Winner crowned at World Conker Championships in Southwick

Winner crowned at World Conker Championships

The winner of this year's World Conker Championships said she was "ecstatic" after clinching the title.

More than 250 conker combatants, including entrants from Japan, Holland and Germany, headed to Southwick in Northamptonshire for Sunday's event.

Frankie Hooper, 28, from Oundle, won the overall event after beating the men's winner, Simon Griffiths, in a nail-biting, nut-shattering showdown.

Hooper, now known as Queen Conker, said: "I am feeling pretty ecstatic... I came into it this morning for a chilled fun day with my friends, and now I am a world champion for the females. It is amazing."

Runner-up Griffiths, 35, from Stamford, the new King Conker, said: "My wife is never going to hear the end of it... I am going to change my name I think."

Past championships had been rocked by allegations of cheating amid reports a metal conker had been swapped for a real one.

But there appeared to be no such controversy this year.

Gary Ward, from Milton Keynes, arrived dressed as a tree and said he had been doing "boxing" training in preparation.

Despite hopes of being crowned this year's King Conker, he was eliminated in his first round by an opponent dressed as a sheep.

"I don't know what to say... it's just outrageous," he joked. "I definitely need to come back next year."

Outside the Shuckburgh Arms, competitors went head-to-head with conkers threaded on strings, aiming to smash their opponent's nut.

Players took turns, each having up to three strikes at their opponent's conker.

Partners Amy Smart and Will Fern, originally from Northamptonshire, had travelled from London for the championships, dressed as chickens.

The pair became rivals when they were drawn against each other in the second round.

Smart, 28, hoped to settle an old score, adding: "He beat me last year in the first round, so I'm looking for revenge this year."

Fern, 29, who grew up in Southwick, added: "The furthest I've ever got was the semi-finals and I lost."

Smart went on to beat Fern in the second round.

Nana Hirayama, from Japan, lives in Leamington Spa, in Warwickshire, and has taken part in the event 12 times.

"It's a good old tradition in England... it's very unique, interesting, and I'm so happy that I can actually take part in it," she said.

Paula Bendiek, who lives in London and is from Berlin, represented Germany.

The 28-year-old said the event was not her first conker rodeo, as she had competed in the Peckham Conker Championships three years ago.

"I obviously haven't practiced enough," she said after being defeated in her first round.

Orlando Bridgeman, 26, from Northumberland, who had dressed as William the Conkeror, said he had subjected himself to a "rigorous training regime" in preparation for battle.

He was knocked out in the second round.

"This is only going to spur on more training, more focus and more dedication ready for next year," he said.

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