Tanfield 1st March 2009 Ride Report

Tanfield did not run last year, so back on the programme it went with my name on it. Not only was it the first ride of our season it was my first time as organiser.
A huge big thank you to everyone who helped me. Firstly to Nick Brown for his help and support with the paperwork, Sue Gamble who answered my numerous questions, helped mark the course and manned a checkpoint on the day. (Riders take note - you do not know how hard these people work for you). Thank you to Ed and Laura Jane Macholc who manned CP1. Thank you to Alison Wanless who was also on CP2.
A big, big thank you to Stuart my other half for his role as timekeeper. He is not in the slightest a horsey person and I appreciate him giving up his day. Thank you also to all who turned up on the day, 4 no shows out of 70 was fantastic.

I am quite an organised person but because I had not ran a ride before I checked the route several times, checked the route again and just in case I had missed something checked it yet again. I could have told you if a blade of grass had moved and by now I realised that I was quite neurotic. I found myself gibbering away about rosettes, maps and lists and had taken to watching the weather intently. The heavy snow two weeks prior to the ride was nice. It looked so pretty but I still wanted rid of the stuff. Thank you to Sue for putting up with me the day we marked the route. I eventually got the hang of the chalk spray and it came off me a lot easier that it did my boots.

On the day I had all of my paperwork ready. The bibs were sorted into 10,s and placed in separate bags. I had tea, coffee, sandwiches and biscuits and found myself waiting patiently at the venue at 8.00am. The place was absolutely deserted. The ride was not due to start until 9.30am. It was around about then that I decided that I may have overdone things a little. One look at his lordships face confirmed this. The first trailer pulled in at 8.20pm. See, I was right. Horsey people are on a different time clock. Within minutes there was a steady stream of vehicles and the whole thing kicked into place. The weather was good on the day. Thankfully the large pool of water had just about dried up. I am not kidding, at one point, the water was up to my knees, (and I have long legs), and I was still not in the middle of the pool. In future years it may along with the steam train become a feature of the ride. A lot of people said that it was nice to have the ride back on, they had enjoyed the ride, it was a good route, easy to ride, and a good distance for the start of the season. From an organisers’ point of view, (sorry I sound like a pro.) this is good to hear. Again thank you to everyone.

Karen Fairbairn.

TANFIELD RIDE RESULTS

Karen Shotton              Patchwork Polly

Hannah Shotton            Razaaq

Sylvia Briggs                 Whitbridge Crystal Callista

Andrea Hindson           Gypsy Gold

Julie Rana                     Forest Inshalla

Karen Hynes                Sam 1

Jacquie Brash               Sandfire Prince

Kelly Murray                Latofa Mandall

Diane Holmes               Winston II

Janet Lennard               Kavanagh

Michelle Stanley           Captain

Claire Stanley               Chance

Karen David                 Al Zahi Khazan

Judith Levette               Tasheena

Mandy Ball                   Lambwath Super Mario

Jane Davison                Bertie

Liz Campbell                Indian Ra

Vikkie Wilkinson         Blackfoot Pocatello

Ian Savage                   Jaffa

Amanda Savage           Rupert

Dulcie Robinson           Weylands Lutra

Deborah Wardle           Just Jack

Helen Boston                Burfield Court Appearance

Rachel Pugh                 Shadowfax

Pauline Pugh                 Autumn Ruby

Sandra Nevin               Hilton Gambler

Gillian Stubbings           ?

Bridget Brown              Murphy Himself

Nikki Brown                Bleachgreen Koh l Noor

Victoria Uca                 Hermits Wandering Ghost

Karen Millican  ..........Zigaura

Wendy Cullen              Boo

Angela Shutt                 Guisburn Szaleem

Anne Turnbull               Fantasy’s Tarot

Rachel Mullen               Indi

Belinda Oaks                Mac

Sarah Rowe                 Kite

Edward Myers             Dark Secret

Emma Widdowson       Indian Summer

Susan McNeil               Morph

Pat Emanuel                 Shadow

Greer Hancock ...........Sultan

Emma Nelson               Princess Camara

Tina Smith                    Silva Xarina

Lynn Lee                      Jay

Annalisa Newton          Sparky

Susan Spargo               Rivington Fergus

Sharon Ward                Cruise

Marc Condra               Toby

Irene Lister                   Zara

Barbara Arkle              Josh

Hayley Finch                Tommy

Joanne Powell              Crackerjack                                  Out of time

Krissi Broadbent          Zorro                                            Out of time

Steven Clough              Clover                                         Out of time

Alison Blackwood        Chelsea                                       Out of time

Stephanie Woods         Jack                                             Out of time

Kay Phillips                  Patrick                                        Out of time

Julia Blakey                  Fanta                                          Out of time

Liz Smiles                     Taggart                                     Out of time

Kris Coates                  Saxon                                          Out of time

Pat Hewitt                    Flying Comet                              Out of time

Tania Young                 Major                                         Out of time

Julie Johnson                Nitro Nancy                               Out of time

Taylor-Jayne Johnson   Saucy Sassie                            Out of time

Chloe Angus                 Emperors Monarch                   Out of time

durham.teesside@ukonline.co.uk