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World conker champion found with steel chestnut, cleared of cheating

(www.theguardian.com)
424 points notamy | 1 comments | 15 Oct 24 03:12 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source
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kapitalx ◴[15 Oct 24 05:19 UTC] No.41845197[source]▶
> Jakins was responsible for drilling and inserting strings into other competitors’ chestnuts as the competition’s top judge, known as the “King Conker”.

So the "judge" who prepped the conkers for everyone and stringed them also competed in the competition and won

replies(1): >>41847453 #
1. philipwhiuk ◴[15 Oct 24 11:37 UTC] No.41847453[source]▶
These things in the UK are generally simultaneously massively serious in terms of arbitrary rules and also massively not.

I suspect there are handful of entrants each year, a few obsessives and 'people around at the time it happens to be on. Hence this guy who has been around long enough he gets asked to help out.

UK law generally is based on previous screw-ups.

Doubtless next year they will add a rule, but in general abusing such power would fall under the general "good sportsmanship" rule and be dealt with far more seriously than just 'banned from a tiny competition with a grand sounding name'.