on 19 April 2013. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  8. ^ a b c d "Horsburgh Bags UK Title". Global Snooker Centre. 3 November 2004. Archived from the original on 7 May 2008. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  9. ^ "Rocket blows 147 chance". BBC Sport. 14 February 2003. Archived from the original on 19 January 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g "8-ball success delights Horsburgh". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 27 August 2009. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  11. ^ a b c d e f "Hot potter Lynette is UK champ". Blackpool Gazette. Johnston Press. 2 November 2004. Archived from the original on 18 January 2018. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  12. ^ a b c "Lancashire Hotpots cue up for World titles". BBC Sport. 2 June 2006. Archived from the original on 19 January 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  13. ^ a b "World Ladies Billiards Champions". World-Billiards.com. World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. 22 June 2015. Archived from the original on 19 January 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  14. ^ a b "Anuja bags World Billiards crown". Rediff. Press Trust of India. 7 April 2005. Archived from the original on 13 April 2005. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  15. ^ a b c d "Blackpool's Lynette is pool world champ". Blackpool Gazette. 11 July 2008. Archived from the original on 18 January 2018. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  16. ^ "Hot potter Lynette is international champ". Blackpool Gazette. 31 March 2009. Archived from the original on 20 August 2009. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  17. ^ "2009 Ireland's Invitation 8-Ball Pro-am Pool Classic Results". Pro9.co.uk. 5 March 2009. Archived from the original on 19 January 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  18. ^ "Horsburgh v. Parker" (MP4). CueSport.tv. 29 November 2012 – via Youtube.com.
  19. ^ "Small table snooker's big break!". 3 March 2015. Archived from the original on 19 January 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  20. ^ "On cue for big break". Lancashire Telegraph. 14 September 2001. Archived from the original on 13 October 2020. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
  21. ^ Horsburgh, Lynette (2008). "The Internet Home of Spinny". LynetteHorsburgh.co.uk. self-published. Archived from the original on 11 August 2010. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  22. ^ Horsburgh, Lynette (2008). "Coaching". LynetteHorsburgh.co.uk. Archived from the original on 3 July 2009. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  23. ^ a b c Horsburgh, Lynette (2008). "Let Lynette entertain you!". LynetteHorsburgh.co.uk. Archived from the original on 19 August 2009. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  24. ^ a b "Index entry". FreeBMD. Free UK Genealogy / Office for National Statistics. Archived from the original on 13 October 2020. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  25. ^ Horsburgh, Lynette (2008). "Lynette Horsburgh – International Pool Player". LynetteHorsburgh.co.uk. Archived from the original on 8 August 2010. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  26. ^ See, e.g.: Horsburgh, Lynette (13 August 2012). "Blackpool social club Layton Institute shuts". BBC News. Archived from the original on 19 February 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  27. ^ "Woman snooker star is runner-up". Lancashire Telegraph. 11 December 1997. Archived from the original on 19 January 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  28. ^ "Karl Boyes seals World Pool title win". BBC Sport. 12 April 2010. Archived from the original on 11 December 2016. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  29. ^ "Pool hall revival is job for the Boyes". Blackpool Gazette. 10 April 2016. Archived from the original on 13 October 2020. Retrieved 13 October 2020.

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