This year’s Finchingfield Three-Legged Race, on Sunday, July 22, is believed to be the biggest ever in the village with 22 grown-up teams, 15 children’s teams and a massive crowd of spectators, packing out all three of the village pubs.

Dunmow Broadcast: Across the pondAcross the pond (Image: Saffron Photo 2018)

It’s not easy crossing a muddy pond with your leg tied to another person. The advice is to dress lightly, but at this year’s event, one couple were dressed head to foot as lions. The water weighed them down so much, they could bearly walk at the end but astonishingly, they came second in the race.

The challenge, now in its 155 year (with gaps, the ancient tradition was revived 15 years ago) is for the teams, mostly in fancy dress, to have a drink (not necessarily alcohol) at each of the pubs, The Fox, the Finchingfield Lion and the Three Tuns, and also at the start line before racing through the village pond. The children race round the pond, not through it.

The adult winners were the Atomic Blondes, the under eights section was won by Joshua Davies and Jasmine Passfield and the over eights champions were Summer Bowen and Scarlett Baberstock.

Side-stalls included putting people in the stocks, there was a raffle, a barbecue, and a mocktails tent, which was popular on one of the hottest days of the year. This year’s fun extended into the evening with the band Ursa Minor providing entertainment, playing outside the Fox between the events.

Dunmow Broadcast: Fancy dress was the order of the dayFancy dress was the order of the day (Image: Saffron Photo 2018)

Entry to the race is free but money was raised by the sideshows. These included 400 ducks entered into a ducks’ race, the day raised over £3,000 (and still counting) for FINCHE the fundraising group hoping to build an all-weather sports pitch for the villages of Finchingfield and Cornish Hall End.

Organiser Lee Rider said: “This was the best one by miles. It gets bigger each year. We had a lot of helpers this year. It was more like a whole day festival. We have had some great feedback and are so grateful for the support of businesses, the pubs and the community.”

Dunmow Broadcast: One of the sidestalls, a ring is thrown to a girl in the stocksOne of the sidestalls, a ring is thrown to a girl in the stocks (Image: Saffron Photo 2018)

Dunmow Broadcast: His future was in front of him...a contestant looking thoughtfulHis future was in front of him...a contestant looking thoughtful (Image: Saffron Photo 2018)

Dunmow Broadcast: Across the pondAcross the pond (Image: Saffron Photo 2018)

Dunmow Broadcast: Across the pondAcross the pond (Image: Saffron Photo 2018)

Dunmow Broadcast: Not afraid to get their feet wetNot afraid to get their feet wet (Image: Saffron Photo 2018)

Dunmow Broadcast: Not afraid to get their feet wetNot afraid to get their feet wet (Image: Saffron Photo 2018)

Dunmow Broadcast: Fancy dress was the order of the dayFancy dress was the order of the day (Image: Saffron Photo 2018)

Dunmow Broadcast: Fancy dress was the order of the dayFancy dress was the order of the day (Image: Saffron Photo 2018)