Winter Trail Quest Series Round 2
[Dolly's Brae]
The weather was kind for the second round of the 2012/13 Dromara CC Winter Trail-quest league at the very scenic location of The Dolly’s Brae Inn, Ballyward, Castlewellan . The wet and windy conditions had cleared to leave a cool morning with sunny spells lifting the spirits of the large entry of eighty seven people in forty four teams. The charity chosen by Dromara Cycling Club, for all the proceeds of the trail-quest league, is The Northern Ireland Cancer Fund For Children, based at Shimna Valley, Newcastle. Trail-quest organiser Trevor Annett greatly appreciated the large turnout which should increase the value of the charity donation. An impressive £2700 was raised during last winter’s events and Dromara CC wish to improve on the total this year.
This venue was last used in 2009 and has been greatly missed, as it provides a superb start location, with lots of bridle paths, old lanes and mountain paths, allowing the cyclists the opportunity of plenty of off-road cycling. The course included twenty seven orienteering markers and clues in an area stretching between Castlewellan, Letrim and Moneyslane.
A trail-quest is designed so that a team will be unable to reach all the points within the time limit of 3 hours 30 minutes for adult teams, or two hours for those teams with a youth under sixteen on their team. Five teams elected to try out the shorter two hour course.
Thirty eight teams chose to pre enter on the Dromara Cycling Club website, therefore guaranteeing at starting time just after 10.30am. Five teams were unable to come on the morning, but a further nine teams signed on at the start.
Each of the 44 teams taking part, with team entering from as far away as County Donegal, were supplied with a laminated map of the area, along with a blank question/answer sheet and pen. It is best for a team, at the start of a trail-quest event, to take a few minutes to look over the map and select the best route to locate as many checkpoints as possible within the time limit. The very hilly terrain towards the “windy Gap” area would require the riders to allow more time to reach each marker. Careful judgement was needed to estimate how many points they should aim for as well as keeping a close eye on the time limit. A great number of points can be forfeited by arriving late at the finish.
Chaos took over as the first team went away at 10.31, “Twisted & Grumpy”, who unfortunately failed to finish due to a broken chain and rear deraliieur, but they will be back for the next round. Second away were a father and son team “Bert & Fred , Brain and Andrew McBurney and third were Muttz Nuttz from Banbridge CC. In the two hour event Team "Old Cannon" were missing "Young Gun" as he was sick, started at 10.52 and were first back, but Paddy Harrower did admit to a low score as he missed his map reading son Frazer. Team Bump, without “Brake" (another no show due to illness) were the winners of the shorter course, as six and and half month pregnant Belle Cathy showed her stamina. The Lone Zeppelin had an appalling day with just 48 points and will need to locate a map reader for the next round!!
Team "Bert and Fred" lead the teams home from the longer course just before 2 pm. Suddenly the warm start location, just beside the fire, was full of bodies thrusting answer sheets at the organiser to get the finish time recorded.
Best score of the day was Paul McArthur of team "Average Joe" with 320 points. Paul's experience in orienteering and adventure racing really pays off and already he is looking like the person to beat for the series win. Equal second with 310 points were team "Bert & Fred", ninth in the first round, and Dromara CC team "The Sore Losers", thirteenth in the first round with Stewart Moore and brothers Alan and Dennis McMullan, both improving their scores greatly. Team "Jimmy the Kipper" lost valuable points by being late and finished fourth with 304 points just ahead of a tie for fifth place between "The misadventures" and "That's Not magic" on 300 points.
Other teams found their inexperience of map reading and the terrain tougher and teams "Billy No Mates" with 140 points and "The Mountain Goats" with 120 points, had the lowest scores.
The total amount of points available was over 460, but only six teams, "Average Joe", "Bert & Fred", "Sore losers", 2nd last year, "Jimmy The Kipper", "Misadventures" and "That's Not Magic", with Paul Daniels able to pass the 300 mark.
A great day was had by all with just a small mistake with a map, a grid reference for one of the two bonus points, was quickly forgotten as everyone was provided with soup and refreshments kindly supplied by The Dolly's Brae Inn.
Dromara Cycling Club would like to thank all those who took part, the staff and owners of The Dolly's Brae Inn and all those who kindly gave permission for the event to take place. We look forward to holding a trail-quest at this excellent venue in in the future.
The third round of the winter Trail-quest league, will be hosted by our good friends at Lanterne Rouge Cycling Club. There will be a new start location at the Saul Gaelic Football Club, 28 St Patrick's Road Downpatrick, BT30 7JG, on Sunday 20th January. Teams will be able to pre-enter this weekend on the Dromara CC Website, www.dromaracc.co.uk, where full results and pictures can be found.
Dromara CC hope that, as word spreads of both the great enjoyment entering a trail-quests and the varied and off-road cycling opportunities provided in the Lecale peninsula, that the number taking part will increase.
Report by Trevor Annett
Photos by Trevor Annett and Martin Grimley
IF YOU WISH TO BE KEPT INFORMED OF ANY UPCOMING TRAIL QUESTS PLEASE SEND AN EMAIL TO MARTIN @ DROMARA CYCING CLUB.
martin@dromaracc.co.uk
