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"The inspiration for the design came from the Staffordshire Bull Terrier "tough, hard hitting, and will fight till it drops, or his opponent does!""
— Tony Somerfield, interviewed in a Robot Wars Club newsletter in 2003

Bulldog Breed was a robot that competed in Series 3 through 7 of Robot Wars, plus both series of Robot Wars Extreme. Originally using cutting discs, Bulldog Breed had a slow start to its UK career, losing in the first round to Robopig. Upgraded versions utilised a successful wedge and flipper combination and achieved more success. Bulldog Breed 2 defeated the seeded Bigger Brother before losing in the heat final to eventual Grand Finalist Stinger, whilst Bulldog Breed 3 also reached the heat final of Series 5 before losing to Hypno-Disc.

The fourth version of Bulldog Breed was the most successful. Despite losing in the second round of Series 6 (again to Hypno-Disc), it won the Tag Team Terror championship in Robot Wars Extreme: Series 2 alongside Robochicken, during which it single-handedly defeated reigning champions Pussycat and Diotoir (throwing the former out of the arena in the process). Entering the Seventh Wars seeded for the first time, it won its heat by defeating Kat 3 and later defeated Tough as Nails before losing in the top eight to X-Terminator.

Versions of Bulldog Breed[]

Bulldog Breed (Series 3)[]

"It may look fearsome, but its a bit of a puppy!"
— Jonathan Pearce, during Bulldog Breed's poor performance in Series 3
Bulldog Breed

The original Bulldog Breed from Series 3

The original Bulldog Breed took twelve weeks to build. It was a trapezoid-shaped dual wedge robot, with one wedge tapering into a spike and the other featuring a pair of tungsten carbide body cutters. These cutters were capable of cutting through 2mm material, and also spun at 325rpm upwards, assisting with traction for the robot and potentially flipping opponents up on impact. Bulldog Breed had electrical wheelchair motors that gave it the strength to pull a car with two people sitting in it.

"The original Bulldog Breed was created as a bit of fun to see what would be the out come in the time that there was until the start of filming for Robotwars Series 3."
— The Bulldog Breed website on the original Bulldog Breed

The original Bulldog Breed was the most unreliable and by far the least successful version of the robot. Notwithstanding the steering problems that the team reported before the wars, it was slow and unresponsive in its only battle, easily out-pushed by Robopig and eliminated by the house robots. Its armour was easily punctured by Shunt's axe.

"A badly planned R/C system with two wheelchair motors controlled by servos (motor speed controllers kept cutting out because of safety devices)"
— Tony Somerfield on the downsides of the original Bulldog Breed

Bulldog Breed 2[]

"British Bulldog spirit? Or barking mad?"
— Jonathan Pearce
Bulldgobreed s4 arena

Bulldog Breed 2 in the arena

Bulldogbreed s4 arena side

Bulldog Breed 2 from the side

Bulldog Breed 2 (stylised as Bulldog Breed II by the team) bore a passing resemblance to Chaos 2, eschewing the trapezoid for a more triangular shape and using polycarbonate armour to house the electronics. It retained the dual wedge and the rear spike, but substituted the spinning discs for a powerful pneumatic flipper.

"This is Bulldog Breed 2, and apparently it could flip "2" of me with that [the flipper]! Don't ask how much that is!"
Julia Reed

It was 1.3kg heavier than its predecessor, once again driven by a pair of wheelchair motors. It was as strong as its predecessor, capable of pushing a 2.5 tonne forklift at a top speed of 5 mph.

Bulldogbreed s4 overhead arena

Bulldog Breed 2 from above showing its rear spike

The flipper was powered by three CO2 cylinders. It reportedly threw two of Tony Somerfield's work colleagues 8 feet into the air during testing. Unlike Chaos 2 and many other wedge flippers of its time, however, the flipper could only extend to a position parallel to the ground. This meant that when Bulldog Breed had a large weight on its flipper, it tended to lean forward with its back wheels lifting slightly.

"This bot is here for business. It is powerful, and has a score to settle. It can easily push a Two Tonne Fork-Lift Truck. It can flip a steel table with ease."
— The Bulldog Breed website on Bulldog Breed 2

Bulldog Breed 3[]

"We build 'em tough in Staffordshire!"
— Tony Somerfield
Bulldogbreed s5 arena

Bulldog Breed 3 in the arena

Bulldog Breed 3 (stylised as Bulldog Breed III by the team) gained almost 20kg from its predecessor. It substituted the dual wheelchair motors for a 24V electric motor, giving it a much quicker top speed of 15 mph, and was coated in significantly tougher aluminium dural plate armour, which varied from 10mm to 13mm in thickness.

"He's the fastest, the most powerful dog we've had so far. It's 15mph, he's got a full-width flipper at the front, with twin cylinders, specially built for Robot Wars. The tactics are to ram with the stainless steel ramming plate and flip"
— Tony Somerfield

Bulldog Breed 3 was less than half the height of its predecessors, at only 32cm tall. It changed from the Chaos 2 style triangle dual wedge to a Firestorm-style long wedge with rounded back, once again keeping the electronics visible through clear polycarbonate.

For weapons, it retained the hardened spike tail, and upgraded the flipper. It now featured a T-shaped flipper with a wide, ram-tipped plate to get beneath robots. The flipper was powered by twin cylinders that the team specifically built for competing in Robot Wars. The stem of the T lay between two humps on the wedge, and was now able to open almost ninety degrees from its resting position, giving Bulldog Breed 3 more flipping momentum than its predecessor.

Bulldog Breed 3's weakness was consistently listed as being unable to self-right, presumably due to the tail. Despite this, the tail was detachable.

Bulldog Breed (Series 6 and Extreme 2)[]

"It's smaller in length, it's smaller in width, and it's smaller in height, but it is as they say; it's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog!"
— Tony Somerfield introduces the latest version of Bulldog Breed in Series 6
Bulldog Breed Arena

Bulldog Breed in the arena during Series 6

Bulldog Breed EXT2

Bulldog Breed in Extreme 2

Bulldog Breed reverted to its original name and created the smallest version of the robot yet for The Sixth Wars and the second series of Robot Wars Extreme. The team abandoned the sequential successors because they were making continuous improvements to the robot, rather than building new models.[1]

In Series 6 it featured two 750W motors and removed the wedge humps and rear spike, but retained the T-shaped flipper and metal scoop. The flipper was specially made by Midland Pneumatics Ltd, costing £1200. Containing twin 50 bore 200 stroke units, it used full pressure, 1000 psi liquid CO2, allowing 18 flips per battle.

"...this last one took about 1500 hours all in all, over the course of about fifteen months"
— Tony Somerfield on the fourth version of Bulldog Breed, interviewed in a Robot Wars Club newsletter in 2003
BulldogBreedExtreme2

Bulldog Breed in the Tag Team Terror

The polycarbonate casing for the electronics was replaced with another armour plate. Bulldog Breed featured a top speed of 10 mph and a 1 cm ground clearance. From Extreme 2 onward, the robot also featured cast-nylon armour, a material that gets stronger in response to impact. This armour was added because of Bulldog Breed's two defeats to Hypno-Disc. The flipper was able to let the robot self-right and was strong enough to throw Pussycat out of the arena and hoist both Dead Metal and Growler off the arena floor.

Bulldog Breed (Series 7)[]

"We're going to push the boundaries, always."
— Tony Somerfield in Series 7
Bulldog Breed S7

Top view of Bulldog Breed from Series 7

Bulldog Breed S7 R1

Bulldog Breed enters the arena for its first battle in Series 7

Bulldog Breed underwent very few upgrades before entering Series 7, with only minor dimension changes. In Series 7, the armour was 10mm thick on the sides and bottom, and 12mm on the top, as well as a covering of polycarbonate, which was between 6 and 12mm depending on the position on the robot. It was noticeably tougher than its predecessors, which had taken damage from Shunt - Kat 3 barely scratched the surface of the robot. A Piezo Gyro was added for Series 7, to improve control, and the tip of the flipper was more rounded in comparison to the broad front wedge of previous versions.

Bulldog Breed S7 HF

Bulldog Breed in its Series 7 Heat Final

Bulldog Breed 7

Bulldog Breed in the semi-finals

The Series 7 version of Bulldog Breed utilised a mesh buried inside the robot to protect its expensive and custom-made internal cylinders from damage, which caused controversy when Infernal Contraption snared the netting and tore it loose. Derek Foxwell investigated with Tony Somerfield on behalf of the judges, and ultimately gave Bulldog Breed a yellow card and permission to continue on the condition that the mesh be removed. Tony Somerfield said that in the future, they would devise other methods to protect the cylinders.

