Love cracks last: Matt Baird wins 200th Peters Hollow Egg Fight in final duel with wife Laura
Published 1:25 pm Monday, April 21, 2025
C.Y. Peters/Star Correspondent Levi Arnold pecked out a close win over his younger brother, Garrett Arnold in the 0-3 age group.
C.Y. Peters/Star Correspondent Participants battle Sunday afternoon at the 200th annual Peters Hollow Egg Fight.
C.Y. Peters/Star Correspondent Matt Baird, the defending champion, and his wife, Laura Baird, the 2019 winner, clutch their final uncracked eggs during the final round of the 2025 Peters Hollow Egg Fight. Matt’s egg held firm, making him the champion and the first back-to-back winner in more than a decade.
C.Y. Peters/Star Correspondent In the 0-3 age group, Levi Arnold pecked out a close win over his younger brother, Garrett Arnold
C.Y. Peters/Star Correspondent Matt Baird (right)and his wife, Laura, faced off in the final round of the 2025 Peters Hollow Egg Fight. Matt claimed the title and became the first back-to-back winner in over a decade.
C.Y. Peters/Star Correspondent The 7-12 division saw Owen Kamp of Erwin (right) take home the trophy, edging out last year’s winner and crowd favorite, Madalyn Peters.
|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
By C.Y. Peters
On a sun-splashed afternoon in the heart of the Hollow, history and humor collided for the 200th annual Peters Hollow Egg Fight, and this year’s finale was one for the ages — a true family affair that came down to the last egg between husband and wife.
Matt Baird, the defending champion, and his wife, Laura Baird, the 2019 winner, stood alone at the end, each clutching their final uncracked egg as the crowd held its breath. In one final peck — cheered on by generations of egg fighters and curious first-timers alike — Matt’s egg held firm, making him the 2025 Peters Hollow Egg Fight champion and the first back-to-back winner in more than a decade.
“This one means a lot,” Matt said, smiling as he hugged Laura. “But I’m sleeping with one eye open tonight.”
Laura, ever the good sport, smiled through her defeat. “I taught him everything he knows,” she laughed. “But he better cook me breakfast tomorrow.”
Jeff Peters, Laura’s father and local legend of the egg fight community, cracked his way into third place, showing he’s still got the touch. Rounding out the top four was Patton Arnold, who fought valiantly through a stacked field of competitors.
With master of ceremonies Jamie Peters at the mic to kick off the festivities and Mayor Parry Woodby judging the heated main event, the 200th edition of this quirky Appalachian tradition was one to remember.
“This isn’t just an egg fight,” Jamie Peters reminded the crowd. “It’s a celebration of community, family and good, clean competition — with a little yolk on your shoes.”
The youth divisions added their own brand of excitement. In the 0-3 age group, Levi Arnold pecked out a close win over his younger brother, Garrett Arnold, while Solomon Mauphin took third. The 7-12 division saw Owen Kamp of Erwin take home the trophy, edging out last year’s winner and crowd favorite, Madalyn Peters.
As eggshells crunched beneath the feet of cheering spectators and families, the community reflected on two centuries of tradition — and the legacy of those who made Peters Hollow’s Egg Fight the cultural gem it remains today.
Let the countdown to the 201st begin.
