Having the start at the edge of the map usually means that riders have 2 choices, clockwise or anti-clockwise. The leading 3 M40’s all chose the
former route but Andy Conn’s more efficient options just edged it with 452 points over Al Powell 425 & Conrad Ellison 420. In second place overall was
M50 Graham Fielding 435 who decided to go anti-clockwise as did the Vesty generation team 425 & M50 Tim Evans 413. Of the ladies only Andrea Foster, assisted by husband Steve topped 300, in fact the leading 4 ladies were all W50. The quartet of controls around Ellington Firth Wood gave many route choices between them and riders tried
all permutations but it’s not clear what is the optimum.
I should have located control 58 on Witton Fell further south as most riders
went in/out from the north & then used the A6108 to reach the next controls to the east. I had not anticipated this & expected riders to use the
permissive track running east/west on Witton Moor which was quite fast to reach Ellingstring village. Only Steve Willis seems to have tried the
Slipstone Crags bridleway with the deep rocky gullies warned about in the pre-race information. Control 60 may have caused some difficulties but there was only 1 small oak tree on the grass verge at the west end of the wood to the south of the lane (motto: use all the information on the map!)
Many thanks to my control collectors Paul & Sam Leight, Simon Coiley & Andrew Salter, Graham Townsend and Jenny (with her crutch)
Regards, David Day

Thanks to David Day for another excellent course in Wensleydale (and he has already offered his services for next year). It wasn’t as cold as the last time we started at Masham but it was definitely a lot wetter and muddier. Thanks as ever to Jens for an excellent map and the helpers who made everything run smoothly as well as Masham Methodist Church for an excellent event centre and very welcoming refreshments. Congratulations to the category winners especially Andy Conn (M40) who won overall with 452 points, Graham Fielding (M50) 435, Martin & Max Vesty (G) 425 and 3rd overall, Rik Thompson (M21) 378, Geoff Moorhouse (M60) 372, Andrea & Steve Foster (X50) 310, Karen Clark (W50) 295. You can follow their splits and check out the map on the NYMBO web site.
I thoroughly enjoyed my ride again despite the mud. Colsterdale is a hidden gem of a valley and the track past Slipstones Crags really is badly eroded but it made for a pleasant walk. The byway past #55 was hard work but, thanks to the early riders who picked up most of the thorns from the cut hedges, I was lucky to get through without a puncture.
It was great to see so many riders staying for the Prizegiving and congratulations to the NYMBO and BMBO champions. Both updated league tables will soon be posted on both websites so I will write a separate article then. Thanks to Richardson Cycles for the bike parts and Yorkshire dales Brewery for the alcohol. Thanks also to Tony Harker of Muddybums for getting the tee shirts at a very reasonable price and Chris Lightfoot of Keith James Jewellers in Richmond for cost price engraving.

The next NYMBO event is a 3 hour MBO Score event in Swaledale on Saturday 30th November. We will be using the Permanent course so don’t forget your pen and Parking/Start/Finish is at the Dales Biking Centre. This will be followed by the BMBO AGM at Grinton Youth Hostel at 2pm. Hope to see you there.
There will be 2 more winter events in January near Harrogate and February near York. Further details later.
There will be 11 events in the 2014 NYMBO league and I have had offers to plan 5 of them already. Please let me know if you want to volunteer or if you have any opinions on areas, dates, lengths. There won’t be a NEMBOS league next year which is why there are 2 extra events. However, I am planning the Spring Polaris (OMM Bike) next year in the Northeast (and the Autumn event in the North)!
Thanks for supporting our events this year and hope to see you again in 2014.
Steve
2013 Masham 50000 Working Drawing with Controls 12th October

Report to follow tomorrow, results here:
http://nymbo.mountainbikeorienteering.org.uk/2013/9-Masham/

With almost 300 people participating in the NYMBO events this year, it’s time for our annual poll on your favourite event:

There’s just one event to go of the NYMBO League for 2013 (at Masham on October 19th), and you can see all the current league positions here, you can also see the positions of the likely finalists here – as usual some classes are already determined, but the final event could make a difference for some people. Hope to see you there!

Yorkshire Wolds Organiser’s Comments

Although Dave Evans hasn’t managed to ride in any NYMBO events this year he still managed to plan another excellent course (and has already offered his services for next year). There was a huge spread of controls in the dry chalk valleys north and east of Pocklington but fast riding meant that there were some great scores. The tracks had dried out nicely despite the wet weather of the previous 3 days.