The Team[]

Bulldog Breed was entered by The Press Gang, a team from Staffordshire. The team captain was engineer Tony Somerfield, the only team member present through all Bulldog Breed's appearances. Originally, the team consisted of Tony, Toni Bond and Chris Butler. Tony's son Robert, an engineering student, joined the team for Series 4 because Chris Butler was on holiday at the time of filming. Despite this, Robert remained part of the team for all their subsequent appearances, whereas Chris Butler never appeared on the show again.[2] Toni Bond was the driver in Series 3 and 4, but left afterwards.

For Series 7 and both series of Extreme, Karl Asplin, captain of Team Desert Storm was part of the team. Tony Somerfield met Asplin at a pub car park in Stafford where roboteers met to scrap out in the open and 'talk robot stuff'.[3] Asplin was not credited on the stats boards or acknowledged by Jonathan Pearce in Extreme 2 or Series 7, but did not appear on the team in Series 5 despite being credited on the stats board. In Series 5, Sean Bond was part of the team, who was not credited on the stat board.[4]

The team's name, The Press Gang, is a reference to groups called "Press Gangs", which forced people into Naval service.

Qualification[]

Bulldog Breed was selected for the Third Wars after running the obstacle course. Bulldog Breed 2 qualified for Series 4 by winning both of its qualifying fights, beating Cannibal and The Bat.

"Trashed!"
— The Bulldog Breed website gives a blunt description on what happened to its opponents[5]

As with all the Heat Finalists from Series 4, Bulldog Breed 3 still had to go through the Series 5 qualifiers due to the reduction of seeds from 32 to 24, which meant not all the Heat Finalists could be seeded. Bulldog Breed 3 attended the Manchester leg of the Series 5 qualifying tour, where it fought Derek! and won by knockout when the battery connector link in Derek! jumped out. Bulldog Breed 3 qualified for the Fifth Wars as a result, but was not chosen to be seeded.

"I did ask about seeding but was told basically that that was a question for someone else to answer !!!!!"
— Tony Somerfield[6]
Series6qualifiers2humphrey

Bulldog Breed at the Series 6 qualifiers

At the Series 6 qualifiers, Bulldog Breed fought and defeated Cerberus to qualify, attempting to throw it out of the arena before the battle was ended early to prevent this.

"We always wanted to chuck another bot out of the arena to send a warning to other bots. This we nearly achieved when Cerberus was nearly out twice, but the fight got stopped early so that no damage would be done to the surrounding area of the arena, they knew what we were up to!"
— Tony Somerfield on his Series 6 qualifier[7]

Bulldog Breed then automatically qualified for Series 7, as a seeded machine.

Robot History[]

Series 3[]

Heat G

Robopig shunts Bulldog Breed into the CPZ

Shunt Bulldog Breed

Bulldog Breed's top is penetrated by Shunt

In its first Robot Wars appearance, Bulldog Breed faced fellow newcomer Robopig in the first round of Heat G.

Bulldog Breed did not move at the start of the battle as Robopig slowly approached it. Eventually, Bulldog Breed got going and quickly darted around Robopig before stopping again.

"Bit of a slow start by the old Bulldog ... hasn't got out of his kennel yet."
— Jonathan Pearce
Bulldogbreedspike

Bulldog Breed is lifted by the floor spike.

Bulldog Breed attempted to use its saw blades on Robopig's wheels, but Robopig got away before any damage was sustained. Robopig gently pushed Bulldog Breed towards the flame jets on the arena wall and then towards the CPZ where Shunt was waiting. By now, Bulldog Breed appeared to have lost all mobility as Shunt axed through its top and lifted it up slightly. After two more axe blows from Shunt, Bulldog Breed regained mobility, but only for a few seconds, as it stopped once again. Robopig bumped Bulldog Breed back into the flame jets and the latter reversed back into Shunt's CPZ. Shunt lifted Bulldog Breed up with its scoop and axed its back end before pushing it out of the CPZ onto the arena spike.

Bulldog Breed Shunt Series3

Bulldog Breed gets axed by Shunt

Matilda and Dead Metal closed in on the now immobile Bulldog Breed. Matilda attacked with her chainsaw and Dead Metal attempted to saw it but missed. After a few more axe blows from Shunt, Cease was called and Bulldog Breed was eliminated from The Third Wars after a disappointing debut.

"Unfortunately due to a mechanical failure, Bulldog, failed to make his move on Robopig. Mind you the pig did try, but the look on Bulldogs face must of scared him off, because he failed to make a mark on Bulldog. This left the opportunity for the house robots to do their work. It took them some time, but they gave the poor dog who could not move and defend himself, a bit of a beating."
— The Bulldog Breed website

Series 4[]

Bulldog Breed 2 returned for The Fourth Wars, now much improved. In Round 1 of Heat J, it was drawn up against the number thirty seed, Stinger and newcomer Spikasaurus.

Bulldog breed stinger spikasaurus

Bulldog Breed 2 flips Stinger

Bulldog breed spikasaurus stinger

Bulldog Breed 2 negates the charge

Bulldog Breed 2 approached Spikasaurus and flipped it over, but Spikasaurus was able roll back onto its wheels.

"Spikasaurus, just rolled over by Bulldog Breed. Didn't roll over for a tickle on the tum, got straight up, which is good to see"
— Jonathan Pearce after Bulldog Breed 2 flips Spikasaurus over

Bulldog Breed 2 then turned to Stinger, flipping it after Spikasaurus pushed it onto its flipper. Bulldog Breed 2 backed away and then flipped Stinger again, this time from the side and rolling it across the floor. As Stinger and Spikasaurus fought, Bulldog Breed 2 reversed away and got back into the action with another flip on Stinger, followed by a flick on Spikasaurus. Stinger ran at Bulldog Breed 2, who caught with its flipper and flicked it into the air. The three robots moved down the arena where Bulldog Breed 2 got another flip on Spikasaurus, flicking it up onto its side but not over. Spikasaurus ran at Bulldog Breed 2 and again got caught with a flip and Bulldog Breed 2 followed up with a side flip which rolled Spikasaurus completely over and back onto its wheels.

Bulldog breed shunt

Shunt slams through Bulldog Breed 2

BulldogBreedvsSpikasaurus

Bulldog Breed 2 flips Spikasaurus

As Stinger flailed around, Bulldog Breed 2 flipped it and Stinger rolled on top of Bulldog Breed 2's flipper before falling onto the arena floor. Bulldog Breed 2 lingered around while its two opponents moved around the arena, eventually catching Stinger from the side and flipping it. Bulldog Breed 2 flipped Stinger to invert it, then Spikasaurus and then Stinger again. Bulldog Breed 2 stayed out of the way until Spikasaurus drove into Shunt's CPZ. Bulldog Breed 2 lifted Spikasaurus up against the wall, but the latter freed itself and Bulldog Breed 2 got stuck underneath Shunt and the House Robot forced Bulldog Breed 2 into its CPZ.

"Shunt came out very, very hungrily and said "Bulldog, you're mine!""
— Jonathan Pearce as Bulldog Breed 2 is trapped by Shunt

A quick attack from Stinger left Bulldog Breed 2's flipper open momentarily as Shunt pushed it into the corner and axed straight through its open flipper and dragged it out to allow it to escape. Bulldog Breed 2 flipped Spikasaurus over, which could now no longer roll back due to its rollcage being damaged. Bulldog Breed 2 flipped Spikasaurus one last time to put it back onto its wheels before the fight ended to go to a Judges' decision, who voted that Bulldog Breed 2 would advance to the second round of the Heat with Stinger.

In the second round, Bulldog Breed 2 fought the fourteenth seed, Bigger Brother.

Julia Reed: "You've got the tactics of a seven and a half year old against you, have you met little Joe?"
Toni Bond: "We have yes, unfortunately"
Julia Reed: "It's going to be harder to beat him up, now, isn't it?"
Toni Bond: "It is, yeah."
Tony Somerfield: "We just helped him mend his robot!"
Julia Reed: "Oh, he's such a cutie isn't he?"
Tony Somerfield: "Yeah...I wish we hadn't now. Hahaha"

— The pre-match interview with Bulldog Breed 2's team
Bulldog breed 2 bigger brother

Bigger Brother vents gas

Bigger Brother started with a side-on attack on Bulldog Breed 2 and tried to use its flipper, but was not able to flip Bulldog Breed 2 as its flipper was not underneath enought. Immediately afterwards, Bigger Brother vented gas suddenly.

