17.06.2023

Cask Race #2

Cask Race #2
Following the highly successful and entertaining inaugural Cask Race in 2022, The Worshipful Company of Coopers held its second Cask Rolling Race in Guildhall Yard on 17th June.

With much planning behind the scenes, the day started early for the organising committee of Coopers’ Freemen and Liverymen, along with The Guild of Young Freemen who provide marshalling support and our affiliate Medical Response Team from the St John Ambulance who were on hand for any emergencies (they had a couple of racing-related scrapes to attend to during the event)

The course comprised three lanes.  Three new wooden barrels were in provided and teams assembled in The Guildhall Yard for a 9.30am first race.

Racing was started with a superb bugle call from the Army Cadets bugler!

14 teams competed with a fierce but always good natured competition. Once the heats were complete and adjudication done, three teams took to the course for the Grand Final.  The Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors triumphed with The Coopers’ Company & Coburn School coming second. Congratulations to them.

It was particularly good to see an entry from fellow Cask Group livery company member, The Innholders. We also had some corporate entry teams which reflected the Cooper's Company being the only livery company located in Bishopsgate Ward.

New in 2023 was a race for ‘Mini Coopers’ (younger entrants) who rolled smaller pin casks over a slightly shortened course but still with the challenging turn to come back. They did brilliantly and all received a prize of a toy Mini Cooper and rosette presented by Journeyman Cooper & Freeman of the Coopers’ Company, Euan Findlay from Theakston Brewery.

Euan also joined the Coopers’ Company racing team this year.  He had been anticipating repairing barrels after last year when there were a few metal hoop malfunctions.  However, the new barrels, made to racing standard by Master Cooper Alistair Simms (Jensens Cooperage) and his team, held up extremely well and no repairs were required.

The race committee who organised the event were Alan Roberts, Alistair Hutchinson, Liam Randall, Christian Kitley, Nick Pontt, Chris Monk, and Chris Todd. This event takes months of planning as well as delivery of the race equipment in to Guildhall Yard together with its return.

Thanks also to the Company Clerk and his staff and to Helena Cooke and Sarah Cheale who manned the information table.

Last, but by no means least, thanks also to our corporate sponsors Locke Capital, Hook Norton Brewery and Jensens Cooperage and to our affiliates who joined us on the day namely St John Ambulance Medical Response Team, The City of London and North East Sector Army Cadets and HMS President who entered teams.