The 2023 edition of the Robert Dover’s Cotswold Olimpick Games took place on Dover’s Hill above the Cotswold town of Chipping Campden in Gloucestershire.
The event has been taking place since 1612 and the modern version is completed by the World Shin Kicking Championship.
After the grounds were open to paying visitors the First Parkour, Vander Wheel Displays and other entertainment were enjoyed by the crowds.
Before the official opening by the Games Chairman the Junior Championship of the Hill and the running races were put on for the appreciative crowd. The Junior Championship included standing jump and throw the dustbin lid, with the running races for younger athletes over 1 lap of the one mile course with the adults race over 3 miles over the hillside below the event.
The event was opened with the entrance of Rover Dover and The Scuttlebrook Queen accompanied by the 13th Coventry band, and then the Society Charman welcomed everyone.
Musical accompaniment was by Barney Porter and Dez.
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Then the main events of the evening took place with the Champion of the Hill and the teams event Championship of the Hill, before the headline event the Shin Kicking World championship.
The Champion of the Hill included Standing Jump, Hammer Throw, Cotswold Stone Put & Spurning the bar (like tossing the caber, just a bit smaller).
In the teams event for Championship of the Hill there were six teams entering All Across the World, Defenders of the Hill, The Tar Heels, MA Fan Club, Peachy Boys ‘N Girls and Gorilla Gazing.
The Championship of the Hill included Sack Race, The Ski Challenge, Olimpick Grand Prix (tyre rolling) and the water based Olimpick Aquatics (the most water collected through leaky buckets wins).
This was won by The Defenders of the Hill (195 points) with Peachy Boys ‘N Girls in 2nd with The Tar Heels in 3rd place.
Then for the main event there were 8 lads ready to do battle for the title of World Shin Kicking Champion for 2023. This was going to be a new champion as outgoing Champion Adam Miller had retired, after winning the event multiple times.
Each bout was the best of three with the aim to put the opponent to the ground after kicking him only in the shin area. The bouts were sometimes a quick affair but then several contests went on for several minutes before a winner was declared. The bout was officiated by a Stickler who decided if each completion was a proper blow as pushing over or falling over didn’t count.
We had a brave TV reporter from Melbourne, Australia (SportsBet) who was reporting on Cotswold events (including the Cheese Rolling Festival on Cooper’s Hill, Gloucestershire, a few days earlier), who was persuaded to take part.
After the brutal semi-finals and final took place, the winner was Mike Newby from Cheltenham (who had also taken part in the Cheese Rolling Festival).
The event was completed by the beacon being lit by the Scuttlebrook Queen and the Torchlit parade down to the Chipping Campden square. Then Uncle Funk & The Disco Inferno performed on the stage to a packed crowd.
The 2024 event will take place in late May/early June 2024 on Dover’s Hill.