"Ooh! Gas is being vented there. Now they normally are aimed, due to the pressurised system onto the flipper, I wonder if there's a problem with one of the pressure valves. I think there might be, and that will lead to a lack of power in what was otherwise a fierce flipper! And it may give Bulldog Breed 2 a chance to growl and prowl, menacingly."
— Jonathan Pearce
Bulldog breed bigger brother

Bulldog Breed 2 flips Bigger Brother

Bigger Brother attempted another flip, but failed and vented more gas. At the same time, Bulldog Breed 2 tried to flip Bigger Brother, but failed as well. Bulldog Breed 2 missed another flip on Bigger Brother, which was now cautiously moving around, and then missed another one. Eventually, Bulldog Breed 2 landed a flip on Bigger Brother, flicking it over and onto its back. With gas still venting, Bigger Brother was unable to self-right and was now immobilised. The House Robots came in and attacked the beaten Bigger Brother, before pitting the seeded machine, giving the upset victory to Bulldog Breed 2.

Craig Charles: "You have to feel really big and clever breaking a little boy's heart."
Toni Bond: "I have to apologise, but considering we were called a puppy in the last war, we had to come back hard."
— The post-match interview

Bulldog Breed 2 was through to the Heat Final, where it met Stinger once again.

Bulldog breed 2 stinger

Stinger strikes Bulldog Breed 2

Bulldog breed stinger

Bulldog Breed 2 balances Stinger

Stinger began spinning as Bulldog Breed 2 approached it and Bulldog Breed 2 knocked Stinger onto one wheel briefly. The two robots moved around each other slowly until Bulldog Breed 2 came in, battering against Stinger and taking a few hits. Stinger caught the edge of Bulldog Breed 2, rode up its side and spun on one wheel before rushing away. Bulldog Breed 2 wedged underneath Stinger as it flailed around, taking more hits as the mace bashed on its flipper and a brief hit on its side. Stinger ran across the arena and rode over Bulldog Breed 2 again.

"Its a bit tentative here, they're feeling each other out, I don't know why. They know all about each other, they fought together against Spikasaurus"
— Jonathan Pearce
Stinger bulldog breed

Stinger attacks the smoking Bulldog Breed 2

Stinger landed a hit on Bulldog Breed 2's rear panel and Bulldog Breed 2 responded by flipping Stinger and lifting it off the ground. Stinger whacked Bulldog Breed 2 again before Bulldog Breed 2 flipped it aside following another hit from the mace. After a failed flip attempt, Bulldog Breed 2's flipper stayed open, and Stinger spun on the spot, slamming into Bulldog Breed 2's side and back. The flipper still would not close, and Stinger's attacks caused CO2 to start venting from Bulldog Breed 2.

"Stinger - a side attack on the Bulldog, the jaws of the Bulldog are open - ah! CO2 being vented there! Bulldog Breed is in trouble here!"
— Jonathan Pearce
DMBulldogBreed

Dead Metal drags Bulldog Breed 2 around

Stinger struck the top of Bulldog Breed 2 twice, then spun around and used its axe to hit the exposed innards of Bulldog Breed 2. Bulldog Breed 2 tried to deflect Stinger's hits by turning in a circle, but more gas started to vent. Stinger continued to hit Bulldog Breed 2 until one hit knocked it aside and immobilised it. Stinger propped itself against Bulldog Breed 2 and whacked its jammed flipper as smoke began to pour from the immobilised machine. The House Robots soon closed in, Dead Metal cut into Bulldog Breed 2's flipper and Shunt axed its top. Sir Killalot then picked up Bulldog Breed 2, spun it aroud and dropped it onto its back, damaging its baseplate in the process. Dead Metal placed Bulldog Breed 2 onto the floor flipper, where it was thrown back onto its wheels as Cease was called, putting an end to Bulldog Breed 2's Fourth Wars campaign.

Craig Charles: "You're more like a puppy now. What happened there?"
Toni Bond: "Sorry guys, they hit us a bit hard, they knocked something out, so..."
Craig Charles: "They bludgeoned you to death! Your flipper went, they gave you a serious pounding, didn't they?"
Tony Somerfield: "Call RSPCA!"
— The post-battle interview

Extreme 1[]

Bulldog Breed 3's only appearance in the first series of Extreme saw it compete in a Mayhem qualifier battle against Judge Shred 2½ and Spirit of Knightmare, for the right to fight in the second Annihilator of the series.

Bulldog Breed 3 moved around its opponents, only bumping them slightly. After more driving around, Bulldog Breed 3 was attacked by Spirit of Knightmare, who slid underneath it. Bulldog Breed 3 got off and pressed Judge Shred 2½ against the arena wall, but it then pushed against an angle grinder by Spirit of Knightmare. Bullog Breed 3 escaped and almost ran into Dead Metal, but then reversed to the opposite side of the arena, momentarily getting caught side-one by Judge Shred 2½ before bumping into Spirit of Knightmare. Bulldog Breed 3 continued to drive around the arena, engaging with Judge Shred 2½. Meanwhile, Spirit of Knightmare had lost mobility, with Bulldog Breed 3 pushing Judge Shred 2½ into the immobilised machine. Bulldog Breed 3 missed a flip on Judge Shred 2½, who escaped and Refbot counted out Spirit of Knightmare. While the House Robots attacked Spirit of Knightmare, Bulldog Breed 3 managed to catch Judge Shred 2½ from the side and flip it over.

Judge Shred flipped

Judge Shred 2½ is flipped by Bulldog Breed 3

"If you let the bulldog off his lead, he will create mayhem in the arena!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Judge Shred 2½ is flipped

Judge Shred 2½ self-righting mechanism failed to work and as such, it was counted out by Refbot. Spirit of Knightmare was thrown by the floor flipper and Shunt axed Judge Shred 2½ and pitted it. Bulldog Breed 3 had won the Mayhem and had secured a spot in the Annihilator.

"Very good piece of driving skill by Tony Somerfield at the controls of Bulldog Breed to flip the Judge as they did."
— Jonathan Pearce as Judge Shred 2½ is pitted

However, Bulldog Breed 3 was forced to pull out of the second Annihilator after suffering damage to its motor support from its Heat Final battle with Hypno-Disc in Heat B of Series 5, which was filmed around the same time. Bulldog Breed 3 became the second robot to withdraw from the second Annihilator after Atomic 2, which also withdrew after taking damage from Hypno-Disc. On the show, its absence was explained by claiming that it had "broken down" after winning its Mayhem and Spirit of Knightmare ultimately took Bulldog Breed 3's place in the Annihilator

Series 5[]

"Bulldog Breed's come out of its kennel for another crack at the title. They didn't do to well in the last wars but learned plenty of lessons and have returned with a really powerful flipper. This dog's got no bark, but it's got plenty of bite!"
— Philippa Forrester at the start of the Heat

Bulldog Breed 3's first round battle in Heat B of The Fifth Wars saw it face newcomer Juggernot 2.

Bulldogjuggernot

Bulldog Breed 3 flips Juggernot 2 over

Bulldog Breed 3 was quicker off the mark, as Juggernot 2 trundled away before turning. Juggernot 2 continued to crawl around the arena and then spun on the spot. Bulldog Breed 3 had plenty of time to line itself up for an attack, and duly flipped Juggernot 2 onto its side, causing a panel of its rear armour to come off.

"There you go, there's the flipper, up goes Juggernot 2! And I'm afraid if I could see the Juggernot team in problems, well so could Bulldog Breed!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Bulldog Breed 3 carries out the inevitable flip
Bulldog Breed 3 Juggernot 2

Bulldog Breed 3 leaves Juggernot 2 crippled next to the Pit of Oblivion

Bulldog Breed 3 then flipped Juggerbot 2 onto its front, and then onto its wheels. Juggernot 2 drove towards Bulldog Breed 3, but was flipped again, this time onto its rear. Bulldog Breed 3 ran at Juggernot 2 and flipped it over through the air, where it landed on its back. Bulldog Breed 3 pushed the pit release button, ripping it from the wall in the process, before flipping Juggernot 2 towards the pit, but it failed push its opponent in, as it pushed it at the wrong angle, and reversed away. Meanwhile, Juggernot 2's flipper had broken off. Shunt then pushed the defeated Juggernot 2 into the pit.

