The original extreme sport is returning to the big stage in Malvern, UK this month when the British TIMBERSPORTS® Championship comes to the Royal Three Counties Show. The event which is held over three days from 13 – 15 June is home to four TIMBERSPORTS® competitions starting with the Pro Qualifier event on 13 June, followed by the Pro Championship on 14 June and then a packed day of wood-chopping with both the Rookie and Women’s Championship happening on 15 June.
Competition for the top spots will be fierce, and all of the events promise edge-of-your-seat action. Defending Pro Champion Glen Penlington from Knighton in Wales will be the one to beat after he completed a hattrick of wins in 2024. But with a possible place in the 2025 Individual World Championship up for grabs for the winner, everyone will have the trophy in their sights.
In fact, the competition for places is so strong that anyone who didn’t finish in the top six in 2024 will need to fight for their place in the Pro qualifier event taking place on Friday 13 June. The format of the Qualifier will be the same as the Pro Championship, where competitors will first tackle the Underhand Chop, the Stock Saw and the Standing Block Chop. The top eight after the first three disciplines will then move on to the Single Buck and Springboard. In the Final Round, the six athletes with the most points will compete in the Hot Saw. They will also qualify for the
Pro Championship on Saturday 14 June. Viewers can follow all the Championship action on the YouTube livestream, or in person at the Royal Three Counties show and it guarantees nail-biting action. Penlington is laser-focussed on repeating his recent success, but he’s unlikely to have it all his own way.
His fellow British team members, Rob Chatley and Graham Turner, who finished second and third respectively in 2024, will be training hard to get to the top of the podium, whilst Tom Redmond, who finished fourth and holds the current national record for the Single Buck, will also be aiming to improve on last year.
The final day of competition sees both the Rookie Championship (for athletes under 25) and the Women’s Championship take place. Both events will be wide open as neither of the 2024 Champions will be competing this year.
In the Rookie Championship, last year’s winner Jack Morris is taking a year out of TIMBERSPORTS® for 2025 so will not be defending his title, but there are plenty of hungry rookies looking to take over from where he left off, particularly Zac Powell and Rowan Luxton who took the remaining podium spots in 2024. There are six new Rookie competitors this year too, who will be aiming to cause an upset and deliver a winning performance.
The 2025 British Women’s Championship promises to be another exciting event with no clear favourite for the title and last year’s winner Felixia Banck not able to compete. Student Libby Arrowsmith from Hartpury College, who finished second in 2024, will fancy her chances, but third placed Rachel Ferrington will also be fighting for the top spot, and 2023 champion Justine Ellis will be looking to repeat her previous winning ways.
The British Championship takes place from 13- 15 June at the Royal Three Counties Show in Malvern. Tickets are available from the show website. The Pro, Women’s and Rookie Championships will also be livestreamed via the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® YouTube channel.
