He loves cartoons and is tucked in bed by 6:15 p.m. But with a cue in his tiny hand, this toddler can perform feats many adults can only dream of.
Jude Owens, a 3-year-old from Manchester in northern England, holds two Guinness World Records for mastering trick shots, maneuvers on a billiards table that require significant skill.
The first he achieved at the age of 2 years 261 days in September, when he became the youngest person to make two balls sink into different pockets from a single strike of the cue, known as a snooker double pot, GWR said in a statement Tuesday.
The following month, Jude nabbed the record for being the youngest person to make a pool bank shot — which GWR described as when the cue ball hits another ball off one or more rails before sinking it in a pocket — at the age of 2 years 302 days.
It makes him the youngest person ever to perform both trick shots, and one of the youngest double record holders in Guinness World Records history, the organization said. “To see someone as young as Jude display such skill, enthusiasm and determination is incredibly special,” said Craig Glenday, editor in chief of Guinness World Records.
Jude is not yet tall enough to take his shots standing on the ground, he must first clamber onto a stool. Videos online show him stretched across a table, or dressed in a tiny waistcoat and bow tie and expertly chalking his cue.
“There’s a lot of snooker stars that have started young, but I don’t think ever this young,” Jude’s mother, Sinead Owens, said in a phone interview Wednesday.
She said Jude’s father, Luke, is an avid fan of snooker — a sport similar to pool that is also played on a billiards table and is popular in the United Kingdom.
Jude started playing just after he turned 2 when he got a miniature table for Christmas. He quickly showed a knack for it, despite having to use half a cue.
“He doesn’t know the rules or anything,” Sinead said, adding that it “started with trick shots and then it kind of went from there.”
The family started a TikTok page for him that has accumulated a large following, made up of thousands of fans across Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. It has also led to an appearance at the World Snooker Tour U.K Championship and a sponsorship deal.
Sinead said the GWR certificates are hung in the family home but her son is unfazed by his talent. He also loves to play golf, watch his local soccer team Manchester United and was recently gifted a dartboard for Christmas.
“We only usually play maybe once a week at the weekend,” she said, referring to his snooker playing routine. “We don’t like to push it on him.”
“Because he’s so young at the minute, it’s more of just a hobby. There’s no pressure or anything for him to play.”
Jude’s father, Luke, described the two world records as a “pinnacle moment” in an interview with GWR and said he expects his son to surpass his abilities in the near future.
“He doesn’t beat me at snooker at the moment,” he said, “but I like to think he would in the next few years easily.”
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