Craig Charles: "I tell you what, your flipper is quite ... well, it's strong, isn't it?"
Tony Somerfield: "It's getting there now, we've learned a lot from Chaos."
Craig Charles: "Is Chaos the benchmark for flippers?"
Tony Somerfield: "Yeah, that's right. Chaos and Steg 2, Thermidor, they've all got good flippers now and we aim to be up there with them"
— Post-battle interview

The next round saw the bulldog against the wolf, in the form of Lambsy.

"I think we're going to do a bit of sheep-worrying, I just hope we don't get shot by the farmer!"
— Tony Somerfield on Lambsy
Bulldoglambsy

Lambsy is flipped by Bulldog Breed 3

Lambsy went straight for the pit release and activated it. Bulldog Breed 3 followed Lambsy, got under and flipped it over, knocking off the sheep mascot.

"I don't know whether they were going to try to put bulldog into its kennel early, but they were flipped."
— Jonathan Pearce on Lambsy's early activation of the pit
Lambsy Bulldog Breed 3

Bulldog Breed, atop of Lambsy

Lambsy continued to move upside-down due to being invertible, before Bulldog Breed 3 drove up onto Lambsy's wedge, but Lambsy didn't fire its flipper. Bulldog Breed 3 flipped itself off of Lambsy's wedge and caught it from the side to flip Lambsy over once, before following up with another flip to put Lambsy back on its main side. Lambsy moved over away and turned around before Bulldog Breed 3 charged onto Lambsy's wedge, driving straight over its opponent. Lambsy stopped momentarily while Bulldog Breed 3 flipped it up but not over. Bulldog Breed 3 then failed to flip Lambsy from behind once and then again, clamping it with its open flipper.

"Now, if Bulldog Breed, to be honest, are to be a match in the heat final with Hypno-Disc, they should dispose here of Lambsy."
— Jonathan Pearce
Lambsy Bulldog Breed 3 1

Bulldog Breed 3 clamps down on Lambsy

Bulldog Breed 3 pushed Lambsy into the CPZ, and Shunt closed in and axed it. Lambsy escaped as the time began to tick down. In the last few seconds, Bulldog Breed 3 flicked Lambsy over once more, before cease was called.

"That was a lot closer than I thought it would be, so well done to both teams there."
— Jonathan Pearce as the battle goes the distance

The battle then went to the Judges, who put Bulldog Breed 3 through to the Heat Final, where it had to face the number three seed Hypno-Disc.

Craig Charles: "I tell you one thing though, you're facing Hypno-Disc in the Heat Final!"
Tony Somerfield: "Yeah, we'll do what we always do, grit our teeth and dig in. It's going to be one of two things; we're going to be all around the arena, or he's going to be out of it!"
— Post-Round 2 interview
Bulldogbreedlink

Bulldog Breed 3's link falls out

Bulldog Breed 3 shot towards Hypno-Disc and weaved around to avoid its disc. Hypno-Disc caught up and got a glancing blow in on Bulldog Breed 3, but merely bounced off, Bulldog Breed 3 missing a flip in the process. Hypno-Disc got another hit on Bulldog Breed 3's side and Bulldog Breed 3 retaliated by getting its flipper under Hypno-Disc and flipping it, Hypno-Disc merely bounced and landed back on its wheels. Hypno-Disc rushed towards Bulldog Breed 3 catching its side and the latter missed a flip. Hypno-Disc hit Bulldog Breed 3's front and side, which was now slowly turning around in a circle. Hypno-Disc lined up another attack, hitting its front and then followed up with a rear attack. This attack ripped out Bulldog Breed 3's safety link, which immobilised it instantly.

"It's almost like hitting the jackpot, winning the lottery, winning the pools, having birthday and Christmas all at once!"
— Jonathan Pearce on Hypno-Disc removing Bulldog Breed 3's link
HDisc Bulldog pit

Bulldog Breed 3 is pitted by Hypno-Disc

Hypno-Disc was merciful though and instead of destroying Bulldog Breed 3, it merely activated the pit and pushed Bulldog Breed 3 down before Refbot had a chance to count it out. This eliminated Bulldog Breed 3 from The Fifth Wars, and the damage sustained from the battle also cost it its place in the Extreme Annihilator, which was filmed sometime after this Heat.

"And then they sent the Bulldog to the doghouse!"
— Jonathan Pearce on Hypno-Disc's defeat of Bulldog Breed 3

Series 6[]

"...improved design on the last three series, more durable, harder-hitting, more powerful flipper, more controllable. It "exudes gas when angry" - so what? So does my mum!"
— Jonathan Pearce reviewing Bulldog Breed's stats

A new and improved Bulldog Breed returned for the Sixth Wars. It was drawn up against former heat-finalist Kat 3, veteran Revenge of Trouble & Strife and newcomer Spin Doctor in its first round melee in the penultimate heat for the series.

"I think I'd go for Bulldog Breed in this, right from the start, Bulldog Breed's initial slam leaves the doctor spinning, out of control"
— Jonathan Pearce as Bulldog Breed flips Spin Doctor
Bulldog Breed vs Revenge of Trouble and Strife

Bulldog Breed overturns Revenge of Trouble & Strife

Bulldog Breed vs Spin Doctor

Bulldog Breed next overturns Spin Doctor

Bulldog Breed went straight into the fighting as it flipped Spin Doctor into Sir Killalot's crushing claw, but the impact with the house robot kept Spin Doctor on its wheels. Bulldog Breed then drove around Kat 3 and flipped Revenge of Trouble & Strife over, using Kat 3's jammed axe as a chock. Driving around Spin Doctor for a couple of seconds, Bulldog Breed went back to Revenge of Trouble & Strife and gave it a nudge as it had not self-righted. Bulldog Breed seemed like it was trying to flip Revenge of Trouble & Strife on to its wheels again but gave up and looked on as Refbot was about to count out the round robot out. Then, Bulldog Breed slammed into Spin Doctor and flipped it into the Corner Patrol Zone, leaving it there at the mercy of Sgt. Bash. The bulldog then flipped Kat 3 near the pit, nearly changing who was going to go out. After Revenge of Trouble & Strife drove into the pit and Spin Doctor was counted out, Bulldog Breed flicked Kat 3 into the pit.

Bulldog Breed vs Kat3 S6

Bulldog Breed also turns Kat 3 over

"We didn't worry about Hypno-Disc much, but we moved the link anyway! I also wished we had moved the motor mounts too."
— Tony Somerfield on the rematch[8]

In the second round, its luck was gone, as it had an unfortunate draw up against the number 4 seed Hypno-Disc, for the second time in as many series.

Philippa Forrester: "It is a tough robot, can you slice him. do you think?"
Dave Rose: "Well, we did it once, so we could do it again, but he's made a few improvements, but then, so have we!"
— The pre-battle interview with the Hypno-Disc team
Bulldog Breed vs Hypno-Disc

Bulldog Breed gets a flip in on Hypno-Disc

Hypno-Disc attacks Bulldog Breed

Bulldog Breed is immobilised by Hypno-Disc once again

At the start of the battle, Bulldog Breed charged in whilst Hypno-Disc was getting its weapon up to speed, and managed to flip Hypno-Disc, only for Hypno-Disc to just bounce away. Hypno-Disc managed to retaliate, first hitting the side, knocking Bulldog Breed into the CPZ. After dodging the flipper, Hypno-Disc hit Bulldog Breed's front twice. No visible damage was done, but Bulldog Breed was driving in circles. Hypno-Disc attacked again, knocking Bulldog Breed closer to the CPZ. Dead Metal started to attack Bulldog Breed because it was near the Corner Patrol Zone but the Bulldog managed to flick Dead Metal off. There was an evident rip in the side of Bulldog Breed which may have caused it to become immobilised. Hypno-Disc hit it again and Dead Metal tried to slice into the bulldog but again it flicked Dead Metal.

"Bulldog Breed had to get it over early, and they failed to do so"
— Jonathan Pearce as "Cease" was called

Bulldog Breed was counted out from lack of mobility and "Cease" was called, eliminating Bulldog Breed from the competition.

Craig Charles: "It didn't half hit you hard, though."
Tony Somerfield: "Yes it did, it took out the motor on the left-hand side, last year, they took out the motor on the right-hand side."
Craig Charles: "Why do you have the motors so close to the sides?"
Tony Somerfield: "Because there's no room inside! [Laughs]"
— Post-Round 2 interview

Extreme 2[]

Bulldog Breed was the star of the Extreme Series 2 Tag Team Terror competition, where it was teamed up with Robochicken. The researchers contacted the team to suggest the partnership. Somerfield originally wanted to team with Bigger Brother, but after thinking about it, decided that the partnership would be 'worth at least a laugh'.[9]

"Making up the team, the growl and the fowl!"
— Jonathan Pearce on the Tag Team partnership

In the first round, Bulldog Breed and Robochicken found themselves in a difficult draw as they faced the reigning Tag Team Terror champions, Pussycat and Diotoir.

