Sports

World Conker Champion Crowned

by Paul Conneally | October 12, 2008 at 02:49 pm

474 views | 27 Recommendations | 7 comments

Conkers should perhaps be the British national sport not cricket or soccer or rugby. Millions of boys and girls have over the years gathered conkers, put a hole through the middle and strung it through with string before swinging it at their opponents conker (a horse chestnut) in an attempt to crack it open and claim victory. This year has seen a low number of conkers being available as the UK's Horse Chestnut trees have been decimated by a disease that threatens to wipe them out. Until then lets cheer for the new World Conker Champion of the World - Ray Kellock!

Thousands of conker nuts turned out in glorious autumn sunshine to see competitors battle to claim the title of World Conker Champion. More than 5,000 people turned up to the World Conker Championships in Ashton on Sunday to watch and enjoy the cracking of conker on conker.

A mechanic has used the appliance of science to become World Conker Champion.

Ray Kellock, 62, of Rushden, Northants, adopted his "kinetic energy theory" to claim the "king conker" crown at the 44th World Conker Championships in Ashton, Northamptonshire.

He devised his strategy during his opening game and put it into practice in the next six rounds.

"In the first round I was trying to hit my opponents conker as hard as possible but seemed to be causing more damage to mine," said Mr Kellock, who runs a minibus company.

"I've got a scientific mind and it made me think. I decided that it was better to hold my conker still let the opponent whale away and then make sure I hit their conker every time but not too hard.

"It seemed to work and after getting through the first round I won the title.

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A mechanic from Northamptonshire has used his scientific knowledge to beat 600 contestants to the title of world conker champion. Ray Kellock, 62, of Rushden, devised his “kinetic energy theory” at the 44th World Conker Championships in his home county yesterday.