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"The Builth Wells 2008 Hare and Hounds Series" Round 3 - Bwlchciliau Hare & Hounds Entry forms are now available for the 3rd and final round of "The Builth Wells 2008 Hare and Hounds Series" at Bwlchciliau Forest, Llanafan, near Builth Wells on the 2nd of November. An annual fixture for Builth Wells Motor Club since its re-introduction in 2004, the Bwchciliau Hare & Hounds is a more traditional style event. The course is all based in the forestry and the course length is approximately 8 miles. It incorporates fast flowing forest tracks, steep descents, stream crossings, tight technical sections and interesting climbs- giving it all the ingredients for an enjoyable event. This year's course is very similar to last years with a few new bits included to make it that little bit more interesting and keep riders on their toes! The feedback from last year was very positive and riders said the course rode very well and was just about right as far as toughness goes! So far this year, Builth Wells Motor Club has run 2 very successful Hare and Hounds, namely Round 1 of the series "The Adrian Nixon Memorial Hare and Hounds" in April and Round 2 "The Church Farm Hare and Hounds" in June. Round 1 was spoiled somewhat by the weather. The low fog never lifted all day and wet weather leading up to the event made the course much tougher than anticipated. Never the less the day was enjoyed by most of the riders. Round two at Church Farm was a great success, this was a brand new venue for the club although it had been used previously by the Welsh 2 day Enduro as a special test. The weather leading up to and on the day of the event was superb with glorious sunshine. There were over 110 riders signed on with another 30 or so being turned away! The course followed a lot of the old Welsh 2 day special test and seemed very enjoyable to ride and everyone was full of praise for the event. It might have been a different story if it had rained though! So Round 3 at Bwlchiliau looks to be every bit as good as the first two rounds. Members of the Club will start work on the course very soon, clearing brash and opening up some of last years old routes. Entries are starting to come in well, so can all riders who are thinking of riding get your entries in as soon as possible. The closing date is the 31st October, but if it is anything like Church Farm we had to turn riders away. So get that entry and cheque in the post now to avoid disappointment. Just to remind you all, as like last year, Builth Wells Motor Club have put up a £1500 prize fund on completion of the three rounds. It will be split between the top 6 in each class overall (Expert, Clubman, Veteran, Sportsman classes apply). By putting down the prize money we have not only increased the number of riders entering our events, but also improved the quality and profile of them as well. All you riders who are in the running for the championship in your respective classes, make sure you get your entry in. You will not only be in with a chance of winning something, but more importantly, will be in for a very enjoyable days riding! Regs
Glorious sunshine greeted the riders for Round 2 of "The Builth Wells Hare and Hounds series 2008" at Church Farm, Crossgates, just outside Llandrindod Wells. A superb track just over 3 miles had been set out by the club. The track had everything, and even though there had not been any rain in this part of Mid Wales for over a week, the course was still very wet in places and would prove a challenge to even the expert riders. At 11am the experts set off, followed by the Clubman, Veteran, Sportman and Sidecar classes. Some good riders turned out including Round 1 winner Tim Foreman from Llanidloes, fellow Llanidloes rider Dylan Jones, PAR Honda duo Lee Edmondson and Ashley Wood. Builth Wells Club Chairman Gethin Price was also riding on his Genus Honda 450, along with fellow club members Tom Knill and Jonathan Williams. The course followed some of the old "Welsh 2 Day" special test and some new loops and rides had been added by the club. The course was very interesting in some places and proved to be very technical, but even though there were problems with riders getting stuck etc… there were always keen marshals willing to lend a hand. Everything seemed to run very smoothly and the track seemed to hold up well. Some of the experts were really flying around and doing laps in around 7 and a half minutes. After 3 hours of fast and furious racing it was Dylan Jones of Llanidloes on his Yamaha YZ125 who took the win completing 24 laps of the track. In second place was Andrew Edwards from Wrexham, third place went to Mark Roberts and fourth place to Club Chairman Gethin Price, all of these riders completed 23 laps respectively. Local rider Sean Buchan of Llanbister won the big clubman class aboard his KTM. Sean was the only rider in the class to complete 21 laps. In second, was Anthony Griffiths and Ryan Golding came third. The Veteran class was won by Paul Sagar on his KTM 125; Neil Williams from Brecon was second aboard his Gas Gas, his smooth riding style really suited the technical track. Third place in the veterans went to Chris Roberts and fourth went to Simon Evans from Wrexham. Simon was initially excluded, but was later reinstated. This was due to a misunderstanding for which we apologised to Simon. It was Swansea rider Ryan Leary who won the Sportman class with 18 laps to his credit. Aled Price from Rhayader finished in second position, he also finished runner up in the first round so is going well in the overall series. In third place was Danny Morris. All three of these riders completed 18 laps. To spice things up the club had decided to include sidecars in the event as well. Club members Matt Taylor and Nick Morgan were looking good early on aboard their KTM VMC 525 until they lost their back brake. They eventually finished in third place. The winners in the sidecar class were championship crew David Williams and Graham Mcphee. They had a brilliant tussle with Steve Price and Aled Jones as the race progressed. In fact Steve and Aled led for a large amount of the race but it was Williams and Mcphee who went on for the win, just three seconds ahead of Price and Jones. Overall the event was a great success. Club members had put a huge amount of work into getting the event ready and we were very lucky with the weather as well! The course was great to ride and we had some very positive feedback. Thank you to all the marshals, helpers, St Johns and also landowners Jim and Gareth Griffiths. Hope to see you all at Round 3-Bwlchciliau H&H on the 2nd November. Apologies to any riders who have had their positions modified, the results we released on Sunday were only provisional. Having compared the electronic results with the punch cards and manual backup we identified some corrections had to be made. Thanks once again for your support!