"Dog and the cat in the arena together, it's gotta be tears!"
— Tony Somerfield
Bulldog Breed Pussycat

Bulldog Breed's highly acclaimed moment

Bulldog Breed went out first, against Pussycat. Bulldog Breed and Pussycat met in the centre of the arena, with Pussycat's blade scratching the wedge of Bulldog Breed, but no more happening. The two robots simply spun around each other trying to gain purchase on the other. Bulldog Breed was more successful, tossing Pussycat into the air with its powerful flipper. Pussycat, stuck on its side, spun free and landed on its wheels. Bulldog Breed charged forward, slipping its flipper under the wheeled end of Pussycat, and threw it over the arena wall.

"Can run any way up, Pussycat - but not that way, thank you very much, you're out! How many lives on a Pussycat? One! And it's over!"
— Jonathan Pearce
Bulldog flips Diotoir

Bulldog Breed flips Diotoir over

Bulldog Breed immediately followed this attack up by hurling Diotoir over as it emerged from the CPZ. The impact knocked one of the eyes of Diotoir, but the Irish machine managed to land on its wheels. Diotoir flanked Bulldog Breed, but neither of its weapons activated, and Bulldog Breed quickly escaped, tossing Diotoir onto its back, beside the flame pit. Bulldog Breed swiftly pushed it all the way onto the flames.

"We said it would be entertaining, and the dog means business! He's out with a growl and on the prowl! For goodness sake, put him on a leash, someone!"
— Jonathan Pearce as Bulldog Breed flips Diotoir

Robochicken came in to flip and "peck" the immobile Diotoir, who could not self-right. Refbot came in to put out the flames and count Diotoir out, before Matilda came in to attack with its flywheel. Cease was called and the reigning champions were eliminated, with Bulldog Breed and Robochicken progressing.

"And that's the most emphatic victory we've seen in the Tag Team Terror, it belonged to Bulldog Breed, and Robochicken- we hardly saw them!"
— Jonathan Pearce

In the Semi-Final round, Bulldog Breed and Robochicken were drawn up against newcomer to the televised show Lightning and previous Tag Team Terror finalist The Steel Avenger.

"They're there to sweep up the mess and peck a few eyes when it's all over"
— Tony Somerfield on Robochicken's role in the Tag Team pairing
Bulldog breed lightning

Bulldog Breed hurls Lightning over and onto the arena wall.

Bulldog Breed went out first again, against Lightning. At the start of the battle, the two robots dodged each other, until Bulldog Breed attacked the side of Lightning, pushing it to the arena wall and flipping it.

"...Bulldog Breed, which is the most impressive single robot we've seen in the Tag Team Terror, and already it looks to flick another robot out of the arena. Trying to do to Lightning there, what they did in the first round to Pussycat!"
— Jonathan Pearce

Lightning tried to self-right, but this merely pushed it away from the wall, still on its back. Bulldog Breed flipped it again, beaching it on the wall right way up, and moved to position it to attempt to throw it out of the arena. However, the arrival of Robochicken and The Steel Avenger dissuaded this attempt, and Bulldog Breed retreated as The Steel Avenger knocked Lightning free of the angle grinder. However, this move trapped The Steel Avenger between the wall and Sgt. Bash. Lightning re-engaged Bulldog Breed, but seemed to only be able to spin in circles until Growler came out and slammed it into Bulldog Breed, who tossed it back onto the arena wall. The Steel Avenger managed to escape from Sgt. Bash by pushing back, as Bulldog Breed flipped Lightning in another attempt to flip it out, only for Lightning to bounce away from the wall. Bulldog Breed drove into the CPZ, and Growler came in, driving on top of it and cornering it. However, Bulldog Breed was able to lift Growler with its flipper, lifting it twice before Growler reversed away, allowing Bulldog Breed to escape. Growler pursued Bulldog Breed, driving on top of the competitor. Bulldog Breed flipped Growler over its top, although the House Robot landed smoothly.

Bulldog breed growler

Bulldog Breed hurls Growler over one shoulder

"It's the clash of the two dogs out there! A real dog fight on the arena floor! And Growler is after the Bulldog, who's gonna win this one? The Bulldog comes out on top! Growler up and over! That's great driving from the Bulldog Breed!"
— Jonathan Pearce during the clash

Bulldog Breed then rammed The Steel Avenger into the CPZ with Robochicken, flipping it onto Robochicken, who pinned it against the arena wall with its flipper.

"And we look for hints in events like the Tag Team Terror for future UK and World Champions, and I'll tell you what, Bulldog Breed may go close in the future! They look terrific to me! ... They have a teammate, Bulldog Breed, called Robochicken. You wouldn't believe it, would you? We haven't seen much of that!"
— Jonathan Pearce

The Steel Avenger got back on its wheels, only to be flipped again by Robochicken. It managed to escape, and charged in reverse to Bulldog Breed. It tried to use its lifter, but this had no effect, and allowed Bulldog Breed to get under again, driving straight under it. Bulldog Breed dodged The Steel Avenger as Lightning was counted out, before giving Lightning one last flip as the count reached 10. It turned its attentions back on The Steel Avenger, flipping it over. The Steel Avenger quickly self-righted, and reversed away, but Bulldog Breed and Sgt. Bash blocked its escape. The Steel Avenger escaped Sgt. Bash, before being flipped by Bulldog Breed again, but this time Bulldog Breed kept its flipper open to prevent them self-righting. The Steel Avenger was able to self-right as Robochicken came in, only to be flipped again. It self-righted, and tried to axe Robochicken, but its blows missed and Robochicken got in again, flipping it over, and this time it could not self-right. The Steel Avenger was then counted out and Robochicken and Bulldog Breed were through to the Tag Team Terror Final.

Craig Charles: "I tell you what, your robot has really improved, what have you done to it?"
Tony Somerfield: "Everything! This is the fourth one."
— Post-battle interview

In the Final, Bulldog Breed and Robochicken went up against Hydra and Barbaric Response.

"For me the strongest team, Hydra and Barbaric Response, for me the strongest robot, Bulldog Breed, and they meet in the final. It should be some battle, I can tell you."
— Jonathan Pearce before the battle
Barbaric response bulldog breed

Barbaric Response pins down Bulldog Breed after its attack on Hydra

Bulldog Breed and Hydra both shot out quickly, but at first the two dodged each other. Bulldog Breed got the first flip in and tossed Hydra onto its back. Hydra attempted to self-right, but lacked enough momentum, and merely fell back onto its still open arm, which closed and tried again, with no success. Barbaric Response quickly joined the fight and took Bulldog Breed by surprise, tossing it onto its back and using its still open flipper to block Bulldog Breed's self-righting attempt.

"That's the first time we've seen the Breed in trouble!"
— Jonathan Pearce

Whilst Bulldog Breed self-righted, Barbaric Response tried to right Hydra, but couldn't get in properly due to Hydra's weapons being out. Bulldog Breed came in, ramming Hydra, which knocked in back on its wheels. Hydra went back into its CPZ, and Barbaric Response fled from Bulldog Breed, driving towards Hydra's CPZ. As Bulldog Breed caught up with it, Barbaric Response stopped moving. Hydra came out, and was immediately flipped by Bulldog Breed before it could get a hammer blow in. As Hydra tried to self-right, Bulldog Breed reversed Barbaric Response into an empty CPZ, where Robochicken came in and began to peck its motionless form.

Breed flips Robochicken

Bulldog Breed flips its teammate

Meanwhile, Refbot had begun to count down Hydra, who could still not manage to self-right. Bulldog Breed turned on Robochicken and flipped it into its back, as Mr. Psycho attacked its two beaten opponents. Cease was called with Bulldog Breed and its partner Robochicken as the Tag Team Champions.

"Everything went wrong coming into the arena, because we took some heavy damage from uh, [looks at Robochicken team] ... Growler, we won't mention that though, we didn't know how it was going to perform really, everything went wrong coming all the way into it, right up to the point where we came through the doors, and then Robochicken broke down!"
— Tony Somerfield after the battle

Series 7[]

For the Seventh Wars, Bulldog Breed was seeded number 12 for the main competition, based on past experience. In its first round battle, it was drawn up against veteran Infernal Contraption, and newcomers Mantis and Jabber.

