Deerness Valley Ride Report

This was a new venue and a different name for the ride.  A local farmer was able to let us use a road that was used a few years ago for Open Cast mining.  It was a perfect venue, hard standing although I know some riders will have had to walk a little farther for their bibs etc.  But it is sheltered and has some very spectacular views.
Ian Savage had taken over this ride from Jane and Michael Evans, but as this is right on my doorstep, it is on the farmland where I live, I said I would help.  Ian had not organised a ride before although he had helped at a few.
On the morning of the ride I turned up at the venue, met by the farmer who had to open a large boom gate to allow us in.  We had plenty of time to get set up, but were getting a little worried as it was nearly twenty to ten before people started to arrive.  I was having visions that they had all gone to the old venue but thankfully they all started to come in.
Everyone had to drive right down to the venue and use a large turn round point and drive back up and park.  I only wish people would listen to the stewards and not just park where they want.  But that’s par for the course.
On the Saturday Ian and I set out to mark the course.  The Broompark area is easy to park, just need to keep nipping out the car with the can of spray.  More leg work needed on the 20 km loop.  This year all the riders would be able to ride past the windmills or so I thought.  We neared the end of marking when I got a phone call to say that there was a ‘mad bull’ in the fields (where the windmills are) with a couple of hundred herd of cows and their calf’s.  The farmer said he would move them (he had forgot we were coming), but I said we would change route. So a slight re-route was warranted straight over the moors. But this turned out very well as it meant you could canter right along the top of the moor.  Although I was told by the checkpoint that it was blowing a gale on the day. Also, I had put flags down the moors only for a member of the public to be following me round and taking the flags out and rubbing out chalk.  Went back later, and put some more out.  But thankfully on the day all the riders managed to follow the route.
But as usual on this ride we do have marker movers and people did get slightly lost in a couple of places.  But there are still riders (mainly non members) who think they just follow hoof prints and horse pooh.  That would make organisers lives a lot easier. I will take my horse out to mark the route and tell her to pooh on command – wouldn’t that be heaven.  Save on chalk spray and tape.  But someone had come out and covered our white chalk with dark blue spray paint, pointing arrows in the opposite direction.  Luckily members know to follow white chalk spray or day glow tape (if not removed and put somewhere else).  But that goes with the territory.

* Mystery solved re. blue chalk spray!! friendly Farmer re-routed ride around farm due to riders having a problem at the little wicket gates.

But on the whole this loop rode very well and the feedback was very positive. We did get a very nasty shower of rain before everyone arrived, but it cleared out and was actually quite warm for the rest of the ride.  We had three riders cancel earlier in week and only one who did not turn up on the day.
But I did have a laugh anyway.  You know how difficult how it is to get helpers.  Well a few friends volunteered to help.  Gave very clear (or so I thought) directions.  I sent two to Broompark  Picnic area – thinking it was easy to find – wrong!  They phoned me at 12:30 to say that no riders had passed yet. I wasn’t too worried and told them to hang fire and call me at 1:00.  They did and said they still had had no one come through, but were enjoying their picnic.  So getting a little concerned I asked them if they could tell me where they thought they were.  They were actually sitting at the side of a road (Bear Park) where the railway walk went that ran parallel with Broompark but in a different direction.  But thankfully all riders had gone through Broompark without any problems – phew! Maybe map reading courses for helpers!
There is a possibility, not a definite, that I might take this ride in another direction instead of going to Broompark, more towards the Crook area for next year for the longer ride – so watch this space.
A big thank you from Ian and myself, and we have had some lovely feedback.  Also a big thank you to all helpers:  Alison, Bernie (also Bernie thank you for helping Liz Worthy as someone had run over her ramp), Ruth and Friend, Liz and Carol (even though they were in the wrong place), Karen, Ian and ‘Weezle’ (the ginormous Yorkshire terrier - who I think wanted to home with Karen) and Sue and Jim Frusher. 

Thank you all.

Sue and Ian

Results of the Deerness Valley Ride 2009

Name Of Rider	Name Of Horse	Distance
Liz  Worthy	Llanfyllin   Roseanne	35kms
Sharon  Cass	Dalewin Beauty	35kms
Michelle  Stanley	Captain	35kms
Claire   Stanley	Chance	35kms
David  Broadbent	Amir Shamalee	35kms
Jennifer  Pennock	Heidi	35kms
Laura  Dickens	Jimmy Macaroni	35kms
Liz  Campbell	Indian   Ra	35kms
Susan  Spargo	Rivington Fergus	35kms
Sharon  Ward	Cruise	35kms
Carolyn  Cummings	Peterbrook  Sunset  Surprise	35kms
Amanda  Savage	Rupert	35kms
Joanna  Davies	Murphy	20kms
Jane  Evans	Wourette	20kms
Claire  Kinney	Foxton Velvet	20kms
Jane  Meacham	Skute	20kms
Trisha  Monkman	Hajar  Kareem	20kms
Karen  Fairbairn	Painted  Lady	20kms
Michael  Evans	Simeric  Sharukh	20kms
Ann  Goldsbrough	Misty	20kms
Isobel  Green	Andrew	20kms
Gill  Vinten	Fay	20kms
Julie  Rana	Poppy	20kms
Bridget Brown	Paddy  Wak	20kms
Nikki  Brown	Chico	20kms
Savannah   Holmes	Rhiannyth	20kms
Leslie  Wilson	Ben	20kms
Linda  Wilson	Tremayne	20kms
Caroline  Hayles	Islay	20kms
Rachel Mcdonald	Gwrtheyrn  Ozzy	20kms
Charlotte Wilkinson	Sydney	20kms
Barbara Austin	Bonnie Lass	20kms
Karen   David	Ibn Karima	20kms
Lisa  Johnson	Phissarni	20kms
Angela  Shutt	Guisburn  Szaleem	20kms
Harry Shutt	Francesca	20kms
Les Spark	Majics Minstrel	20kms
Agneta  Pallinder	Lady Ellany	20kms
Kim Walker	Marni	20kms
Hayley  Watson	Bobby	20kms
Helen  Boston	Burfield Court Appearance	20kms
Claire Charlton	Tina	20kms
Sarah  Jane  Pickersgill	Cj Shalamazar	20kms
Gillian Hardwick	Bobby	20kms
Barbara   Arkle	Josh	20kms
Irene  Lister	Zara	20kms
Liz  Smiles	Taggart	20kms
Kris  Coates	Saxon	20kms
Sue  Russell	Jess	20kms
Sarah  Thompson	Flint	20kms
David Lyon	Bumps	20kms
Pauline Pugh	Autumn Ruby	20kms
Joanne Johnson	Not Known	20kms
Lorraine Tremlett	Not Known	20kms
Danielle Quinn	Not Known	20kms
Elaine Innis	Not Known	20kms
Phillipa Quinn	Not Known	20kms

 

durham.teesside@ukonline.co.uk