Sunny Ballyward greets riders for charity event

Sunny Ballyward greets riders for charity event

16 January 2013

THE weather was exceptionally kind for the second round of the Dromara CC Winter Trailquest League at the scenic location of Dolly’s Brae Inn, Ballyward, Castlewellan.

The wet and windy conditions had cleared to leave a cool morning with sunny spells lifting the sprits of the large entry of 87 people in 44 teams.

The charity chosen by Dromara Cycling Club, for all the proceeds of the league, is The Northern Ireland Cancer Fund For Children, based at Shimna Valley, Newcastle and organiser Trevor Annett greatly appreciated the large turnout which will increase the value of the charity donation.

An impressive £2,700 was raised during last winter’s events and Dromara Cycling Club wish to improve on the total this year.

This venue was last used in 2009 and has been greatly missed as it provides a superb start location, with lots of bridle paths, old lanes and mountain paths, allowing the cyclists the opportunity of plenty of off road cycling.

The course included 27 orienteering markers and clues in an area stretching between Castlewellan, Leitrim and Moneyslane.

The trailquest is designed so that a team will be unable to reach all the points within the time limit of 3 hours 30 minutes for adult teams or two hours for those teams with a youth under sixteen on their team. Five teams elected to try out the shorter two-hour course.

Thirty-eight teams chose to pre-enter on the Dromara Cycling Club website, therefore guaranteeing at starting time just after 10.30am, although five teams were unable to come on the morning, but a further nine teams signed on at the start.

Each of the 29 teams taking part was supplied with a laminated map of the area, along with a blank question/answer sheet and pen. It is best for a team at the start of a trailquest event to take a few minutes to look over the map and select the best route to locate as many checkpoints as possible within the time limit.

The relatively flat Aghalee area helped many of the teams to reach more of the points. Further away locations had a greater points value, than would normally be the case in an area of hillier terrain.

Chaos took over as the first team, ‘French Tony’ from Newtownards, went away at 10.30. Muttz Nuttz, from Banbridge, went off second and third away was the father-and-son team of Paddy and Frazer Harrower, from Dromara, who were first back just before 1pm along with Kathy and expecting baby of team ‘Bump’, both doing the two-hour event. Team Goodfellas, with Davey Robb of Dromara leading the charge, were back just before 2pm.

Suddenly, the car park of the start location was full of bikes, the sound of squealing tyres and answer sheets thrust at the organiser, with all demanding to get the finish time recorded — points are deducted if a team is over their time limit.

The total amount of points available was over 500, but only five teams, Bert & Fred, Team Purple, Sore losers, second last year, Star fangled Nuts and Average Joe were able to pass the 400 mark.

A great day was had by all, a couple of small mistakes on the map, a stolen checkpoint and an unhappy landowner, were all quickly forgotten as everyone was provided with soup and refreshments kindly supplied by The Gawley’s Gate Inn.

Dromara Cycling Club would like to thank all those who took part, the staff and owners of The Gawley’s Gate Inn and all those who kindly gave permission for the event to take place. Round three will take place this Sunday at Saul, Downpatrick.