Par
Flavien Fritz
Published on
Jan 4, 2025 at 6:07 p.m.
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What if this was your resolution for 2025?
Far from classic objectives, some could have a goal that crosses borders: become a champion. And Vendée offers opportunities.
Le Journal des Sables offers you three championships which take place in Vendée and which could lead you to the height of glory.
Local, national or even world champion, these competitions are held at various times of the year. Some require more training than others, the idea of winning all three might even cross the minds of some…
Grilled mogettes
Organized for the third time on November 21, 2024, the world championship of grilled mogettes experienced a new winner.
Thomas Chollet dethroned Jean-Eudes Casses, the outgoing world champion, by devouring his 50 centimeter slice in just four minutes. He beat Erwan Pérard (5'58) and Fred Le Boyau (6'06).
The world championship is organized by the Cap Arago traders' association as part of Beaujolais Nouveau.
In 2024, these are 24 participants who confronted the mogettes tartine to win the Grail and become the king of grilled food.
In 2025, the competition will be renewed in November.
A good opportunity to become world champion and perhaps even follow up on the resolution for the year 2026 which would be to go for the first double in history of the world championship of grilled mogettes…
Oyster gobblers
Another competition that will highlight your eating skills.
Organized every year in Bouin, in the North Vendée, the oyster gobbers competition takes place on first weekend of August.
Each participant must first put on the traditional yellow sailor's raincoat, with hat. In a pile of seaweed, the apprentice sailor must search and find oysters which he must then open as cleanly as possible. To complete this course, the candidate must swallow the oyster without any accessories.
All while being timed and monitored by a knowledgeable jury who ensures that no trace of flesh remains in the oyster.
The winner will be the candidate who has gobbled up the most oysters within the time limit.
In 2025, the competition will experience its sixtieth edition. During the competition in 2024, a certain Gaël retained his title.
“Thank you to the public for the encouragement, to the volunteers for the great organization,” said the competition on its Facebook account. “See you next year,” he concluded. The appointment is set.
Fruits and Vegetables
Another competition with an anniversary date that will allow you to make history.
The national Fruit and Vegetable competition, organized by Le potager extraordinaire in La Roche-sur-Yon, will celebrate its 30 ans in 2025. “A special edition not to be missed, with even more surprises and records,” announces Le potager extraordinaire on Facebook.
Organized every year on the first weekend of October (exception in 2024 where it took place on September 29), this championship will help you climb the ranks. As long as you have a green thumb.
Winning a national title is already exceptional, but why not try to set a record? Medhi Daho is currently the triple record holder for the largest pumpkin in the Vendée competition. After bringing one of 768 kg in 2020, then 897.5 kg in 2021, he confirmed his record with 984 kg in 2022.
The Sarthois farmer is a strong competitor to be dethroned, having already won ten times this French championship.
The championship still has one constraint: having enough space to accommodate a giant fruit or vegetable at home.
The championships gone… for now
The pougnette
This is the discipline that requires the least training of the entire list. However, there is a chance factor that should not be overlooked. Pougnette is a game played by four people. Each person has three coins in their hand. Players then hide their hand behind their back and decide to keep between zero and three coins in their hand. The objective is to find the exact number of coins in total in the four hands. When a player falls correctly, he leaves the circle as the winner. The last remaining player who has not found one of the four is then eliminated. The world championship was created by Taverne des Sables, a bar located on the quays of Chaume in Les Sables-d'Olonne. The tournament is not yet renewed for the year 2025.
Two-legged horse
A horse show with hundreds of horses and riders, but without any horses present! Organized at Les Herbiers, the principle of this competition is simple. A show jumping course awaits participants on stick horses. But that's not all. The stick horse must also respond to the finger and the eye since a dressage competition with a choreography comprising a free course and compulsory figures is one of the events of the world championship.
For those who missed the main events, the world championship still awards prizes: the most original costume and horse, best supporters club or even best neighing. Despite the popularity of the competition, it is currently not relevant for 2025. Maindron Productions, the organizer of this world championship, still hopes to see it at the Olympic Games soon. “We cherish the hope of seeing the 2-Legged Horse appear as a New Olympic event at the next Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games,” commented Maindron Productions in a humorous Facebook post.
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