The beloved World Puddle Jumping Championship, which has taken place annually in Northhamptonshire, for the past 14 years, is poised to make a major rules change amid a looming new risk to the competition.
Forecasts of a mini heatwave sweeping the UK could leave the ground of Wicksteed Park bone dry, depriving the hundreds of young participants from around the globe of muddy pools to leap into.
The quirky championship, previously backed by regular attender Jacob Rees-Mogg in the House of Commons, began as a side activity in the local fete.
After achieving worldwide fame, the event has attracted families from as far away as Australia to compete.
As the name might suggest, contestants take turns running and leaping into a purpose-built muddy puddle.
Judges assess performances across four categories: jump height, enthusiasm, splash distance, and stickability — the latter measuring how much mud adheres to each young contestant.
However, the unusually warm weather has meant organisers are now scrambling to adapt after April's typically reliable showers have failed to materialise.
Park officials have amended the competition rules for the first time in over a decade, permitting entrants to use paddling pools as an alternative to natural puddles.
The World Puddle Jumping Championship is facing a threat of puddles drying up
|GB NEWS
Speaking on GB News, Wicksteed Park director, Kelly Richardson, despaired: “It's just typical, isn't it?”
“What we love about the British weather is that it's so unpredictable. You think April showers, and then all of a sudden we get a dry spell, which is typical now,” she said.
The park boss said they were now asking the youngsters to “be creative” about how they plan to compete.
As well as the paddling pool option, Ms Richardson suggested: “You can jump in the bath. You can jump into any kind of water that is safe for you to jump into. So get creative with those ideas!”
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Wicksteed Park director Kelly Richardson told GB News that the competition has been forced to change its rules
|GB NEWS
If competitors have their heart set on puddles and will accept no substitute, the park chief invited them to “create your own with a bucket of water… come on down to Wicksteed Park.”
“Alternatively, jump in a puddle of your making up or naturally formed anywhere and submit your videos on the Wicksteed Park Facebook page,” she advised.
Ms Richardson added that the championships were “open to all age groups”.
“We've had applicants who have been sort of in their 90s who have applied before," she revealed.
“It's open to everybody, doesn't have to be just the children, who can have fun with this one,” she said.
Speaking to the Commons in 2020, Jacob Rees-Mogg described the World Puddle Jumping Championships as “a brilliant idea” that provided light relief needed in difficult times.
He went on to invoke Peppa Pig, joking that “who cannot recall” her love of jumping in muddy puddles.
Jacob added that while he could not promise his own household would take part, he expected his children would enjoy it.