Egremont’s World Gurning Championships are an internationally loved event.
With its first records dating back to 1852 when it was described as an ‘ancient tradition’, there have since been hundreds of people who have taken home the title of world gurning champion.
It’s the focal point of the town’s 757-year-old crab fair – which is also one of the oldest fairs in the world – and brings people together from across the globe.
To gurn means to snarl like a dog, look savage and distort the face and the championship sees people go head to head to pull the ugliest facial expression they can through a horse collar, known as a braffin.
But the actual origin of gurning is obscure – with the first ever official World Gurning Championships taking place in the 20th century.
Initially, the championship was a combined men’s and women’s competition, but in 1978, a separate women’s category was properly introduced.
Marie Quinn, reported to be the USA Champion, is the only woman in history to gain a place in the top three, coming in second place in 1974.
The first junior gurning contest then took place a year later in 1979.
While some written lists of all the gurning champions of days gone by do exist, some records are not digitised and difficult to track down.
So we decided to put together an updated full list of all the gurning champions we could find.
Our thanks go to the crab fair committee, who have kindly helped us and allowed us to use information they have collected on the champions over the years.
Contestants from Canada, Australia, the USA and Holland have taken part in the championship and from all across the UK, and now these competitors often outnumber local gurners.
We’re planning to publish the women’s champions hall of fame and the juniors hall of fame in the run-up to the fair and we need your help!
Are you champion or is one of your family members? Let us know by emailing us at [email protected]
If you think we’ve missed someone, please get in touch. We’re counting on people like you to help us fill in the blanks!
We’d also love to see your photos too – we’ll publish a selection of them as we get ready for this year’s championships.
2025
- Winner: Ryan Barton
- 2nd: Brian Warwick
- Joint third: Mark Finnerty and Adrian Zivelonghi, of Coventry
2024
- Winner: Tommy Mattinson
- 2nd:
- 3rd:
2023
- Winner: Tommy Mattinson
- 2nd: Ged Eccles
- 3rd: Adrian Zivelonghi, of Coventry
Egremont Crab Fair did not take place between 2020 and 2022, due to the coronavirus pandemic and the death of Queen Elizabeth in 2022.
2019
- Winner: Tommy Mattinson
- 2nd: Gordon Blacklock
- 3rd: Adrian Zivelonghi, of Coventry
2018
- Winner: Adrian Zivelonghi, of Coventry
- 2nd: Gordon Blacklock
- 3rd: Michael Lanley
2017
- Winner: Adrian Zivelonghi, of Coventry
- 2nd: Tommy Mattinson
- 3rd: Gordon Blacklock
2016
- Winner: Adrian Zivelonghi, of Coventry
- 2nd: Tommy Mattinson
- 3rd: Ged Eccles
2015
- Winner: Gordon Blacklock
- 2nd: Tommy Mattinson
- 3rd: Adrian Zivelonghi, of Coventry
2014
- Winner: Tommy Mattinson
- 2nd: Alan Hornell
- 3rd: Gordon Blacklock
2013
- Winner: Tommy Mattinson
- 2nd: Adrian Zivelonghi, of Coventry
- 3rd: Alan Hornell
2012
- Winner: Tommy Mattinson
- 2nd: Joe Peet
- 3rd: Gordon Blacklock
2011
- Winner: Tommy Mattison
- 2nd: Gordon Blacklock
- 3rd: Adrian Zivelonghi, of Coventry
2010
- Winner: Tommy Mattison
- 2nd: Gordon Blacklock
- 3rd: Adrian Zivelonghi, of Coventry
2009
- Winner: Gordon Blacklock
- 2nd: Alan Hornell
- 3rd: Ged Eccles
2008
- Winner: Tommy Mattison
- 2nd: Alan Hornell
- 3rd: Gordon Blacklock
2007
- Winner: Tommy Mattison
- 2nd: Gordon Blacklock
- 3rd: Alan Hornell
2006
- Winner: Tommy Mattison
- 2nd: Gordon Blacklock
- 3rd: Alex Woods
2005
- Winner: Tommy Mattison
- 2nd: Gordon Blacklock
- 3rd: Alex Woods
2004
- Winner: Tommy Mattison
- 2nd: Adrian Zivelonghi, of Coventry
- 3rd: Gordon Blacklock/Gordon Mattinson
2003
- Winner: Tommy Mattinson
