World Conker Championships
World Conker Championships
Highest governing bodyAshton Conker Club
First played1965
Characteristics
ContactNo
TypePub games, Precision sports
EquipmentStrung conker

The World Conker Championships (WCC) is a conkers tournament held annually on the second Sunday in October[1] in the county of Northamptonshire, England. Two players use conkers threaded onto a string and take turns to strike the other's nut until it shatters.[2] Players from around the world enter the tournament, competing in a knock-out format in both team and individual formats, with titles for men's, women's and youth categories. Up to 5,000 spectators watch around 400 players participating.[3] from many countries, including Australia, Austria, Canada, France, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Poland, Russia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Ukraine, the United States and the United Kingdom.[4][5][6][7][8]

The 2023 event was held on Sunday 8th October 2023.

WCC History

The World Conker Championships began in 1965 when a group of anglers in Ashton held a conker contest at the Chequered Skipper public house[3] because the weather was too bad to go fishing.[2] At the event, a small collection was made for charity, by a person with a blind relative. Since then the event has raised over £420,000 for charities supporting the visually impaired and at least £2,500 is donated yearly.[9] The event was held in Ashton for 45 years before moving to a larger venue at the Shuckburgh Arms[10] in Southwick, Northamptonshire in 2009.[5][11]

The tournament has been threatened with conker shortages over the years, in 1976 conkers used in the tournament had to be flown in from Jersey,[12] in 1980 freak spring weather was one of the factors that threatened the World Conker Championships causing a conker shortage, and in 1982 a late frost killed off the horse chestnut blossom resulting in a failed conker harvest.[12]

On 6 October 2011, organisers were forced to cancel the event over safety fears with high winds being forecasted.[13] In 2012, the championships were cancelled again when a suitable venue couldn't be found in time.[14]

Concerns for the future of the event were voiced over the horse-chestnut leaf miner moth, Cameraria ohridella, which has appeared in the region and could have a detrimental effect on the UK's horse chestnut population affecting conker yields.[10]

On 9 October 2017, Chelsea pensioner John Riley won the men's tournament at the age of 85, quite possibly making him the oldest world champion on the planet.[15]

In 2022, Fee Aylmore won the women's event after 30 years of trying.[16]

WCC Rules

Players' Rules of Engagement for the Noble Game of Conkers as follows:[17]

  1. Prior to the game, over 2,000 conkers (horse chestnuts) of the required 1.25-inch (30 mm) width are collected, drilled and strung ready by tournament officials. All conkers and laces are supplied by the World Conker Championships.[1]
  2. Conkers are drawn ‘blind’ from a bag, and players may reject up to three selected conkers.
  3. Each game will commence with a toss of a coin, the winner of the toss may elect to strike or receive.
  4. A distance of no less than 8" or 20 cm of lace must be between knuckle and nut.
  5. Each player then takes three alternate strikes at the opponent's conker.
  6. Each attempted strike must be clearly aimed at the nut, no deliberate miss hits.
  7. The game will be decided once one of the conkers is smashed.
  8. A small piece of nut or skin remaining (less than a third) shall be judged out, it must be enough to mount an attack.
  9. If both nuts smash at the same time then the match shall be replayed.
  10. Any nut being knocked from the lace but not smashing may be re threaded and the game continued.
  11. A player causing a knotting of the laces (a snag) will be noted, three snags will lead to disqualification.
  12. If a game lasts for more than five minutes then play will halt and the "5-minute rule" will come into effect. Each player will be allowed up to nine further strikes at their opponent's nut, again alternating three strikes each. If neither conker has been smashed at the end of the nine strikes then the player who strikes the nut the most times during this period will be judged the winner. If this is equal, then play continues, one strike each in turn, until one player hits and the other misses.

WCC Results History

All players are British except where indicated with a national flag icon.

