World Pea Shooting Championships
The World Pea Shooting Championships have been held annually since 1971 on the second Saturday in July, in the village of Witcham near Ely in Cambridgeshire, England, and has attracted competitors from as far afield as the USA, Canada, Scandinavia, France, Spain, New Zealand and Holland.[1][2]
Rules
Peas are shot at a 12 inch target smeared with glazing putty, 12 feet away, with a peashooter not exceeding 12 inches in length,[3] there are no restrictions to technology providing the pea is propelled by blowing with the mouth, also, anyone can enter.[1][4]
History
The World Pea Shooting Championship was conceived in 1971 as a fund-raising idea for the building of a modern Village Hall by the headmaster of the village school, John I. Tyson (1925–2002), however, the school is long since closed, and children from Witcham now go to primary school in nearby Mepal.[1] In 2003, the Parish Council funded the purchase of the John Tyson Shield on which the open champion's name is recorded each year.[2]
The competition tends to be dominated by local entrants, though a small number travel from around the world, notably the United States, and American personnel from the nearby US airbases of RAF Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath have competed. The day is combined with village fete featuring games, stalls, and more.
Recent champions
In 2010, Ian Ashmeade became the 40th World Pea Shooting Champion. In 2011, he retained the title beating four-time World Champion George Hollis in the semifinal, and 2009 champion Jim Collins in the final.[2]
In 2011, Emma Watson became the Ladies' World Pea Shooting Champion despite it being the very first time she had picked up a pea shooter.
In 2012, Julie Bissmire beat Tina Pullman to win the Women's event.[3] In the open event, Rob Bresler defeated the 2010 and 2011 champion, Ian Ashmeade, in the quarterfinals, and Jim Collins in the final.[3]
In 2013, the ladies title went to Helen Phillips.[5] Rob Bresler won the open event again in 2013, defeating Toby Bush in the final.[5]
In 2014, Rob Bresler saw off 61 other competitors to retain his title. [6] Also in 2014, Michelle Berry won the ladies title, while the junior title went to Haddenham's Martha Collins.[6]
In 2016, at the 46th World Peashooting championships, Michelle Berry made history by regaining her Ladies title for the third consecutive year, using a laser shooter made by her father. She fought her way through a strong field, while also reaching the semi-finals in the Open championship category. After a very tense final, which went into extra time, Jim Collins went on to beat Rob Bresler to take the title of Open champion, also the third title in his career.
In 2017, incredibly for the fourth consecutive year, Michelle Berry kept her title by winning the Ladies Champion category, Martha Collins was runner-up. Jim Collins beat Ian Ashmeade in the open event. Martha Collins won the junior title beating Madeline Bresler the runner-up. In the team event the Haddenham Easy Riders beat Stockport Massive to the team title.[7]
In 2018, after unveiling a new pub sign at The White Horse, with his head on it, Ian Ashmeade in his iconic horned helmet thrashed the 2017 Champeaion Jim Collins to take the 48th World Pea Shooting title after 7 years in the car park of dispeare. His team, the Haddenham Easy Riders, also took the team first place, only just in front of the ladies' team Pea-u-tiful featuring Ian's girlfriend Sally Redman-Davies. Sally then went on, at her first attempt, to beat the 2017 ladies' World Champeaion Michelle Berry in a tense final. She only missed 1 peaseye out of 10 with a score of 48/50 in the final - what a debut!
World Pea Shooting Championship results (WPSC) 1971 onwards
Note: All results taken from http://www.witcham.org.uk/_sgg/m1m6s6_1.htm
| WPSC | Year | Open Winner | Runner Up | Lady Winner | Lady runner up | Junior winner | Junior runner up | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st WPSC | 1971 | Dennis Minett | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 2nd WPSC | 1972 | Dennis Minett | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 3rd WPSC | 1973 | Dennis Minett | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 4th WPSC | 1974 | Peter Czarnobaj | Dennis Minett | - | - | - | - | |
| 5 th WPSC | 1975 | Mike Curzon | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 6 th WPSC | 1976 | Howard Whetstone | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 7 th WPSC | 1977 | Mike Fordham | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 8 th WPSC | 1978 | Mike Fordham | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 9 th WPSC | 1979 | Neville Burniston | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 10 th WPSC | 1980 | Robert Norman | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 11 th WPSC | 1981 | Mike Fordham | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 12 th WPSC | 1982 | Robert Norman | - | Sandra Forham | - | - | - | |
