ORIENTEERING: Ted Norrish Trophy awarded to member from Rugby

West Midlands League event at Hartshill Hayes Country Park

Octavian Droobers staged an event on Sunday near Nuneaton, around the beautiful woods of Hartshill Hayes Country Park.

Organiser Chris McCartney was very complimentary, as were the runners, about the challenging courses planned by club juniors Felix and Oliver Lunn.

It was extremely cold at 7.30am - down to 6C - when the controls (checkpoints) were being put out.

Nearly 200 participants braved this and were rewarded with glorious sunshine after the competition started at 10.30am.

Competitors came from all over the Midlands and starting with the shortest course for beginners and youngsters results were: Jarvis White M10 from Walton Chasers was 1st on the White 1.2km course in 11.21mins, Daniel Pigott M10 from Potteries Orienteering Club 2nd in 11.38mins and Imogen Allen W10 Walton Chasers 3rd in 12.14mins.

Junior Rupert Powell M12 was 1st on the Yellow 2km course in 21.15mins, Jonah Hearn M10 WCH 2nd in 23.11mins and Edward Powell M10 3rd 23.27mins.

On the Orange 2.9km course, Oscar Barnby M12 WCH 1st in 42mins, Lewis Oxtoby M14 2nd in 48.18mins and Giedre Mockute W21 3rd in 49.08mins.

Sian Gardner W60 was 1st on the Light Green 3.6km course in 53.22mins, Lauren Lewis W18 Wrekin Orienteering 57.05mins and James Thompson M14 Harlequins Orienteering Club 3rd in 63.24mins.

Droobers took the first three places on the Short Green 3km Course – Robert Brandon M70 31.34mins, Peter Carey M75 34.04mins and Mike Hampton M70 38.11mins.

Jacob Oxtoby M16 was 1st on the Green 4.1km course in 39.56mins, Richard Windsor M55 Leicestershire 2nd in 41.08mins, Ray Collins M60 WCH 3rd in 44.15mins and top woman was Florence Lunn W16 in 46.41mins.

On the Blue 6.2km course Jason Howell M50 HOC was 1st in 51mins, Graham Pigott M35 POTOC 2nd in 51.02mins and Clive Richardson M50 WRE 3rd in 53.22mins.

On the longest 7.8km Brown course Sam Leadley M20 was the fastest taking 62.28mins, Sam Giles M21 of Sarum Orienteering Club was 2nd in 63.15mins and Alex Mitchell M18 HOC 3rd in 67.51mins while Kirsten Strain W21 was top woman taking 71.20mins.

At the start of the event the club welcomed BBC Coventry and Warwickshire presenter Sally Johnson who called in to the event centre.

She was there to find ‘clue 3’ in the regular Sunday morning Gold and Treasure (Treasure Hunt) and took part in a short orienteering challenge before going on to find ‘clue 4’ elsewhere in the county.

The annual club dinner and presentation of the Ted Norrish Trophy was held at La Casa Loco in Rugby.

This year Liz Phillips was awarded the trophy in recognition of her work over the past few years undertaking many roles for the club.

Liz grew up and went to school in Rugby.

Next event

Everdon Stubbs Woods, near Daventry, on Saturday, February 23 will be the next event organised by the club.

There is no need to book just turn up anytime between 10am and 12noon.

Several different length courses, from 2km up to 6km, for runners and walkers, have been planned through the beautiful woods.

The challenge is to find specific numbered controls placed around the woods, a bit like a treasure hunt, and families of all ages, 5 – 85 are welcome.

Full instructions on how to compete, use a timer and the specially drawn large-scale map, will be given to newcomers.

See www.octavian-droobers.org for full details or call (01926) 632189.