Ampleforth Organiser’s Comments
Thanks to Steve Roberts & Karen Clark for planning yet another excellent course, Jens for another excellent map and the helpers as ever for making the event run smoothly – especially the control collectors – Steve & Karen, Sam & Paul Leight, Frank & Sandra Appleton and Rik Thompson.
The White Rose made an excellent event centre and our own café to sit and relax afterwards was a bonus!! Congratulations to the category winners – Killian Lomas (M40) 485 pts (pushing Andy Conn into 2nd place for only the 2nd time), Martin & Max Vesty (Gen) 410 and 3rd overall, Rik Thompson (M21) also 410, Tim Evans (M50) 395, Andrea & Steve Foster (X50) 335, closely followed by Geoff Moorhouse (M60) 330 then Jill Ellison winning W40 for the first time this year with 325.
I enjoyed my ride crossing the magnificent grounds of Ampleforth College before climbing to Pry Rigg Plantation, through Wass Forest then down Wass Bank for the first time ever in an event. Across to Coxwold, so that I could ride the peaceful, gated and interestingly named Colley Broach Road before a climb up to Gilling Woods for the last 2 controls.
Full results have already been posted on the NYMBO web page along with the competition map if you couldn’t make it to the event and want to follow anyone’s route.
The final NEMBOS event of the season is at Wark Forest on Sunday 8th September. Parking is in the wood yard just outside Stonehaugh village and camping is available at the site only 400m from the event centre at the Village Hall so ring 01434 230798 to book. There is the usual amazing Flower Show in the hall on Saturday night where a good night is guaranteed and full English cooked breakfasts are available on Sunday morning if you book in advance by email al@stonehaugh.com
Refreshments will be on sale afterwards so please stay for the prizegiving at 3.30 and applaud the category winners.
The next NYMBO events are a 3 hour MBO Score event in Dalby Forest on Saturday 21st September followed by the annual Moors Marathon on Sunday. The event centre is at the Fox & Rabbit on the A169 5 miles north of Pickering this year where camping is available both nights.
Hope to see you at one of these events or at the social ride at the Hambleton Inn on Thursday 29th August. I’ll be there but no-one has said that they want to join me. Please let me know if you want to book a map.
Cheers, Steve
Planners’ Comments
The challenge for us is always to provide courses which ensure that riders are kept thinking from start to finish. We were very conscious that the area would provide some very fast riding and without the luxury of using the dismantled railway line that ran through the centre of the area we had limited route options across the middle of the map. That aside we found some stunning control sites such as 60 at John Bunting’s chapel ( http://www.johnbunting.co.uk/memorial.html if you would like to find out more) and 59 just above Husthwaite which provided a panoramic vista of the area. The farmer at Holly Bower farm just below 55 claimed he had been told his was one of the best views in this part of Yorkshire.
We did consider the possibility that all the controls would be cleared but the contours obviously played a part in challenging even the fittest of riders. It was particularly pleasing to get such good feedback at the finish and it would seem most riders enjoyed both the scenery and their rides.
Many thanks to all those associated with the successful running of the event. In particular a big thank you to all the control collectors who despite competing headed back out, quite understandably on four wheels rather than two!
Karen Clark and Stephen Roberts
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