Chicken Run: Feathers Fly In World Hen Racing Championships

The feathered sprinters had to complete a 20 yard dash in the race - which was marred by allegations of 'fowl play.'

One woman was accused of throwing crisps on the track to encourage her hen to run faster, while another is said to have dangled spinach at the finish line.

A third hen owner is alleged to have tapped an umbrella on the ground to make her chicken run faster - mimicking how she had been teaching it in training.

Roughly 700 punters turned up to back the hen of their choice, with 47 birds taking part.

Despite a few ruffled feathers along the way, the race was won by 7-year-old Jack Allsop-Smith’s chicken Cooked It.

The youngster's athletic bird crossed the finish line with a time of 3.8 seconds.

The 26th World Hen Championships took place in the Derbyshire village of Bonsall in the UK, on Saturday, August 1.

Jonathan Pow, who took pictures on the day, said: "What I loved about the occasion was that it was a quirky British event, and it's the kind you don't see every day.

"It was really great fun I have to say, and it was exciting to see which hen would emerge victorious."