World Hen Racing Championship shrouded in controversy

It was one of the most eagerly anticipated World Hen Racing Championships but it descended into a farce at Killinkere Jamboree on Sunday, as hens fell foul of the trip to the stadium – with only three managing to make it to the starting line. 

The finger of blame turned pointed straight at one Tom McCabe who was left in charge of transporting the hens to the race after a stay on his farm Saturday night. So when he arrived to the grounds with only three of the seven finalists he was greeted by a sea of furrowed brows in the crowd. 

2009 champion Breast Foot Forward, the Canadian hen, seemed to be have been in flying form as she sailed through her qualifying race last month but according to Tom she was stopped at customs and her handler was found to be carrying performance enhancing drugs.

'The immigration officer said he had never a hen so agitated. She was dazed and confused; refusing to get up of what she thought was an egg she had just laid but was in actual fact a Cadbury's Creme Egg.'

'She was certainly in no fit state to compete.'

Tom spoke at length about what happened the others; accusing his wife of mishandling the hens when he went out to milk on Sunday. However she was adamant that it was the feed she had bought of Gerard Fitzsimons that had resulted in three hens falling gravely ill on the morning of the final. She also claimed that a few had headed off to a hen weekend in Kilkenny.

Perhaps we will never truly know what happened at the massacre of Waterloo cross, alas the race had to continue in spite of the debacle.

So Shattered Dreams, ABU Heny Money and Chicken ala Ming took to the starting post, and Sports Illustrated's commentator of the year Donal Traynor takes up the coverage.

(Apologies for the poor camera work but the camera man was quite hungover.)

And in a close finish, the winner of the 2013 World Hen Racing final is....

Congratulations to Turkish hen Shattered Dreams who won by head in the end. What a day for hen racing! What a day for sport!

NOTE: You can also listen to Northern Sound News’ coverage of the debacle here.