Thanks as ever to Jens for an excellent map and the helpers who made everything run smoothly as well as WoldgateCollege for an excellent event centre with good parking, a gym for Registration and showers!

2013 Yorkshire Wolds Working Drawing with Controls 3rd October

Congratulations to the category winners especially Max & Martin Vesty (G) who won overall with 450 points, Conrad Ellison (M40) 433, Graham Fielding (M50) 409, Rik Thompson (M21) 393, Steve Wood (M60) 345, Andrea & Steve Foster (X50) 340, James Martin (Y18) 320 and Jill Ellison (W40) 316. You can follow their splits on the Results page and check out the map below.

Most riders headed east then north with a big decision about when to cross the A166 and when to head back. Most riders got it right but it’s interesting to see how many riders managed to score very few points in their last 20 minutes when they were just trying to get back without incurring penalties. I thoroughly enjoyed my ride again as the dry valleys make for excellent riding especially the decents into Horsedale (#58) and Thixendale (#60) although the climbs back out and from Kirby Underdale were gruelling. Most riders who rode along Lavenderdale after #56 probably rode along the private track instead of the parallel bridleway. The map isn’t very clear (but the signposts were) so I’ll ask Jens to amend the map before our next visit. (The track runs along the bottom of the valley and the bridleway along the east edge).

The final NYMBO event of 2013 is the 4 hour MBO Score event in Lower Wensleydale on Saturday 19^th October. Parking is in Masham Town Square so please pay at the Honesty Box with Registration nearby in the Methodist Chapel in Park Street. Refreshments will be on sale before and after your ride so please support them. Prizegiving for the BMBO National League and the NYMBO League will take place at 3.30 so please stay to collect your prize and/or applaud the leading riders. NYMBO prizes have been generously donated by Richardson Cycles and Yorkshire Dales Brewery with cut-price engraving by Chris Lightfoot of Keith James Jewellers in Richmond.

Hope to see you there

Steve

The split times for Saturday’s event can be found here. Full report to follow later.

2013 Dalby 25000 Working Drawing with Controls 29th August

Dalby Forest Organiser’s Comments
Thanks to Ralph Defty for planning another excellent course, Jens for another excellent map and the helpers as ever for making the event run smoothly – especially the control collectors – Paul & Sam Leight, Graham Townsend, Dave Lloyd and Adrian Baskerville who was collecting his first control as I was trying to find it.
Thanks also to the Fox & Rabbit for providing a different event centre. Congratulations to the category winners – Andrew Windrum 525 in M40 with 1 minute to spare; Max & Martin 465 in Gen and 3rd overall; a 3 way tie on 455 points for Rik Thompson (M21) , Mike Nayler (M50) and Ray Morriss (M60), Angela Brand Barker (W50) and first woman on 415, Ian Makinson & Margaret Scott (X40) with 335 points.
Although we have ridden in Dalby regularly for the last 10 years, starting at the Fox & Rabbit changed the emphasis completely. Once I had plugged into the mains instead of relying on generators I decided to head for Ellerburn and thoroughly enjoyed seeing parts of Dalby Forest that I hadn’t visited for too long.
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.
There are 2 four hour NYMBO events in October. The eighth event of the season is on Saturday 5th at Pocklington. This is the event that was cancelled due to snow and Dave Evans has been out checking the controls. If you entered online in March, you don’t need to enter again but, if you can’t make it, please let me know and Ill transfer your entry to your next event. The final event is at Masham on Saturday 19th with parking in the town square. They are both in brilliant countryside – the Yorkshire Wolds and Lower Wensleydale so hope to see you there.
Cheers, Steve

Planner’s Report
Thanks for the positive comments of riders returning back to the Fox And Rabbit after their ride in Dalby. A good number of riders achieved PBs in the points tally. We had tried to make this a high scoring event , ensuring that if the fast boys were going to clean up they would have to work for it and to my amazement AndrewWindrum did clean up and with 1 minute to spare. We hope you found new tracks and enjoyed a different view of Dalby.
We were blessed with fantastic weather and the tracks were dry and fast. I had taken Friday off work to put out all the markers which took me nearly 5 hours and I really enjoyed the ride around Dalby on a beautiful morning, seeing two deer and five jays, bonus! This is the second event we have planned and enjoyed both, so if you were thinking of planning an event then give it a go.
We would like to thank all the volunteers who made this event a success, especially the team who went out to collect controls, riding back up the steep climb to the Fox and Rabbit .
Hope to see you all at Pocklington
Ralph Defty