Chickens offer many uses. They make great family pets; they are lovely for a Sunday lunch, and they can even predict the results of the FIFA World Cup – but have you ever tried racing them?
The small village of Bonsall, nestled within Derbyshire’s Peak District, has done just that. So, if you are looking for a sporting event to watch after the Euros, or if you just want something to do on a sunny August bank holiday, why not check out the World Hen Racing Championships?
The origins of the sport likely date back to the Georgian period, when bored villagers would bet on which of their chickens could run the fastest. The premise of the competition hasn’t changed much since then, with five chickens being released at the start line, racing to be the first to cross the finish line 20 metres away.
“The pub provides visitors with barbecue while they watch the races, but out of respect for the hens, chicken isn’t on the menu“
The arena is the carpark of The Barley Mow, a leafy pub at the heart of the village, and welcomes hundreds of visitors from all over the world. The pub provides visitors with barbecue while they watch the races, but out of respect for the hens, chicken isn’t on the menu.
Landlady Collette Dewhurst, 53, is the organiser and compere without compare when it comes to this “quintessentially English sport”. “We get so many people coming from all over that we have to shut the entries,” she says.
Watching from behind the relative safety of the orange fencing, the event resembles something like a Monty Python sketch. “Sometimes the chickens don’t bloody move,” says Collette. “They’ll peck the ground, have a mud bath, go to the toilet, or just sit there. The crowd goes wild if they run… it’s just dead good fun,” she adds.
The fun is amplified by the hens’ humans trying every trick in the book to win. While some people coax their chickens forward with the promise of Walker’s Cheese and Onion crisps, other competitors have taken it a step further. “One year someone tried to enter a pigeon, and another year a bloke dressed as a chicken and tried to compete – he was disqualified immediately,” says Collette.
For those who don’t have chickens at home, fear not, as there are free-range chickens available to hire on the day. The chickens go for £5, with proceeds going to animal welfare charities. While some come from Collette’s Hen Hotel in her back garden, most are “cherished family pets brought by little girls”.
“A bloke dressed as a chicken and tried to compete – he was disqualified immediately”
Despite the slow start to most races, one year the competition saw a feat that was truly astounding, with competitor Jack Alsop earning a Guinness World Record title.
Also known as The Chicken Whisperer, Jack is now a five-time World Champion and is often regarded as “the Djokovic of the Hen Racing world”. A summer of training his hen with his grandad in the garden led him to international fame as he shattered the previous record with a time of 3.2 seconds.
Even though it’s a single-player sport, there is a tight-knit community not just in the village itself, but across the UK, all united by being a bit barmy on a bank holiday Monday in August.
It’s absolutely cracking.
Want to join in?
If you fancy yourself as a chicken whisperer or a world-class coach, Odd One Out is offering a trip to this year’s World Hen Racing Championship in Bonsall, Derbyshire.
Check out our Membership Page to have a go at this rather egg-centric event.