THE CRANTOCK BALE PUSH 2023 TAKES PLACE ON FRIDAY 8 SEPTEMBER. IF YOU WANT TO WATCH A MASSIVE BALE OF STRAW BEING HEROICALLY ROLLED AROUND A QUARTER-OF-A-MILE COURSE IN CORNWALL, THIS IS THE EVENT FOR YOU…
“You don’t have to be mad to take part. But it helps.” Any event that uses that quote as its slogan is bound to be utterly bonkers. And, true to form, the Crantock Bale Push 2023 is a few sticks of straw short of a summer sombrero. But it’s damn good fun and frankly those who take part should be celebrated as seasoned athletes.
Set in the heart of Crantock, which is just over the River Gannel from Newquay, the push takes place over a quarter of a mile course through the village’s streets and over its arduous hills.
A full-size round bale of straw is pushed by a team of four between the two village pubs. This gargantuan weighs about 420lbs and, according to the organisers, it measures 4’ 6” in diameter. It’s an absolute beast. And there can only be one winner.
You can just go and watch the potty participants on Friday 8 September or you can actually take part in the push yourself, as long as you are part of a team of four.
Junior teams traditionally begin the event rolling a lighter bale over shorter distances from 5pm. The kids are split into different groups according to age, with the eight-and-under, 12-and-under and 16-and-under competitions all worth cheering on.
And then it’s the ladies event. The women push a full-sized bale;. The 180s event is also worth watching as it features teams whose combined age must be over 180 years. They still push that full-sized bale around the village over the full course.
But the famous ‘open’ race is the most hotly anticipated event. All eyes will be on this fierce battle to the finish. The ladies event usually kicks off at around 7pm so expect the ‘open’ to begin not long afterwards.
It will be the 22nd year that the push has been held. It raises plenty of cash for charity – more than £135,000 since 2000, in fact – all raised by locals to support Cornish charities and organisations. This year, the team behind the event says it is ‘delighted to support Little Harbour Children’s Hospice South West and other organisations in the locality’. Also snap up some ‘unique Bale Push hoodies, T-shirts and polos on the night’.
Entertainment is arranged around the evening too, with live music from bands usually later on in the village pubs. So, yeah. Want an evening of madness and mayhem in a lively Cornish village? Yes? Well, head to Crantock in September 2023! Don’t bale on us…