Tim Foreman wins Adrian Nixon Memorial Hare and Hounds Report by Wayne James A very damp and foggy morning greeted the riders as they turned up for the Adrian Nixon Memorial Hare and Hounds. It was good to see a great turnout of over 100 riders lining up for the start, although the low mist was causing quite a concern for the organisers. The decision was made by the clerk of the course Gethin Price, to have a sighting lap on the open part of the hill for the Experts and Clubman riders. This decision proved to be a good one as the low fog was causing poor visibility, by allowing these riders to ride behind club marshals it would make it easier for others to follow when the race commenced. The course itself was some 7 miles in length, 4.5 miles of open-hill and 2.5 of woodland. The club members had worked hard for several months preparing the event and creating new rides. On the day it was good to see a large turnout of club members helping to manage the event. Some changes were made to the course early on the morning of the event due to poor visibility and severe weather conditions. Although the weather was out of our hands, it did not dampen the spirits of marshals or competitors alike. By the time the Expert and Clubman riders lined up at the start line it was 11:20am. Disaster nearly struck championship rider Tim Foreman when his bike fouled a plug 500 yards from the start, fortunately enough he was able to get the bike back prior to the other riders return from the sighting lap. The club had invited Adrian's parents, Mr and Mrs Jeff Nixon to start the event. As Jeff dropped the flag, the Experts got away at 11:25am, followed by the Clubman, veteran and Sportsman riders at 1 minute intervals. As the first riders came into view halfway along the lap, it was championship rider Tim Foreman on his Kawasaki KX250 leading the field. The riders then descended into the forestry which proved to be more technical and tricky than the hill section of the course. Some excellent Experts had turned out for the event including Chris Tett, Gareth Hopkins, Mark Vaughan, Michael Rees, and last years' series winner David Brick from Knighton. The course proved to be holding up quite well, although visibility was an issue all day due to the persistent low fog that never lifted. Although the course proved to be quite tricky in places, most riders seemed to keep churning up the laps. After 3 hours of racing it was Tim Foreman from Llanidloes who took the win 25 seconds ahead of Chris Tett from Kinswingford. Gareth Hopkins rounded out the top 3 in the Expert class, all 3 of these riders completed 8 laps of the course. In the big Clubman class it was Anthony Griffiths of Llandissilio who took the win from Wayne Golding from Blackwood, with local rider George Wozencraft gaining a deserving third place, all 3 Clubman riders completed 7 laps of the course. Winner of the highly competitive Veteran class was 2007 series Winner Neil Williams of Brecon who recorded 7 laps to his credit. In second place was Raymond Whittle of Shrewsbury, with Dennis Harrison of Daventry in third place. Top local in the Veteran section was Club Secretary, Nick Morgan of Builth Wells who came in at 8th place. Another club member, Martin Paolsila Jones of Llanddewi came in at ninth place. The biggest class of the day was the Sportsman class with over 35 riders. Local man and club member Simon Prince of Llandrindod Wells, took the victory with 6 laps to his credit. Simon has a brand new 2008 KTM200 awaiting him after this event, so watch out you Clubman riders! Second place in the Sportsman class went to Brian Leary of Swansea, with another local rider Chris Davies of Crossgates in third place. All in all, the day was a great success although the weather was set to try us! Unfortunately, there were quite a few retirements due to the sticky weather conditions, we hope this has not put you off and we would like to see you at our second round at Church Farm, Crossgates on the 15th June. Well done to all the riders that finished the event, it was by no means easy but we hope you all enjoyed it. Thanks to landowners, Mrs S Fischer and Mr and Mrs. G Price for allowing the event to go ahead. Also, a big thank you to St Johns Ambulance Service, Marie's catering service, all the marshals and helpers, and by no means least, all you riders - see you on the 15th June! Builth Wells Motor Club 2008. After a very triumphant Hare and Hounds series in 2007, Builth Wells MC are hoping for a repeat performance for this year's 3-round Hare and Hounds series. Using 2 of last year's venues, namely Coed Llyn Y Waun at Hundred House and The Bwlchciliau Forest near Llanafan, plus a venue yet to be confirmed, the club looks set to build upon the successes of 2007. 