NCS Students Compete in Shrove Tuesday Pancake Race

On Feb. 21, five NCS students braved the wind and cold to compete in the Shrove Tuesday Pancake Race at the National Cathedral. This annual event celebrates “the last day of frivolity before Lent” and is the Cathedral’s way of celebrating Mardi Gras.

The five 8th-grade choristers – Kate Graham, Elizabeth Brogan, Grace Brigham, Bronwyn Redvers-Lee, and Annabel Ricks – donned their chorister collars and faced off in one of nine heats. Other heats included students from Beauvoir and St. Albans schools, Cathedral staff members, and clergy from across the Close.

Each contestant was given a cooked pancake in a skillet. Contestants then had to flip the pancake at least three times while running the course in order to win the race. Dropped pancakes resulted in a time penalty, unless the contestant recited a short poem about pancakes: “Pancakes are good, pancakes are greasy, I thought flipping pancakes was gonna be easy!”

Annabel Ricks won the NCS heat and then defeated students from St. Albans and Beauvoir to win the student-level top prize, the Golden Skillet. Ricks also received a Golden Spatula for her initial victory. Congratulations to Annabel and the other winners!

Check out the attached photo gallery to see more pictures from this event.