YearMens IndividualLadies IndividualTeam WinnerLadies TeamJunior (7–11)Youth (11–15)Young adult (16–18)
1965 Ron Marsh (1) - - - - - -
1966 Sid Walden[18] - - - - - -
1967 L. Collins - - - - - -
1968 Tim Winham - - - - - -
1969 Peter Midlane (1) - - - - - -
1970 John M. Hillyard - - - - - -
1971 T. Dicks - - - - - -
1972 Ron Marsh (2) - - - - - -
1973 Peter Midlane (2)[8] - - - Simon Bayliss[8] - -
1974 J Marsh (1) - - - - - -
1975 J Marsh (2) - - - - - -
1976 Jorge Ramirez Carrillo Mexico[19][6] - - - - - -
1977 C. Childs - - - - - -
1978 L. Treliving - - - - - -
1979 Charlie Bray (1)[12] - - - - - -
1980 Keith Height[12] - - - - - -
1981 Bill Cox (1)[12] - - - - - -
1982 Jim Blackman - - - - - -
1983 S. Rowan - - - - - -
1984 R. Langer - - - - - -
1985 Peter Midlane (3) - - - - - -
1986 Charlie Bray (2) - - - Luke Bilson Craig Belson -
1987 John Hawes - - - - Martin Nikel (1) -
1988 W. Cox (2) Sheila Doubleday (1) - - - Martin Nikel (2) -
1989 P. Short Christina Bateman - - Fiona Kingdom Lempriere -
1990 Harold Watson Mary Bedford - - - Faye Elliott -
1991 John Bull (1) Pauline Baker - - - Lisa Crews -
1992 P. Canning J. Courtney Chequered Skipper 'B' Team (1) - - M. Hutcheson -
1993 M. Tindall Sheila Doubleday (2) Chequered Skipper 'B' Team (2) - M. Heatherington R. Rawcliffe -
1994 James Marsh Tina Stone (1) The Crocodile - Daniel Jack James Nikel (1) -
1995 Brian Jackson Judi Rabbit The Brigstock International Quartet The Wilpave Swingers Tim Maguire James Gould -
1996 John Bull (2) Karen Morgan Sebright Arms (1) Nutcracker Suite Richard Fuller James Nikel (2) Ian Smith
1997 Paul Vjestica Louise Bunker Nelson Nutcrackers The Minge Petals (1) Graham Clark Diane Allen -
1998 Helmut Kern Germany[6] Lesley Bullock Nauort 2 Germany Sebright Arms (2) Matthew Storrow Jonathon Lyan Ashley Thomas
1999 Jody Tracey Margaret Twiddy Absolutely Hammered Wilpave Sweeties Charlotte Laskey Jack Jarvis Chris Eccles
2000 Mark Tracey Selma Becker Austria Barton Seagrave Bashers The Minge Petals (2) Rachel Mintern Sally Rate Tim Linnell
2001 Neil Fraser Celine Parachou France Royal Oak Resistance France Fillies (1) France Duncan Winfrey Max Aitken Lewis Chilvers
2002 Richard Swailes Liz Gibson Elton Wasps Castle Green Conkerers Ruth Pritchard Joseph Emery -
2003 Brian Stewart Debbie Oates No Strings Attached Magnificent 7 Minus 3 (1) Kieran Campbell William Pritchard (1) Lucy Walshaw
2004 Darren Foster Alison Everett Daniel Lambert Dining Club Les Filles Francais (2) France Kieran O'Connor Jordan Witherall James Robinson
2005 Alex Callan Jayne Coddington Peterborough Nutters (1) Magnificent 7 Minus 3 (2) Callum Owen William Pritchard (2) Kallom Nash
2006 Chris Jones Sandy Gardner Celtic Conkerors France (3) France Philip Broomhead (1) Jack Boon Emma Ratcliffe
2007 Ady Hurrell (1) Tina Stone (2) Royal Haskoning Rest of the World Magnificent 7 Minus 3 (3) Philip Broomhead (2) Nicolas Rothera Steven Wray
2008 Ray Kellock (1)[4] Amy Farrow (1)[4] Rushden Reprobates France (4) France Thomas Whincup Robert Winfield Rebecca Moss
2009 Thomas Gormley Sue Howes Peterborough Nutters (2) - Evie Driscoll-King Oliver Mas Brent Walker
2010 Ray Kellock (2)[20] Wendy Bradford[4] The Fairways Sri Lankan Ladies Sri Lanka [4] Louis Carpenter Samuel Lewin Robyn Geldard
2011 Event Cancelled[13] (Bad weather)
2012 Event Cancelled[14] (No venue)
2013 Simon Cullum[21] Sophie Knox[21] Woodbeeez (1) - Harrison Scott Oliver Simons (1) Georgie Spence-Jones
2014 John Doyle[22] Stephanie Withall[22] Woodbeeez (2) - Elliott Hurrell Daniel Devaney Alex Wallman
2015 Steven Prescott[23] Amy Farrow (2)[23] Woodbeeez (3) - Peter Rogers Isla Watson Charlie Dathorne
2016 Tom Dryden[7] Lorna Clarke[7] Lord Robartes Nutters - William Chapman Josh Broomhead Oliver Simons (2)[24]
2017 John Riley [15] Julie Freeman [15] Mutts Nutts - Benjamin Wallace Faith Weatherington Oliver Simons (3)[24]
2018 Edward Gaze [25] Karen Holloway [25]
2019 Andy Moore [26] Jasmine Tetley (1)[26]
2020 Event Cancelled (COVID-19 pandemic)[27]
2021 Ady Hurrell (2)[28] Jasmine Tetley (2)[28] We Came, We Saw, Jasmine Conkered (1)
2022 Randy Topolnitsky Canada [16] Fee Aylmore [16] The Britcans Team GB
2023 Mark Hunter [29] Jasmine Tetley (3)[29] We Came, We Saw, Jasmine Conkered (2)

