Abingdon to host first-ever World Championship Egg and Spoon Race

First-ever World Championship Egg and Spoon Race to take place in Abingdon.

My home town of Abingdon-on-Thames is famous for its curious tradition of Bun Throwing, but this year a new World Title will be contested in the town's Abbey Gardens over the Easter weekend - the World Championship Egg & Spoon Race!

A world championship winning egg in 2012

A view of the Abbey Grounds on a frosty December day in 2014

I'm quite tempted to enter the event as I have a bit of a pedigree in egg and odd athletics based sports. In 2012 Jas Kukielka and I won the World Alternative Games Egg Throwing Championship in Wales and I also took part in the first-ever Ripping Yarns Hopathon in London. The World Championship Egg & Spoon Race title - and trophy presumably - would be a great addition to my sporting CV.

En route to an egg-based world title victory in Llanwrtyd Wells, Wales

In a hopping race on Hampstead Heath

Abingdon's World Championship Egg & Spoon Race has been inspired by Paul Gustafson, the award winning local author of the children’s ‘Eggbert’s Adventure’ books.

Many thanks to my mate Adam Dewar for letting me know about the event which is taking place on Saturday 15th April. Further details are available on the Visit Abingdon website.

Link:
- Visit Abingdon website

Related blog posts:
- Abingdon
- Eggs

Emily Gottfried wins the WMF World Adventure Golf Masters Women’s Title in Hastings

22nd June 2013
Press Information
For Immediate Release

Emily Gottfried wins the WMF World Adventure Golf Masters Women’s Title in Hastings

Gottfried’s compete in the WMF World Adventure Golf Masters International Championship in Hastings.

Luton Minigolfers Richard and Emily Gottfried received their fifth Great Britain caps as they played in the third World Minigolf Sport Federation tournament held in the UK. Emily became a two-time WMF World Adventure Golf Masters Women’s Champion at the event defeating defending champion Ruth Burke in a sudden-death play-off at the third extra-hole after both players had tied after six rounds.

Emily Gottfried - 2013 WMF Women's World Adventure Golf Masters Champion

The 2013 WMF World Adventure Golf Masters took place at the 18-hole Pirate-themed Adventure Golf course in Hastings, East Sussex on Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th June and saw a 37 player individual tournament take place along with a seven-team competition.

Great Britain 3 from l-r John Moore (c), Emily Gottfried, Richard Gottfried, Craig Patterson

Emily said “I'm unbelievably happy to win my second World Adventure Golf Master Women’s Title. It was a close-fought battle, with Ruth and I trading the lead between each of the six rounds, and then finally finishing on the same score. The play-off was tense so to win it with an ace on the third-hole was an exciting way to secure the title!"

As part of the Great Britain 3 Team Richard and Emily teamed with Newcastle’s John Moore and Brighton’s Craig Patterson as they took on Germany, Sweden, three other Great Britain teams and a WMF Allstar team comprised of players from Germany and Finland. The GB3 team made the cut for the final round and finished in fifth place overall, defeating the much fancied GB2 team in the contest. Germany won the event, with GB1 runners-up and Sweden in third place.

In the two-day individual competition played over seven-rounds Richard finished in 20th place scoring rounds of 36, 33, 33, 35, 33, 33 and 30 for a total of 233(-19). In the male category competition he finished in tied 12th place of 22 players.

Richard Gottfried hitting a hole-in-one

Emily scored rounds of 33, 37, 32, 34, 37, 38 and 34 for a total of 245(-7) and 27th place in the overall tournament.

Emily Gottfried teeing-off in the sudden-death play-off

Richard said “It’s always special playing for the national team and I was pleased to put in a good performance for our team. I was very pleased to shoot a low of 29 in the team final and to finish 19-under par in the individual contest was a good result. Well done to Emily on her women’s title win too, she did very well to recompose herself after a fraught final round to secure the win through the play-off.”

Sunday 16th June also saw the second BMGA British Adventure Golf Open competition take place. The three-round tournament saw Richard finish in 10th place with Emily in 19th in the 23-player field. The result sees Richard move up one place in the BMGA Tour Strokeplay Order of Merit Rankings to 7th of 125 players, with Emily in 44th position. In the BMGA Season Only Rankings for 2013 Richard is in 9th place of 56 players and Emily is in 15th spot.

In the latest World Minigolf Sport Federation (WMF) Rankings Great Britain is ranked 18th of 29 countries.

Ends