"The Bulldog's got a lot more pedigree this year, it has a lot more bite, it's a lot more experienced, I might drive him into the arena, but I'm sure he's on his own when he gets out there, because he won't listen to me!"
— Tony Somerfield before the battle
Bulldog breed vs infernal contraption

Bulldog Breed charges Infernal Contraption

Bulldog Breed vs Infernal Contraption

Bulldog Breed almost flips Infernal Contraption out

Infernal Contraption started attacking Jabber, then spun away, and Bulldog Breed came in. Bulldog Breed had to chase Infernal Contraption for a bit, because when it got in under Infernal Contraption the first time, Infernal Contraption merely bounced away, and the second time Bulldog Breed got in a position to flip, Infernal Contraption drove away. However, as it did so, it briefly lost control, allowing Bulldog Breed to get under it and ram it into a CPZ, almost flipping it out. Meanwhile, Mantis had grabbed Jabber and lifted it off the ground. Mantis stuck Jabber on the grinders, whilst Infernal Contraption was stuck in the CPZ, driving into the wall and spinning on the spot, so Bulldog Breed took advantage and flipped it again. Sgt. Bash came into the CPZ, followed by Mantis, which was still carrying Jabber, and Refbot, which had been standing by the CPZ whilst Bulldog Breed and Infernal Contraption were fighting, and was pushed into the CPZ as Mantis drove in. Bulldog Breed drove out of the CPZ, then attacked Mantis and Jabber, as Mantis would not let Jabber go. Bulldog Breed became wedged between Jabber and the lifters of Mantis, before Infernal Contraption sped over and struck Mantis' rear. Bulldog Breed broke free and drove off, with Mantis carrying Jabber over to Sgt. Bash's CPZ and dropping it. Sgt. Bash closed in on Jabber, who appeared to only be moving on one wheel. Meanwhile, Mantis and Bulldog Breed attacked Infernal Contraption together. Infernal Contraption tried to escape, but drove into Mr. Psycho and Sgt. Bash. Bulldog Breed and Mantis turned on each other, with Bulldog Breed pushing Mantis into the pit release. However, at this point, something became dislodged. On examination, it appeared to be an interior mesh, now dragging behind Bulldog Breed.

Bulldog Breed Mantis Series 7

Mantis hoists Bulldog Breed. Note the mesh dangling towards the bottom of the frame

"Oh what's happened there, something's come out of Bulldog Breed. Looked like mesh or webbing of some sort. Now they should not have any webbing, or mesh, or net inside their machine. I don't know what it is, i'll give them the benefit of the doubt for now, but it's trailing across the arena floor, it can snag spinners and blades, that's why they're not allowed."
— Jonathan Pearce as Bulldog Breed's mesh slips out and creates a talking point

In the closing seconds, Bulldog Breed flipped over Jabber before being raised off the ground by Mantis. The judges' decision gave Bulldog Breed the benefit of the doubt, and the seeded machine progressed through with Mantis.

Bulldog Breed mesh

The mesh that gave Bulldog Breed a yellow card

In the pits, technical consultant Derek Foxwell asked the Bulldog Breed team about the mesh, which was against the rules due to the tangling it can cause in flywheels. Tony Somerfield told Derek Foxwell that the mesh was to protect the cylinders. Foxwell told them not to use it again, so Bulldog Breed went through to the next round on a yellow card.

"It was buried within the robot, designed to protect £1200 worth of cylinders which we've had damaged in the past!"
— Tony Somerfield

In Round 2, it faced the Belgian machine and Dutch Robot Wars competitor, Hard.

"Actually, we're pretty happy to finally have one of the really powerful robots against us, because until now, every robot we were fighting against in the competition was, we always thought 'we can handle him', but this is the first one we think 'Hmmm ... this is going to be a fight'!"
— Jan Huygh on fighting Bulldog Breed
Bulldog breed vs hard

Bulldog Breed's attempts to get Hard out of the arena

Bulldog Breed charged at Hard, but Hard swerved aside at the last moment. The two robots turned to face each other again, and Bulldog Breed slid under Hard's 2cm ground clearance, rammed it and threw it over, but Hard landed on its wheels. Hard then drove around to Bulldog Breed's side and pushed it into the side wall and held it there briefly, but as Bulldog Breed escaped, Hard was not moving. Bulldog Breed got behind Hard and flipped it against the arena wall, trying to flip it out.

"Bulldog Breed wanted someone to pay, and the Belgium team from Kampenhout being made to pay."
— Jonathan Pearce as Hard lies motionless
Hard Psycho

Bulldog Breed stands back as Mr. Psycho holds up Hard

Bulldog Breed continued to flip the lifeless Hard around, but failed to flip out the smaller robot. Finally, Refbot came in to count Hard out, before Mr Psycho hammered Hard, put it on the floor flipper, then the Drop Zone.

Craig Charles: "Your'e seeded 12th, has that put more pressure on you?"
Tony Somerfield: "Definitely, definitely! I like to be amongst the rabble!"
— Post-Round 2 interview

Bulldog Breed's Heat Final saw it drawn against Kat 3 yet again, in a cat-versus-dog encounter.

"Not nervous at all at the moment, we're pretty confident, give it [Kat 3] some air miles!"
— Robert Somerfield when asked how he felt about the battle
Kat 3 vs bulldog breed

Bulldog Breed is axed by Kat 3

The two robots moved slowly towards each other, and Bulldog Breed dodged Kat 3's axe when it fired, driving around the side of its opponent. Kat 3 turned and fired its axe again, but Bulldog Breed drove away before it could hit. Bulldog Breed came back and pushed against Kat 3, but could not get its flipper in properly to flip, so Kat 3 drove away. The two robots drove around each other, unsuccessfully trying to get in a good position to attack - Bulldog Breed drove at both sides of Kat 3, but couldn't get its flipper underneath either time, then Kat 3 fired the axe and missed. After some more driving around each other, Kat 3 landed a successful axe blow, hitting Bulldog Breed in the centre of the flipper, before the pair swerved to avoid each other again.

"Oh that's a good attack by Kat 3! That's one in the eye for the Bulldog."
— Jonathan Pearce as Kat 3's axe comes down onto Bulldog Breed's flipper
Bulldog breed vs kat 3

Bulldog Breed flips Kat 3 into a precarious position

Kat 3 missed an axe blow, and Bulldog Breed flipped it over. Kat 3 tried to self-right, and Bulldog Breed pushed it into Sir Killalot's CPZ, knocking it onto its wheels in the process. Kat 3 then activated the pit, before getting under Bulldog Breed and hitting it with its axe, but this caused no damage. Bulldog Breed broke free, Kat 3 missed with its axe, and Bulldog Breed pushed against Kat 3, but still could not get its flipper under properly. Bulldog Breed reversed away and drove at the other side of Kat 3 to try and flip it, but mistimed its flip, firing after Kat 3 fell off the wedge. Kat 3 was firing its axe, but missing each time. The two robots drove away from the arena wall, and Bulldog Breed finally got under Kat 3 properly, flipping it into Killalot, who shunted it away from the CPZ. The angle it was stuck at made it unable to self-right. Bulldog Breed then threw Kat 3 over Sir Killalot, which resulted on Kat 3 falling back onto its wheels.

Bulldog Breed vs Kat 3

Bulldog Breed throws Kat 3 onto Sir Killalot

The two robots met in the arena centre, getting side on against each other, spinning around, neither could get in a position to use their weapon. Kat 3 drove away, and after dodging Bulldog Breed for a while, tried to get in a position to use its axe, only for Bulldog Breed to get underneath, pushing it to the arena wall near Sir Killalot's CPZ. Kat 3 self-righted straight away, and went back to fight Bulldog Breed. The two met in the centre again, with Kat 3 hitting Bulldog Breed with the axe, causing sparks to fly. The two robots drove around each other some more, with Kat 3 missing two axe blows, and Bulldog Breed flipped Kat 3 over again just before the last 10 seconds. Kat 3 self-righted again, but was pushed onto the flame pit by Bulldog Breed. Kat 3 drove away, and time ran out, so the judges were required to make a Judges' decision. Two of the judges in fact descended to the pits to examine the axe blows on Bulldog Breed. Upon discovering that the blows were merely superficial, they awarded the win to Bulldog Breed.