- 2nd: Gordon Mattinson
- 3rd: Alex Woods
2002
- Winner: Tommy Mattison
- 2nd: Peter Jackman
- 3rd: Gordon Mattison
2001
- Winner: Tommy Mattison
- 2nd: Peter Jackman
- 3rd: Alan Hornell
2000
- Winner: Peter Jackman
- 2nd: Tommy Mattinson
- 3rd: Gordon Blacklock
1999
- Winner: Tommy Mattinson
- 2nd: Peter Jackman
- 3rd: Rodney McVeigh
1998
- Winner: Peter Jackman
- 2nd: Tommy Mattinson
- 3rd: Alex Woods
1997
- Winner: Peter Jackman
- 2nd: Gordon Mattinson
- 3rd: Roy Millington
1996
- Winner: Peter Jackman
- 2nd: Gordon Blacklock
- 3rd: Jim Wilshire (Australia)
1995
- Winner: Gordon Blacklock
- 2nd: Peter Jackman
- 3rd: Albert Henson/Lenny Wells
1994
- Winner: Albert Henson
- 2nd: Ian Rickerby
- 3rd: Lenny Wells/Gordon Blacklock
1993
- Winner: Gordon Blacklock
- 2nd: Albert Henson
- 3rd: Peter Jackman
1992
- Winner: Ian Rickerby
- 2nd: Des McKenna
- 3rd: Ron Looney
1991
- Winner: Ron Looney
- 2nd: Ian Rickerby
- 3rd: Jim Cawell
1990
- Winner: Ron Looney
- 2nd: Tommy Mattinson
- 3rd: Robert Johnston
1989
- Winner: Gordon Blacklock
- 2nd: Tommy Mattinson
- 3rd: Ron Looney
1988
- Winner: Gordon Blacklock
- 2nd: Ron Looney
- 3rd: Ian Rickerby
1987
- Winner: Tommy Mattinson
- 2nd: Ron Looney
- 3rd: Jim McKenzie
1986
- Winner: Tommy Mattinson
- 2nd: Ron Looney
- 3rd: Graham Tomlinson
1985
- Winner: John Bryan
- 2nd: Dennis Russell
- 3rd: Tommy Mattinson
1984
- Winner: Gordon Blacklock
- 2nd: Ron Looney
- 3rd: Jim McKenzie
1983
- Winner: Ron Looney
- 2nd: Gordon Blacklock
- 3rd: Paul Seichter
1982
- Winner: Ron Looney
- 2nd: Gordon Blacklock
- 3rd: John Bryan
1981
- Winner: Ron Looney
- 2nd: John Bryan
- 3rd: Gordon Blacklock
1980
- Winner: Ron Looney
- 2nd: Gordon Blacklock
- 3rd: Walter Cussins
1979
- Winner: Ron Looney
- 2nd: Gordon Mattinson
- 3rd:
1978
- Winner: Ron Looney
- 2nd: Gordon Mattinson
- 3rd:
1977
- Winner: Gordon Mattinson
- 2nd: John Bryan
- 3rd: Ron Looney
1976
- Winner: Gordon Mattinson
- 2nd: Ron Looney
- 3rd: John Bryan
1975
- Winner: Gordon Mattinson
- 2nd: Henry Cass
- 3rd: John Bryan
1974
- Winner: Gordon Mattinson
- 2nd: Marie Quinn (USA)
- 3rd: John Bryan
1973
- Winner: John Bryan
- 2nd: Gordon Mattinson
- 3rd: Alan Williams
1972
- Winner: Gordon Mattinson
- 2nd: D Mansergh
- 3rd: J Hewitson (Calderbridge)
1971
- Winner: Gordon Mattinson
- 2nd: J Delaney (Kendal)
- 3rd: Mr Burns (Whitehaven)
1970
- Winner: Gordon Mattinson
- 2nd: Albert Henson
- 3rd: J Bainbridge (Staveley)
1969
- Winner: Gordon Mattinson
- 2nd: Taffy Thomas
- 3rd: B McGrady (Silloth)
1968
- Winner: Gordon Mattinson
- 2nd: Albert Henson
- 3rd: Dai Llewellyn (Wales)
1967
- Winner: Gordon Mattinson
- 2nd: Taffy Thomas
- 3rd: John Bryan
1966
- Winner: Taffy Thomas
- 2nd: Gordon Mattinson
- 3rd: Jock Branthwaite
1965
- Winner: Albert Bennison (Consett)
- 2nd: Taffy Thomas/Dai Llewellyn (Wales)
1964
- Winner: Taffy Thomas
- 2nd: Jock Branthwaite
- 3rd: Albert Henson
1963
- Winner: Jock Branthwaite
- 2nd: Albert Henson
- 3rd: Taffy Thomas
1962
- Winner: Taffy Thomas
- 2nd: Tedser Stephenson
- 3rd: Albert Henson
1961
- Winner: Albert Henson
- 2nd: Taffy Thomas
- 3rd: Jock Branthwaite
1960
- Winner: Taffy Thomas
- 2nd: Hardy Campbell (Thornhill)
- 3rd: Mr Simpson (Millom)
1959
- Winner: Taffy Thomas
- 2nd: Albert Henson
- 3rd:
1958
- Winner: Stanley Plummer
- 2nd:
- 3rd:
1957
- Winner: Stanley Plummer
- 2nd: Ike Singleton
- 3rd: Jock Branthwaite
1956
- Winner: Charlie Harvey
- 2nd: Taffy Thomas
- 3rd: Jock Branthwaite
1955
- Winner: Jock Branthwaite
- 2nd: Mr Simpson
- 3rd: Albert Henson
1954
- Winner: Tedster Stephenson
- 2nd: Jock Branthwaite
- 3rd: T Walker
1953
No Egremont Crab Fair
1952
- Winner: C Harvey
- 2nd: Jock Branthwaite
- 3rd: T Walker
1951 and 1950
No Egremont Crab Fair
1949
- Winner: Jock Branthwaite
- 2nd:
- 3rd:
1948
- Winner: T Walker
- 2nd:
- 3rd:
1947
- Winner: T Walker
- 2nd: Mr Peel (Millom)
- 3rd:
1946
1945
- Winner: T Walker
- 2nd: J Hugo (Frizington)
- 3rd:
