New champions crowned as World Gurning Championships dethrone long-time rulers in Egremont
Ryan Barton wins the men's title; Lynn Kelly claims the women's crown; Kendall Lister tops the junior division as the 19-time champion and last year's winner lose their titles at the Egremont Crab Fair.
The World Gurning Championships crowned new champions this weekend in the market town of Egremont, Cumbria, ending a 19-year run for the male title and delivering a new set of faces to the world stage. Ryan Barton, 42, a father of two, won the men's competition, after incumbent Tommy Mattinson could not compete this year due to ill health. In the women's category, Lynn Kelly defeated last year's champion Claire Lister in dramatic fashion to claim the title, while Lister's daughter Kendall won the junior championship.
Gurning is a rural English tradition in which competitors contort their faces into the strangest possible expression while framed by a horse's collar. The two-day event sits at the heart of the Egremont Crab Fair and Sports, a festival dating back to 1267 that celebrates local producers and crafts, and now attracts contestants from around the world. The programme also features wheelbarrow races and horn-blowing competitions to accompany the gurning bouts. The event draws a mix of local spectators and international entrants who travel to observe the quirky contest and cheer on the performers as they brace against the wind that can alter the mark of a successful gurn.
The organizers described Barton’s win as a tribute to his uncle, Peter Jackman, a longtime gurning figure who died a few years ago, saying his memory lives on. “Ryan said this was dedicated to his uncle, Peter Jackman,” they noted, and they wished Mattinson well with his recovery, adding they hope to see him back on stage soon.
On the women's side, officials called the result dramatic and praised Lynn Kelly for clinching the crown, saying “Well done Lynn” as Lister’s reign ended. Lister’s daughter Kendall topped the junior category, signaling a new generation of gurners and reinforcing the family links that have become part of the event’s lore.
The competition has grown beyond its rural roots, with dozens of entrants from across the globe competing for the crown. As in years past, challengers had to judge wind and timing carefully as they transformed their natural expression into the gurn, while judges assessed the overall exaggeration and clarity of the expression framed by the collar. The Egremont Crab Fair and Sports, established in 1267, continues to blend local showcase with broader novelty acts, underscoring the gurning championship as a distinctive moment within Culture & Entertainment.