"We knew that they had improved tremendously, and to underestimate them would have been a serious mistake, especially with the axe, because it is powerful, whatever we've got as armour, it's powerful, and he could have messed up really easily, so we tweeked the gyro to give us more jinking left and right, to dodge and weave a bit"
— Tony Somerfield after the battle

Bulldog Breed was then drawn up against the Dutch Robot Wars competitor Tough as Nails in the first round of the Semi-Finals, who were considered the favourites by Jonathan Pearce, despite Bulldog Breed being the seeded machine.

"We're confident, it's the robot that's a bit poorly at the moment, I think we need the vet! ... It's got a fractured chassis and a twisted frame, we've got one wheel on the floor, one hard point on the floor, and trying to keep it straight is a major problem, but we need a vet!"
— Tony Somerfield before the battle
Bulldog breed vs tough as nails

Bulldog Breed flips Tough as Nails over

Both robots charged at each other, but Tough as Nails did so at such an angle that it drove straight up Bulldog Breed, flipped over the side and overturned itself sideways. Tough as Nails reversed, but straight onto Bulldog Breed's wedge. Tough as Nails turned away before Bulldog Breed could flip and both robots tried to get in a good position to use their weapon. Tough as Nails grabbed Bulldog Breed side-on, but when it closed the crusher, the claws simply went up the wedge and rear, not getting a grip at all. Tough as Nails drove up Bulldog Breed again, but despite staying on top of Bulldog Breed for a lengthy time, Bulldog Breed did not fire its flipper. Bulldog Breed drove into Sgt. Bash's CPZ, then reversed into an angle grinder.

"..and at the moment, those problems that Tony Somerfield was telling us about in the pits don't seem that evident!"
— Jonathan Pearce
Bulldog Breed Tough as Nails 1

Bulldog Breed throws Tough as Nails into the air

Tough as Nails slowly drove to the pit release, activated it, before reversing up Bulldog Breed and darting straight over it. Bulldog Breed caught up to Tough as Nails, got in underneath, and flipped it. Bulldog Breed kept its attacks persistent, getting another flip on Tough as Nails. Tough as Nails pushed against Bulldog Breed's side, before reversing away and performing a sort of pirouette, balancing on its two wheels.

"And the best of British here, is flying the Union Jack high and proud."
— Jonathan Pearce as Bulldog Breed makes a strong start

Tough as Nails charged back at Bulldog Breed, but got itself flipped against the arena side wall. Tough as Nails managed to drive off before Bulldog Breed could get the chance to flip it out of the arena. Tough as Nails then finally got a good grip on Bulldog Breed, but Bulldog Breed drove in circles, and when Tough as Nails closed the crusher, the arms slid up the robot, allowing Bulldog Breed to get free by flipping the Dutch machine.

Bulldog Breed Tough as Nails 2

Both robots tussle over the flame pit

"This is the closest battle we've seen in this semi-final so far."
— Jonathan Pearce

Tough as Nails grabbed Bulldog Breed from the front again, but struggled to push it backwards. Bulldog Breed fired it flipper, but this was costly, as they bounced slightly, allowing Tough as Nails to hold Bulldog Breed with its wheels off of the ground. Tough as Nails slammed Bulldog Breed into the arena side wall. Bulldog Breed got its wheels back on the ground, but was still in Tough as Nails' grip.

Bulldog Breed Tough as Nails 3

Bulldog Breed resists whilst Tough as Nails moves it towards the pit

Bulldog Breed made a push, trying to get Tough as Nails into the pit, but failed to do so, instead getting it near to Sgt. Bash's CPZ. The two pushed against each other over the flame pit. Bulldog Breed pushed Tough as Nails against the arena side wall, and kept pushing it back every time Tough as Nails tried to fight back, but Bulldog Breed was on top of the flame pit the whole time. Bulldog Breed reversed off the flame pit, allowing Tough as Nails to escape. Bulldog Breed got under Tough as Nails again, but Tough as Nails turned itself off Bulldog Breed's wedge, overturning itself as it did so. Bulldog Breed got fully underneath Tough as Nails, and flipped it onto the arena side wall, but Tough as Nails, being an axlebot, was still able to get its wheels onto the arena side wall and drive back down again. Bulldog Breed made another attempt at flipping Tough as Nails out of the arena, but misaligned, and flipped Tough as Nails sideways instead. Tough as Nails got another grip on Bulldog Breed on the tile of the drop zone, but simply did not have the power to push Bulldog Breed into the pit. Tough as Nails made one last attempt to grab Bulldog Breed, but did not do so, and the two did not attack again until cease was called, where the Judges opted in favour of Bulldog Breed.

Fighting for a place in the Series 7 Grand-Final, Bulldog Breed met the number 11 seed, and the newly improved X-Terminator.

Jayne Middlemiss: "You're up against X-Terminator, he's a bit of a nasty machine out there!"
Tony Somerfield: "Yeah, but he can only be nasty if he's in the arena!"
— Pre-battle interview
XTerminator Bulldog Breed 3

Bulldog Breed's flipper blade is torn

Bulldog Breed entered the battle with a different flipper blade to the one it had been using in previous battles. Bulldog Breed tried to get behind X-Terminator, but X-Terminator turned quickly enough so that Bulldog Breed would drive up X-Terminator's scoop and into the flywheel. Right from the first attack, Bulldog Breed's flipper blade was bent upwards, meaning that it would struggle to get underneath X-Terminator. X-Terminator kept getting hits on the front of Bulldog Breed, bending the flipper plate, before getting underneath Bulldog Breed and shunting it down the centre of the arena. Bulldog Breed fired its flipper, causing it to jump off the ground, where X-Terminator could then roll Bulldog Breed over. Bulldog Breed tried to self-right, but landed on X-Terminator's flywheel again. On its second attempt, Bulldog Breed self-righted.

XTerminator Bulldog Breed 4

X-Terminator rips off a panel from Bulldog Breed

However, before Bulldog Breed could move away, X-Terminator was came in with the spinning disc, overturning it once more. Bulldog Breed self-righted, but straight into the arena wall. Bulldog Breed managed to get down and back away from X-Terminator, but reversed straight into Sir Killalot, who pushed it into X-Terminator's flywheel. Bulldog Breed suffered more damage, but charged at the scoop of X-Terminator once more, still merely driving up X-Terminator and taking damage from the flywheel. X-Terminator's flywheel temporarily stopped, so it pushed Bulldog Breed into the CPZ, but no house robots intervened.

"How can Bulldog Breed turn this fight around? It is difficult to see, here, a way out for them because they can't flip."
— Jonathan Pearce

The two robots drove into a slightly more central part of the arena, where Bulldog Breed kept on trying to ram into the front of X-Terminator, but merely took more damage and was lifted onto the top of X-Terminator, which pushed Bulldog Breed back into the Sir Killalot's CPZ.

TatteredBulldogBreed

A tattered Bulldog Breed, before it is attacked for the last time

Sir Killalot picked up Bulldog Breed, lifting it briefly before releasing it, where X-Terminator could again drive at Bulldog Breed, sending sparks flying as it attacked with the disc, and pushing it into the arena wall. Bulldog Breed slowly moved away from the side wall, but X-Terminator pushed them back to the wall. X-Terminator reversed, and Bulldog slowly moved away again, only to be pushed back again. X-Terminator threw Bulldog Breed against the arena side wall with its disc, causing it to balance on the arena side wall. Bulldog Breed toppled back in, inverted, where it self-righted into Sir Killalot's CPZ, which merely poked Bulldog Breed so X-Terminator could come in with another slam. As the flywheel connected once more, the sparks flew again, with the attack afterwards completely ripping a top piece of armour plating clean off.

Bulldog Breed vs X-Terminator

X-Terminator attacks Bulldog Breed for the last time

X-Terminator made one more effort to send Bulldog Breed flying out of the arena, much to the annoyance of Robert Somerfield. Bulldog Breed was finally left to lie, inverted, where it was counted out by Refbot.

Bulldog Breed was eliminated from The Seventh Wars after its best performance in any main competition. This was also its last appearance on Robot Wars.

