PREVIEW

An American woman has claimed the overall title at this year’s World Conker Championships on Sunday (13October2024), defeating the men’s champion in a dramatic final that has been overshadowed by cheating accusations against veteran conkers star David Jakins.

Kelci Banschbach, originally from Indianapolis and now living in Suffolk, only took up the game last year but pulled off a fairytale victory. She defeated 82-year-old Jakins to secure the title of “Queen Conker” at the event on Sunday. She had triumphed in the women’s competition before besting Jakins, who has competed for more than 40 years, in the final match.

However, the tournament took a controversial turn when claims emerged that Jakins, affectionately known as “King Conker” after his men’s title win, had been carrying a steel conker during the competition. Jakins, who has been competing since 1977, strongly denied any wrongdoing and claimed the item was a joke.
The controversy began when his an opponent claimed his conker shattered with just one strike from Jakins’. The steel conker, painted brown, was later found in his pocket.

Jakins dismissed the allegations as "a load of nonsense", explaining that he carried the steel conker for amusement purposes, particularly to entertain children by tricking them into breaking their own conkers against it.

Event chairman St. John Burkett confirmed that an investigation was underway but suggested there was no evidence of foul play.

In a statement, organisers said: "David Jakins, previous finalist and long-standing committee member, very much deserves his King Conker title."

Despite the controversy, the World Conker Championships, which has been held annually since 1965 and has raised £420,000 for charity, remains a beloved event.

This year’s tournament, held at the Shuckburgh Arms in Southwick, Northamptonshire, attracted enthusiastic and eccentrically dressed crowds as competitors vied for victory.

The competition traditionally sees players randomly draw their conkers from a bag before each match. Jakins, who helped prepare the conkers for the event, has also faced suggestions that he tampered with the nuts – claims he has vehemently denied.

But in the end, while Jakins secured the men’s title, it was Banschbach who reigned supreme as the overall champion, capping off a tournament full of excitement, suspense, and a dash of controversy.