THE White Horse pub struggled to maintain their title at this year’s Middlewich Boat Pull with a team from Sandbach taking the trophy.


Crowds turned out alongside the Trent and Mersey canal despite spells of rainy weather for the ever-popular Boat Pull event, which took place on Saturday, August 23.


The day saw teams compete for the Boat Pull crown by pulling a 25 ton barge along a marked strip of the canal.


Sandbach Tyres finished in the quickest time of 1min8secs ahead of last year’s record setters The White Horse, and Middlewich Narrowboats.


Greg Williams, from Middlewich Narrowboats, said: “It was a great day, we thought the weather might spoil it and we may have got more people if it was nicer but we still got plenty of teams taking part.


“The White Horse came to defend their title from last year but they just lost out to Sandbach Tyres, so it was an exciting competition.”


As well as the boat pull competition, the day also featured a children’s fun pull, music performances from Baxter, and refreshments at Middlewich Narrowboats.


The date of next years event will be announced before January 2015 to give teams plenty of time to enter.