World Hen Racing Championship hosted in Derbyshire falls fowl of gamesmanship
Organisers of the World Hen Racing Championship were stunned to find competitors falling fowl of gamesmanship in a bid to encourage their birds over the line.
The race, which takes place at the Barley Mow Inn in Bonsall, sees chickens compete in a tradition dating back over 100 years.
National press accused villagers of training their hens and contestants were seen banging tins and garden forks and talking in strange tongues.
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Hide AdSave The NHS, an ex-battery hen owned by councillor Andrew Botham, set a new record of 3.8 seconds, while the overall winner was three-year-old Road Runner.
Landlady Colette Dewhurst said: “Some of the local lads have grown up with hen racing and have become, shall we say, very ‘entrepreneurial’ about it!”