WCC Roll of Honour

Shown in alphabetical order by surname in the event of a tie.

Individual ChampionWins
Peter Midlane 3
Oliver Simons 3
Jasmine Tetley 3
Charlie Bray 2
Philip Broomhead 2
John Bull 2
Bill Cox 2
Sheila Doubleday 2
Amy Farrow 2
Ady Hurrell 2
Ray Kellock 2
J Marsh 2
Ron Marsh 2
James Nikel 2
Martin Nikel 2
William Pritchard 2
Tina Stone 2
Team Champion Wins
France Fillies, Les Filles Francais, France France 4
Magnificent 7 Minus 3 3
Woodbeeez 3
Chequered Skipper 'B' Team 2
Peterborough Nutters 2
Sebright Arms 2
The Minge Petals 2
We Came, We Saw, Jasmine Conkered 2

WCC Video History from 1974 to 2021

References

  1. 1 2 "Hail the Conkering Hero". timetravel-britain.com. 2005.
  2. 1 2 "Enough nuts for conker champions". BBC. 2006.
  3. 1 2 "World Conker Championships in Ashton". chequeredskipper.co.uk. 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "World Conker Championship Press Photos". 2011. Archived from the original on 8 October 2011.
  5. 1 2 "World Conker Championship History". worldconkerchampionships.com. 2017.
  6. 1 2 3 "World Conker Championship returns to Northants tomorrow". northantstelegraph.co.uk. 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 "World Conker Championship crowns new king 2016". BBC. 2016.
  8. 1 2 3 "Breaking Horse Chestnuts". The Morning Herald. Hagerstown, Maryland. 21 November 1973. p. 7. Retrieved 2 September 2020 – via newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "OUR CAUSE". World Conker Championships. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  10. 1 2 "PANIC! World Conker Championships threatened by moths". Metro. 2015.
  11. ↑ "FAQ". World Conker Championships. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 "World conker championships competition at Ashton in Northamptonshire". Media Archive for Central England (Mace) 1969 to 1982. 2017.
  13. 1 2 "World Conker Championship cancelled because of high winds". The Telegraph. 2011.
  14. 1 2 "World Conker Championship cancelled for second year in row". BBC. 2012.
  15. 1 2 3 "Conker world champion, 85, 'hadn't played for 70 years'". BBC. 2017. Archived from the original on 9 October 2017.
  16. 1 2 3 "World conker champion crowned in Northamptonshire after 30-year wait". 10 November 2022.
  17. ↑ "THE PLAYERS' RULES". World Conker Championships. 14 September 2022.
  18. ↑ "Retro: Conkering Heroes". Northamptonshire Telegraph. 2014.
  19. ↑ "Posts Tagged 'conkers'". sweffling.wordpress.com. 2010.
  20. ↑ Nex, Sally (3 November 2010). "A load of old chestnuts". BBC. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  21. 1 2 "Southwick toasts 2013 conker conquerors". BBC News.
  22. 1 2 "King of the conkers crowned". BBC Newsround.
  23. 1 2 "World Conker Champion crowned in Northamptonshire". BBC News.
  24. 1 2 "Past World Conker Champions". worldconkerchampionships.com. 2017. Archived from the original on 15 August 2018.
  25. 1 2 "World Conker Champions 2018 crowned in Northamptonshire". BBC. 2018.
  26. 1 2 "Rain delays play at the World Conker Champions 2019". BBC. 2019.
  27. ↑ "2020 Championships Cancelled". World Conker Championship. Archived from the original on 19 September 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  28. 1 2 "Northamptonshire: Thousands attend World Conker Championships=BBC". 2021.
  29. 1 2 "World conker champion crowned in Northamptonshire". 8 October 2023.
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