2007 was a great year for the club, putting up a prize fund of £1500 for the Hare and Hounds series proved to be an excellent move resulting in over 100 riders, including some top names attending our events. This year, the club are building upon the success of last year's events and are continuing with the offer of a £1500 prize fund to attract a good number of entries. The first event of the series is at Coed llyn Y Waun, Hundred House, Llandrindod Wells on Sunday 20th April. The Club is running the event as the "Adrian Nixon Memorial Hare and Hounds" in memory of Adrian, who tragically lost his life in 1997. This event will be an annual fixture on the club's calendar, and we hope to run the event as an Enduro in 2009 - as there is a chance of a superb start location just outside Hundred House village and a generous offer of new ground to run the event on…watch this space! The first round of the H & H series looks set to be a good one, the club is continuing to use the popular Coed llyn Y Waun venue that has been used for the past 3 years. This track has always been popular with competitors, mainly due to the varied terrain it offers riders, from Woodland to open hill, bogs to brooks this course has it all. Since last years event a lot of the wood has been fell, however all Club members have worked hard together to create some new rides. Fortunately the owner of the wood, Gary Price, is exceptionally supportive of Builth Wells MC and is keen to conserve the track and work around it. This has created great scope for the club and enabled them to have an input in the design of the course. The initial plan is to create a 7-mile loop, consisting of varied terrain that will be great to ride. This course really does have all the ingredients to create a high quality event that will be popular with riders. Entries always fill up quickly for this event, so please get your entry in early to avoid disappointment. The venue for the second round of the series is yet to be confirmed but will run in May or June. We will keep you posted and watch out for the reg's which will be released soon. The third and final round will be run on November 2nd at The Bwlchciliau Forest near Llanafan, Builth Wells. This event is all in the forest and is the more traditional "Welsh Enduro" type going. The event incorporates a lot of forestry tracks as well as some more technical going. Regs for this event will be released nearer the time. All of the events are designed to cater for all classes and are set out with every ability of rider in mind. Any more details on the series or events Builth Wells MC put on can be found out by contacting Club secretary Nick Morgan on 07968331152
Builth Wells Motor Club Ltd Hare and Hound Series 2007 We have some very worthy winners at the end of the series. Congratulations to them all and our thanks to all riders for making the series such a success. We hope that everyone enjoyed the events as much as we did. For those who didn't enter this year's events - we think you missed the opportunity of riding in three of the best events in the country (probably). So get your entries in early for next year (which would make a change) as refusal often disappoints! The top places in each class went to riders who competed in all three events which goes to prove -'You have to be in it to win it', so well done to them. Once again thank you to all involved. While I am in a thanking mood………………. Thank you very much to all landowners; marshals; caterers and St John's Ambulance, without whom the events could not take place. If I have missed anyone - sorry - but you know who you are. Last but by no means least - our sponsors. We are very grateful for your support. (We'll be around to see you soon about 2008). Prizes will be presented at our annual club dinner which will be held on the 26th January 2008 at the Lion Hotel, Builth Wells. I hope to see you there. Invites will be sent out nearer the time. Anyone unable to attend will need to make alternative arrangements for receiving their award by contacting me on 01982 552925. I will probably make it as difficult as possible for you not to attend a wonderful night with fantastic food, good company, loads to drink and dozens of loose women (if we can afford to hire them). If anyone has any feedback on the events i.e. complaints, criticism, general winge……… please contact me by telephone or personal letter. All feedback will be given due consideration, probably ignored and binned. Any feedback in the form of congratulations, praise, thanks ………… please contact via International or National press, websites, television etc and buy us a beer at the dinner. The club welcomes new members so if anyone is interested in joining a young (well some of us), enthusiastic bunch (especially if you are good at putting up markers, clearing routes, picking up litter) please come along. We meet at the Lion Hotel, Builth Wells on the first Tuesday of every month - 7.30 / 8p.m. (ish). Once again well done to all concerned!! Yours in sport Eric Williams, Builth Wells Motor Club Related items
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Builth Wells Motor Club- Round 2 Church
Farm Hare & Hounds 15th June 2008
Report by Wayne James
Builth
Wells Motor Club - Round 1 2008 Hare and Hounds Series