| 13 th WPSC | 1983 | Mike Fordham | - | Helen Trent | - | - | - | |
| 14 th WPSC | 1984 | Mike Fordham | - | Helen Trent | - | - | - | |
| 15 th WPSC | 1985 | Mike Fordham | - | Jenny Danks | - | - | - | |
| 16 th WPSC | 1986 | Mike Fordham | - | Juliet Sole | - | - | - | |
| 17 th WPSC | 1987 | Robert Norman | - | Helen Trent | - | - | - | |
| 18 th WPSC | 1988 | John Shippey | - | Helen Trent | - | - | - | |
| 19 th WPSC | 1989 | Neville Burniston | - | Nicola Dale | - | - | - | |
| 20 th WPSC | 1990 | David Trent | - | Clare Shippey | - | - | - | |
| 21 st WPSC | 1991 | Leslie Setchell | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 22 nd WPSC | 1992 | Mike Fordham | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 23 th WPSC | 1993 | Leslie Setchell | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 24 th WPSC | 1994 | George Hollis | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 25 th WPSC | 1995 | George Hollis | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 26 th WPSC | 1996 | Dan Sargent  |
- | - | - | - | - | |
| 27 th WPSC | 1997 | Thomas Walker | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 28 th WPSC | 1998 | Dan Sargent |
- | - | - | - | - | |
| 29 th WPSC | 1999 | David Hollis | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 30 th WPSC | 2000 | David Hollis | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 31 st WPSC | 2001 | David Hollis | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 32nd WPSC | 2002 | Kiel Prance | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 33 rd WPSC | 2003 | Danny Miles | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 34 th WPSC | 2004 | Percy Walker | Iain Housden | Laura Rutterford | Maureen Samochwal | Sam Cockbain | Ben Somers | |
| 35 th WPSC | 2005 | Ian Saberton | Iain Housden | Sandra Ashley | Irene Pointer | Edward Richardson | Lewis Bonney | |
| 36 th WPSC | 2006 | Sandra Ashley | Colin Long | Sandra Ashley | Silvana Taylor | Toby Saunders | Zark Bonney | |
| 37 th WPSC | 2007 | George Hollis | Alistair Berry | Sandra Ashley | Emma Wood | Joshua Carter | Alfie Ball | |
| 38 th WPSC | 2008 | George Hollis | Nathan Parratt | Pat Willars | Sophie Janacek | Roland Dickinson | Matthew Wakeham | |
| 39th WPSC | 2009 | Jim Collins | Ian Ashmeade | Julie Bissmire | Helen Phillips | Daniel Menrad | Amelia Sparks-Shepherd | |
| 40 th WPSC | 2010 | Ian Ashmeade | Chris Hughes | Julie Bissmire | Helen Phillips | Oliver Gaffan | Charlie Cox | |
| 41st WPSC | 2011 | Ian Ashmeade | Jim Collins | Emma Watson | Linda Spencer | Charlie Cox | Alfie Gillings | |
| 42nd WPSC | 2012 | Rob Bresler | Jim Collins | Julie Bissmire | Tina Pullen | Callum Bogunovic | Alfie Gillings | |
| 43 rd WPSC | 2013 | Rob Bresler | Toby Bush | Helen Phillips | Emma Watson | Madeleine Bresler | Callum Bogunovic | |
| 44 th WPSC | 2014 | Rob Bresler | Victor Kronig | Michelle Berry | Rachel Cross | Martha Collins | Kieran Bogunovic | |
| 45 th WPSC | 2015 | Jim Collins | Allistair Berry | Michelle Berry | Aimi Bresler | Marcus Bresler | Rylee Gulliver | |
| 46th WPSC | 2016 | Jim Collins | Rob Bresler | Michelle Berry | Sonija Romanova | Charlotte Collins | Martha Collins | |
| 47th WPSC | 2017 | Jim Collins | Ian Ashmeade | Michelle Berry | Martha Collins | Martha Collins | Madeline Bresler | |
| 48th WPSC | 2018 | Ian Ashmeade | Jim Collins | Sally Redman-Davies | Michelle Berry | Martha Collins | Henry Crook | |
| 49th WPSC | 2019 | Ian Ashmeade [8] | Rob Bresler [8] | Sally Redman-Davies [9] | Madeline Bresler [9] | Martha Collins [10] | Henry Crook [10] | |
Roll of Honour (Multiple World Champions)
Mike Fordham 8, George Hollis 4, Helen Trent 4, Jim Collins 4, Michelle Berry 4, Sandra Ashley 4, Ian Ashmeade 4, Martha Collins 4, David Hollis 3, Julie Bissmire 3, Rob Bresler 3, Robert Norman 3, Dennis Minett 3, Dan Sargent 2, Leslie Setchell 2, Neville Burniston 2, Sally Redman-Davies 2.
References
- "Witcham, Home of the Official World Peashooting Championship". witcham.org.uk. 2018.
- "2012 World Pea Shooting Championships held in Cambridgeshire". bbc.co.uk. 2012.
- "Pea shooters take aim for world championship glory". telegraph.co.uk. 2012.
- "It's Only Pea Shooting. (World Pea Shooting Book 2011) Kindle Edition". amazon.co.uk. 2018.
- "The ever so polite world championships where competitors know their Ps and Qs". cambstimes.co.uk. 2013.
- "World Pea Shooting champion Rob Bresler retains title 2014". bbc.co.uk. 2014.
- "Witcham's annual Pea Shooting World Championship raises £2,400 for village hall". elystandard.co.uk. 2017.
- "Winner Of Open Championship". witcham.org.uk. 2019.
- "Winner Of Women's Championship". witcham.org.uk. 2019.
- "Children's World Championship". witcham.org.uk. 2019.