Britain-Black pudding glory: Flanagan crowned world champion in throwing contest

The World Black Pudding Throwing Championships drew competitors to the Lancashire town of Ramsbottom once again this year for one of Britain's most eccentric sporting spectacles on a day of laughter, lore and lobbing. This year's champion Ged Flanagan from nearby Salford finally claimed the coveted title after years of near misses. "Knocked six off," he said proudly on Sunday.

The aim of the game is delightfully absurd: competitors hurl black puddings wrapped in women's nylon stockings at a plinth stacked with 12 giant Yorkshire puddings, trying to knock off as many as possible in three underarm throws. Black pudding is a British blood sausage made primarily from animal blood.

Why do it? "Just a different day out, and to be world champion – we've not been world champion at anything else. Come second four times before this year."

Flanagan's secret is "hand-eye coordination." "Knock them puddings off – simple," he said grinning.

The event is a mix of history, humour and hearty northern pride. Local lore points to its origins stemming from the War of the Roses in the 1500s when a battle between the Yorkists and Lancastrians ran out of ammunition. "No more arrows, no more rocks to throw. So they started throwing their packed lunches," longtime organiser Lee Gosling said.

"The Yorkshire puddings were being thrown by the Yorkists like frisbees whereas the much more organised Lancastrians, we were throwing black puddings, which carry a bit more weight." Modern-day rules state one foot must remain planted on the "golden grid," which is a brick with a coat of gold paint.

Seasoned throwers, said Gosling, use the seam of the stocking to add spin or curve, like the laces on an American football. "The seam lobbers are amongst some of the most skilful in the world," Gosling said, tongue in cheek.

Sunday's event drew lobbers from all over the UK, plus Ireland, the U.S., Australia, Canada, Cambodia, Peru, Switzerland, Spain, Belgium, France, Italy and Japan. This year's event was dedicated to longtime organiser Phil Taylor, who died suddenly earlier this year.

Gosling, Taylor's friend, himself once competed, but said the rigours of training can be quite intense. He recalled his own moment of glory.

"I did come third in 2001. That was probably my zenith," he said.

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