Run — A New era of Sports & Rural Entrepreneurship?
This reflective piece explores the unique cultural and entrepreneurial significance of the Barley Mow Inn, a historic pub located in the remote village of Bonsall, Derbyshire, England, known for hosting the annual World Hen Racing Championships.
The event, rooted in medieval traditions, has evolved into a popular spectacle that attracts over 600 spectators, highlighting the intersection of sports and rural entrepreneurship.
As one undated article recounted:
In the UK, the village of Bonsall in Derbyshire, situated high in the peaks, is renowned for its annual chicken race held every August. For 25 years, the World Hen Racing Championships have taken place in the parking lot of the Barley Mow pub. This event evolved from traditional hen races, which initially focused on the first hen to lay an egg rather than cross a finish line.
Drawing inspiration from two articles published in the UK’s Daily Telegraph (2008 and 2014), and anchored by scholarly discussions on sports entrepreneurship, this article examines how chicken racing serves dual functions: First, as a tool for “place marketing” and, Second, as an innovation in both “sports and rural entrepreneurship.”
The case of Bonsall demonstrates how this quirky sport has contributed to the local economy and social fabric by drawing national attention to a small village, thereby reinforcing the role of rural sports in promoting economic resilience.
Unsurprisingly not many would have guessed neither what the Barley Mow Inn was, nor where it is located. Well, help is at hand — the ‘watering hole’ is located in the remote village of Bonsall in Matlock (in the Derbyshire County of England).
The Barley Mow is a people and animal friendly pub. Home to the world hen racing championships.
The Barley Mow Inn is not just a pub, “it does not just sell booze, it sells history” (apologies to Rolex). It has historically hosted the “World Hen Racing Championships” — yes feathers! With 52 hens and more than 600 spectators in attendance, this is no chicken feed, and guess what? These birds also happen to be Athletes!
In summing up, this “storytelling” would pan out to be more than just a joke, and, perhaps even become the focus of future scholarly research enquiry — see “Storytelling as Research/Research as Storytelling,” by Patrick J. Lewis (2011). In the case that this fails to catch on, perhaps we should just ‘tow the lines’ of William Langley by doing KFC a favour “Listen birdbrain […] you either perform for me, or perform for Colonel Sanders.”
