World Pea Shooting Championships

• Peas are shot at a 12 inch target smeared with glazing putty.[6]
• Anyone is permitted to enter.[1][7]
• The Peashooter must not exceed 12 inches in length.[6]
• Your peashooter cannot be shared with other competitors.[8]
• No laser peashooters allowed in the children's event.[8]
• There are no technology restrictions, provided peas to be propelled only by blowing air by mouth.[1][7]
• The target distance is 12 feet for adults, 10 feet for over 8's, 8 feet for under 7's.[8]
• Only peas provided may be used, five per contestant in early rounds, 10 in semi's and finals.[8]
• Target scores are centre-ring= 5, middle-ring= 3, outer-ring= 1.[8]

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 Tyson (1925–2002), however, the school is long since closed, and children from Witcham now go to primary school in nearby Mepal.[1] In 1971, the first ever World Peashooting Championship took place and the winning team was the Pymoor Peashooting Team consisting Graham Lark, Brian Taylor, Kenneth Rogers and Eddie Stearman.[9]

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.

Both the 2020 and 2021 events have been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[3]

The 2022 event was also cancelled due to fears that activity itself, involving high velocity discharge from the mouth, has a high likelihood of spreading Covid-19 to other contenders and referees. The event is expected to make a return in 2023.[4]

World Champion Ian Ashmeade in 2010

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.[6] In the open event, Rob Bresler defeated the 2010 and 2011 champion, Ian Ashmeade, in the quarterfinals, and Jim Collins in the final.[6]

In 2013, the ladies title went to Helen Phillips.[10] Rob Bresler won the open event again in 2013, defeating Toby Bush in the final.[10]

In 2014, Rob Bresler saw off 61 other competitors to retain his title.[11] Also in 2014, Michelle Berry won the ladies title, while the junior title went to Haddenham's Martha Collins.[11]

New Pub Sign for The White Horse Witcham

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, Michelle Berry retained her title for the fourth consecutive year, by winning the Ladies tournament with Martha Collins as runner-up. Jim Collins beat Ian Ashmeade in the open event. Martha Collins won the junior title beating Madeline Bresler, who was the runner-up. In the team event the Haddenham Easy Riders beat Stockport Massive to the team title.[12]

In 2018, after unveiling a new pub sign at The White Horse, Ian Ashmeade in his iconic horned helmet beat the defending champion Jim Collins, to take the 48th World Pea Shooting title after 7 years of trying. 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. She then went on, at her first attempt, only having tried pea shooting the week before.[13] She beat the defending ladies' World Champion Michelle Berry, in a tense final.[13]

In 2019, Redman-Davies went on to successfully defend her title, beating Madeline Bresler in a tight final. The scores were level, and Redman-Davies won the tie-breaker.[14]

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 [15]	Dennis Minett	-	-	-	-
5th WPSC	1975	Mike Curzon	-	-	-	-	-
6th WPSC	1976	Howard Whetstone	-	-	-	-	-
7th WPSC	1977	Mike Fordham	-	-	-	-	-
8th WPSC	1978	Mike Fordham	-	-	-	-	-
9th WPSC	1979	Neville Burniston	-	-	-	-	-
10th WPSC	1980	Robert Norman	-	-	-	-	-
11th WPSC	1981	Mike Fordham	-	-	-	-	-
12th WPSC	1982	Robert Norman	-	Sandra Forham	-	-	-
13th WPSC	1983	Mike Fordham	-	Helen Trent	-	-	-
14th WPSC	1984	Mike Fordham	-	Helen Trent	-	-	-
15th WPSC	1985	Mike Fordham	-	Jenny Danks	-	-	-
16th WPSC	1986	Mike Fordham	-	Juliet Sole	-	-	-
17th WPSC	1987	Robert Norman	-	Helen Trent	-	-	-
18th WPSC	1988	John Shippey	-	Helen Trent	-	-	-
19th WPSC	1989	Neville Burniston	-	Nicola Dale	-	-	-
20th WPSC	1990	David Trent	-	Clare Shippey	-	-	-
21st WPSC	1991	Leslie Setchell	-	-	-	-	-
22nd WPSC	1992	Mike Fordham	-	-	-	-	-
23rd WPSC	1993	Leslie Setchell	-	-	-	-	-
24th WPSC	1994	George Hollis	-	-	-	-	-
25th WPSC	1995	George Hollis	-	-	-	-	-
26th WPSC	1996	Dan Sargent	-	-	-	-	-
27th WPSC	1997	Thomas Walker	-	-	-	-	-
28th WPSC	1998	Dan Sargent	-	-	-	-	-
29th WPSC	1999	David Hollis	-	-	-	-	-
30th WPSC	2000	David Hollis	-	-	-	-	-
31st WPSC	2001	David Hollis	-	-	-	-	-
32nd WPSC	2002	Kiel Prance	-	-	-	-	-
33rd WPSC	2003	Danny Miles	-	-	-	-	-
34th WPSC	2004	Percy Walker	Iain Housden	Laura Rutterford	Maureen Samochwal	Sam Cockbain	Ben Somers
35th WPSC	2005	Ian Saberton	Iain Housden	Sandra Ashley	Irene Pointer	Edward Richardson	Lewis Bonney
36th WPSC	2006	Sandra Ashley	Colin Long	Sandra Ashley	Silvana Taylor	Toby Saunders	Zark Bonney
37th WPSC	2007	George Hollis	Alistair Berry	Sandra Ashley	Emma Wood	Joshua Carter	Alfie Ball
38th 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
40th 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
43rd WPSC	2013	Rob Bresler	Toby Bush	Helen Phillips	Emma Watson	Madeleine Bresler	Callum Bogunovic
44th WPSC	2014	Rob Bresler	Victor Kronig	Michelle Berry	Rachel Cross	Martha Collins	Kieran Bogunovic
45th 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 [13]	Michelle Berry	Martha Collins	Henry Crook
49th WPSC	2019	Ian Ashmeade [16]	Rob Bresler [16]	Sally Redman-Davies [14][17]	Madeline Bresler [14][17]	Martha Collins [18]	Henry Crook [18]
2020, 2021 and 2022 (no event)			Championships cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic[3][4]
50th WPSC	2023	Dan Cross [19]	Warren Isaacs	Sally Redman-Davies [19]	Helene Coles	Luke Young [19]	Greyson Coles

• The World Pea Shooting Championships 2019 by Britclip