"Big Respect to Bulldog Breed, we have always felt bad for what we did to this robot, real heat of the moment stuff and not really realising how much damage we were inflicting while trying to fly them out of the arena. Since this fight I try and give other people's work a bit more respect. As a bit of Karma, Matilda did the same to us in the finals which cost me over 2 grand, so what goes around comes around."
— Marlon Pritchard of Team X-Terminator on YouTube

Results[]

BULLDOG BREED - RESULTS
Series 3
The Third Wars - UK Championship
Heat, Round 1
Heat G, Round 1 vs. Robopig Lost
BULLDOG BREED 2 - RESULTS
Series 4
The Fourth Wars - UK Championship
Heat Final
Heat J, Eliminator vs. Spikasaurus, Stinger (30) Qualified
Heat J, Semi-Final vs. Bigger Brother (14) Won
Heat J, Final vs. Stinger (30) Lost
BULLDOG BREED 3 - RESULTS
Extreme Series 1
Mayhem & Annihilator
Mayhem vs. Judge Shred 2½, Spirit of Knightmare Won
NOTE: Bulldog Breed was forced to withdraw from the Annihilator due to damage suffered from Hypno-Disc in a separate battle.
Series 5
The Fifth Wars - UK Championship
Heat Final
Heat B, Eliminator vs. Juggernot 2 Won
Heat B, Semi-Final vs. Lambsy Won
Heat B, Final vs. Hypno-Disc (3) Lost
BULLDOG BREED - RESULTS
Series 6
The Sixth Wars - UK Championship
Heat, Round 2
Heat K, Round 1 vs. Kat 3, Revenge of Trouble & Strife, Spin Doctor Qualified
Heat K, Round 2 vs. Hypno-Disc (4) Lost
Extreme Series 2
Tag Team Terror
Competing with Robochicken, Champion
Round 1 vs. Diotoir & Pussycat Won
Round 2 vs. Lightning & The Steel Avenger Won
Final vs. Barbaric Response & Hydra Won
Series 7
The Seventh Wars - UK Championship
12th Seed, Semi-Finals, Round 2
Heat K, Round 1 vs. Infernal Contraption, Jabber, Mantis Qualified
Heat K, Round 2 vs. Hard Won
Heat K, Final vs. Kat 3 Won
Semi-Final 1, Round 1 vs. Tough as Nails Won
Semi-Final 1, Round 2 vs. X-Terminator (11) Lost

Wins/Losses[]

  • Wins: 13
  • Losses: 5

Series Record[]

Main Series Bulldog Breed Series Record
The First Wars Did not enter
The Second Wars Did not enter
The Third Wars Heat, Round 1
The Fourth Wars Heat Final
The Fifth Wars Heat Final
The Sixth Wars Heat, Round 2
The Seventh Wars Semi-Finals, Round 2
Series 8 Did not enter
Series 9 Did not enter
Series 10 Did not enter
Robot Wars Extreme Appearances
Series 1 Entered
Series 2 Entered

Gallery[]

Outside Robot Wars[]

British Bulldog 1

Bulldog Breed 3 as the first version of British Bulldog, competing at Techno Games 2002

British bulldog

The Series 6 version of Bulldog Breed as British Bulldog, competing at Techno Games 2003

In addition to Robot Wars, two versions of Bulldog Breed - Bulldog Breed 3 and the Series 6 model - also took part in Techno Games 2002 and 2003 respectively under the guise of British Bulldog. In both series, it teamed up with Big Bro for the Football competition, where they competed as Team BB, reaching the semi-finals of the 2002 event. British Bulldog also competed separately in the Sumo events of both series as well as the Tug of War in 2002, winning the Bronze medal in the latter.

BulldogKingB

Bulldog Breed 3 flipping King B Powerworks at Oundle Mill 2001

BulldogbreedWITW2

Bulldog Breed fighting Pussycat at War In The Wolds 2002

At the time of Robot Wars' original run, Bulldog Breed fought at events on the live circuit. Bulldog Breed 3 from Series 5/Extreme 1 fought at Kent Robot Wars 2001, there it faced fellow Robot Wars competitors such as Tornado, Dantomkia, Roobarb and Wolverine.[10] At Oundle Mill 2001, Bulldog Breed 3 was in attendence for some car park scraps, one of which saw it face King B Powerworks.[11] The Extreme 2 version of Bulldog Breed competed in the War In The Wolds 2002 event in Louth. It lost its first battle to Pussycat after falling in the pit, however it would redeem itself in its next battle. Bulldog Breed fought Tornado, Mute and Mighty Mouse and won the fight after successfully immobilising all three of its opponents.[12]

Bulldog2003

Bulldog Breed shortly after the original run of Robot Wars

Bulldog Breed was fully rebuilt for a presumed eighth series of Robot Wars in 2004, using a thinner flipper and hardened wedge blades, making this the sixth full version of the machine. A few years later, a seventh Bulldog Breed was created, using a combination of HARDOX and titanium armour. It made more more subtle use of the Union Flag in its aesthetics, and now featured a tall ridge on its flipper to stop robots from riding over the top of its wedge. However, Tony Somerfield and his team would retire from robotic combat during this time, with their final plans for combat being the FRA UK Heavyweight Championships 2011, which Bulldog Breed ultimately did not enter.

Bulldog breed today

The modern iteration of Bulldog Breed

BulldogBreed2013

Bulldog Breed at the 2013 European Championships

In May 2012, the seventh version of Bulldog Breed was sold to Matthew Pearman. He planned on bringing Bulldog Breed back to fighting condition to compete on the live circuit again. Bulldog Breed returned to the live circuit by competing at the Robots Extreme Wars Live Guildford event in June 2012, yet lost in its two fights due to mechanical malfunctions. Since then, Bulldog Breed has fought in other live events, including the live Robot Wars events (see below). In 2014, Bulldog Breed was sold to Shane Lale of Team Tilly, and then became co-owned by Craig Danby. Lale and Danby returned Bulldog Breed to the circuit, and eventually passed the robot on to its current owner John Findlay. Bulldog Breed sometimes appearing at his Extreme Robots events for Platinum VIP battles between audience members, and other educational events.

The latest version of Bulldog Breed made an appearance on Dave TV show Storage Hunters UK in 2015, where it was "sold" to a bidder alongside Ripper, The Steel Avenger, Beast and more for £1400.

When Robot Wars returned in 2016, Tony Somerfield did not enter any of the rebooted series, having retired from robot combat, stating that he had 'done that' and he was 'on to other things now'.[13]

Robot Wars Live Events[]

Bulldognow

Bulldog Breed as it appeared in Robot Wars Live Events

From 2014 until the end of the Robot Wars live events, Bulldog Breed was reserved for 'retro battles' only, along with fellow old robots X-Terminator, Stinger, The Steel Avenger, Schumey Too and Mr Nasty.

Trivia[]

  • Tony Somerfield’s favourite fight was Bulldog Breed's victory over Tough as Nails, because the production crew and even Craig Charles lost money betting against him.[14]
  • Bulldog Breed and Team KaterKiller fought in the same Heat of the main competition in the Third, Sixth and Seventh Wars. They also fell at the same stage in the Third and Sixth Wars, losing in the first round and Heat Semi-Final respectively, even being in the same first-round melee in the Sixth Wars. The two met in the Heat Final of the Seventh Wars, with Bulldog Breed being the victor.
  • Bulldog Breed is one of just two robots to compete in both series of Extreme and be undefeated in both, the other being Typhoon, making Bulldog Breed the only heavyweight that achieved this.
  • Tony Somerfield has confirmed that Bulldog Breed was never approached to compete in any Series 7 side events.[15]
  • Bulldog Breed always lost to a seeded machine in the main competition, except for Series 3, where seeds were not present.
  • Bulldog Breed has a 100% success rate in Judges' decisions, winning all five battles that it took to the Judges.
  • Bulldog Breed fought in Heat K in its last two main series appearances.

Honours[]


References[]

  1. Private correspondence between Toon Ganondorf and Tony Somerfield in November 2017
  2. The Bulldog Breed website (Archived)
  3. Private correspondence between Toon Ganondorf and Tony Somerfield in November 2017
  4. [1]
  5. The Bulldog Breed website (Archived)
  6. Private correspondence between Toon Ganondorf and Tony Somerfield in November 2017
  7. Private correspondence between Toon Ganondorf and Tony Somerfield in November 2017
  8. Private correspondence between Toon Ganondorf and Tony Somerfield in November 2017
  9. Private correspondence between Toon Ganondorf and Tony Somerfield in November 2017
  10. Team Tornado - Kent Robot Wars 2001
  11. Team Tornado - Oundle Mill 2001
  12. Team Tornado - War In The Wolds 2002
  13. Private correspondence between Toon Ganondorf and Tony Somerfield in November 2017
  14. Private correspondence between Toon Ganondorf and Tony Somerfield in November 2017
  15. Private correspondence between Toon Ganondorf and Tony Somerfield in November 2017

External Links[]

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