So much for summer!!!
When I first started planning this event back in the beginning of the year, I was expecting all the trails to be hard baked by the Indian summer they keep promising us. That was not to be the case with one of the wettest Augusts for a while, many of the tracks that are normally dry at this time of year were just muddy bogs. My pre-printing recce ride brought this to my attention, with quite a few bridleways I had intended on using being written off,and Check Points were then tweaked to 'encourage' you all away from these!! It became clear, while out setting up the course, that the bridleways leading to CP's 1 & 25 were too churned up, and would have simply detracted from any enjoyment you might have had from the event, so we made the decision to pull these two CP's from the course. I did have reservations that this may produce a course that a few of our riders may have completed, but I think the hills and the remaining mud put pay to those fears!!!

Race day started in glorious sunshine at our chocolate box Village hall, and was soon a buzz with riders fearfully studying the contours while trying to decide whether to get the steep ups and downs out the way first, with a nice gentle glide down the ridge from Great Wood to finish, or to use the gentle 7km climb up the ridge to Great Wood first and worry about the climb back later!!
It wasnt long before everyone was out, most riders heading West toward Great Wood first, with only a few heading East toward Wind Down. This just left Faye and myself to set up the tables and get the refreshments ready for the return of the riders.
After no time at all, the first of the riders started to return, miraculously, not looking too muddy!!! (My cleverly placed CP's had obviously helped avoid the worst of the mud!!!)
As more riders returned, it became apparent that the wombles had been out and about, and cleared up a lot of the tapes from the CP's (I'm really not sure why they take them? do they think it's litter, and they are helping to tidy up, or are they doing it to be disruptive?) This certainly hampered the few riders who didn't take their description sheets with them!!! More and more reports started to come in, that CP 8 was missing. It is always worrying when many riders report not finding a particular CP. has it been stolen, or has it drastically been positioned incorrectly? In this case it turned out to be neither, but just the tape being removed, and the forest extending itself into what is marked as field below. ( We still credited those of you who couldn't find it with the 10 pts (which for W40 class winner, Claire Haskins, doubled her total points tally!!!))

With everyone back safely, fed, and watered, it was down to us to present the trophies. Winners were as follows:
1st overall: Ifor Powell - 467pts (from a max of 550), 2nd : Sion James -366pts, 3rd: Chris Philip, just pipping Chris Porter, both who scored 340pts. Class Wins went to James Brown, M21; Ifor Powell, M40; Chris Porter, M50; Chris Philip, M60; John Parfitt, M70; Issy Boyd, W21; Claire Haskins, W40; Stuart Ball & jim Williams, Pairs, and Janet Burroughes & Matt Jepson in the mixed Pairs.

As the last of the riders left, it was down to us to clear the Hall, and as the storm began brew,collect in the CP's. Big Thanks to those whop helped clear the kitchen, and to Ifor for heading out again to collect in the CP's he had missed in competition time, Robin Carter & James Jackson for collecting in a handful of CP's (including the elusive 108), to Faye for the lovely cakes and the wonderful smile on reception, and finally to you all for braving the mud and making the event a great success!!!
We finally finished collecting in the last of the CP's, soaked to the skin, at about 1800, and were home, dog walked, showered, sipping well deserved wine while waiting for our pizza to arrive, by 2100!!!
Thanks again to you all, and we hope to see you all at our next event on Dartmoor on 1st Oct (NOT 11th Oct as mentioned)

Will & Faye.