Event Reports

With a new tow bar and trusty old caravan we were off up the M1 Northbound for Northumberland and the Harwood two day British Champs which was also a round of the NEEC.

We've been up this neck of the woods before (gulp! the North of England has some of the hardest terrian i've ever ridden, proper bogs and dark unforgiving forests. Roots and hidden holes everywhere, everything to test man and machine and the Harwood did not dissappoint. The mob consisted of Rhett Parker, Rob McLeod, Stuy Owen, Craig Reynolds and myself, (plus wives, sons, daughters, dads, mums and dogs!)

With Rob, Rhett and myself in veterans class and the young pretenders in expert (Criag and Stuy) and a very acomplished pit crew who made all us riders feel like GP stars.

We all got good goin for a bit then I got stuck up to seat. It was a seiries of slightly uphill, loamy ditches, deep gullys, ravines and little iron bridges which if you missed you were in the sh*t . Me and Rhett teamed up for a bit to get through the worst bits, then I got stuck up to seat. Rhett dissappeared into the mist. I got to the test, which was a serious test! then checked in at the check just after. I'd dropped 29 mins! bollocks!! I figured "thats it then", the next laps time schedule tightened up by quite a bit. I made the decision not to go out for last lap as I would of houred out, stay fresh for sunday was my wau of thinking. Rhett carried on, he was actully enjoying it, but houred out. Stuy was having a culture shock (old school enduro, new school enduroist) he was goin well but half houred out (Champ and Experts only get half hour allowance, the Clubman vets and Sportsmen get 1 hour). Craig was running good only droping a handful of mins and finished in the top 15. Rob "iron balls" McLeod was steaming round in his usual manly way. Top 15 in a very tough vets class showing a lot of younger riders how to finnish a hard enduro.

We all went to sleep that night to the sound of driving rain and wind. We all awoke the next morning to the sound of driving rain and wind. "F**k that" was my first thought as i snuggled back into my pillow. That thought just wouldn't go away so i was subjected to a barrage of abuse, ie bitch, pussy, chicken noises ect ect so I toughed it out for a couple of hours. With the wind and rain the wetter conditions had now made a hard event double hard judging by the state of some of the riders coming in. Rhett was still smiling (sicko). They cut some of the worst bits out and cut the laps down from 4 to 2 for the sake of finnishing before dark, and it doesn't get dark till 9.30pm. Craig finnished top 15, Rob was on his two million'th clucht pull and finished top 15, well done that man. Rhett went out to enjoy himself and came in buzzing, big Neil Ashton had a good weekend and I was still getting bitch slapped of a few of the welsh boys, must try harder!

I've got to say that will go down as a toughy. But really good it was, old school and different from the other rounds. I only hope we can ride up there again. There are rummors of the kielder two day next year as a BEC, now thats one not to be missed.

Graham Howes.