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World conker champion crowned in Northamptonshire after 30-year wait

PA Media Women's champion Fee Aylmore and Mens champion Randy Topolnitsky from Calgary in Canada, winners at the annual World Conker Championships at the Shuckburgh Arms in SouthwickPA Media
Fee Aylmore and Randy Topolnitsky won the women's and the men's event

A woman who won her category in the 51st World Conker Championships said she had waited more than 30 years for victory.

Fee Aylmore was crowned women's champion at Sunday's event at the Shuckburgh Arms in Southwick, near Oundle in Northamptonshire, which had more than 300 competitors.

Randy Topolnitsky, from Calgary in Canada, became men's champion.

Ms Aylmore, 49, said: "If you want something badly enough, keep doing it."

PA Media Fee Aylmore celebrates finally becoming the Women's ChampionPA Media
Fee Aylmore celebrates becoming the women's champion, after trying for 31 years

The school nurse, who lives a few miles from Southwick, said: "It took me 31 years of playing but eventually I won this year and I am totally thrilled."

The art of conkering runs in her family, as her father, David Jakins, "is the chap who officially starts the championships off".

She added he was "super pleased" she had won.

"Finally, all his efforts of teaching me how to play paid off," she said.

PA Media Randy Topolnitsky, from Calgary in Canada, takes the winning shot in the men's competitionPA Media
Randy Topolnitsky takes the winning shot in the men's competition

The 2022 World Conker Championships welcomed about 5,000 spectators after volunteers from Ashton Conker Club threaded more than 2,000 horse chestnuts ready for the battle.

PA Media Chelsea pensioner John Riley, 92, takes part in the annual World Conker ChampionshipsPA Media
Chelsea pensioners including John Riley, 92, took part in the competition

The event, which returned last year after the Covid pandemic, has been running since 1965 and has raised £420,000 for charity since its inception.

There is a stringent set of rules, which include the conkers and laces used being provided by organisers.

PA Media Conkers the annual World Conker ChampionshipsPA Media
More than 2,000 conkers and laces were provided by the organisers

The nuts are drawn "blind" from a bag and cannot be tampered with or reused, with rules about the length of the game and the number of strikes, and no less than 20cm (7.8ins) of lace must be between knuckle and nut.

To win, the opponent's conker needs to be smashed and if both are broken at the same time, new conkers are drawn.

PA Media Stephanie Withall during the annual World Conker ChampionshipsPA Media
Stephanie Withall, a previous champion, wore a bee outfit to pay homage to her job as a beekeeper

Many competitors wore fancy dress.

Previous champion Stephanie Withall wore a bee outfit to pay homage to her job as a beekeeper, there was an Elvis lookalike, a Spider-Man, and a competitor dressed as a beer bottle.

PA Media Competitors take part in the annual World Conker ChampionshipsPA Media
One competitor dressed as a beer bottle

Event chairman James Packer, from Coalville in Leicestershire, said: "The women's champion has been trying to win it for over 30 years - she's finally managed to achieve that today.

"The men's champion is from Calgary, Canada - it's one of the few times the trophy has been taken abroad.

"It's been a very friendly, fun, family afternoon."

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