Knighton's Glen and Zoe Penlington named UK's timbersports champions

Zoe and Glen Penlington from Knighton took the top spots amongst the UK’s best logger sport athletes over the weekend Stihl Timbersports championship at the Royal Three Counties Show in Malvern.

Using axes, two-metre crosscut saws and chainsaws, the event pushes each competitor’s skill and endurance levels, where they are awarded maximum points for the fastest time in each discipline.

Events include the standing block chop where competitors use an axe to chop through a vertical log, the underhand chop where they use an axe to chop through a log whilst standing on it and the hot saw where they use a custom-built, high-powered petrol chainsaw to saw three cookies from a horizontal log.

Zoe took the title to become the first champion in the women’s event.

She said of her victory: “I’m very proud to be the overall winner in the inaugural Stihl Timbersports British Women’s Championship, and then to watch my brother also win the men’s competition was the icing on the cake.

“All the women put on a fantastic display and we hope this will encourage more women to get involved in the original extreme sport.”

Simon Hewitt, head of marketing at Stihl GB, said: “We were very excited to introduce the first British Women’s Championship and it was great to see the crowds come out in force to cheer on all the athletes.

"After several Timbersports events behind closed doors, all the athletes have been training extremely hard to put on a great spectacle for the Timbersports fans and they certainly didn’t disappoint.

“Glen is a worthy winner after a dominant display and we’re especially thrilled for Zoe who will go down in history as the first Stihl Timbersports British Women’s Champion.”