Reigning champions defend toe wrestling titles

Reigning toe wrestling champions have walked away with the winning medals as the event marked its 50th anniversary.

Ben Woodroffe - also known as "Toe-tal Destruction" - and Lisa Shenton, whose wrestling name is "Twinkletoes", were this year's winners of the contest, held at Ashbourne Market Place, Derbyshire, on Saturday.

The World Toe Wrestling Championship was founded in the county by a group of friends who were drinking in a pub in Wetton in 1974.

Organisers said contestants travelled from all over the world to take part in the sport - which they added was "like arm-wrestling, but with feet".

Contestants battled on a special podium, with two walls either side, by locking toes and trying to push their rival's foot or toe to the opposite wall to win.

Mr Woodroffe, from Fenny Bentley in Derbyshire, was taking part in his 15th games and held on to the golden toe trophy for the third time in a row.

He was up against a 17-time winner, Alan "Nasty" Nash, who recently came out retirement.

Ms Shenton, from Ashbourne, defended her title in the female division for the seventh time.

Both winners each received a bronze-cast trophy in the shape of a foot and £500.

Mr Woodroffe said: "Toes can break and it's common to suffer blisters and sore knees but the glory is worth it."

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