I arrived at the competition site around 8:30 on Friday morning to be joined by Martin Barnes at about 9:30. Still being a little asleep, he’d missed the note I’d left him on the gate asking him to lock it behind him, so didn’t realise I was already there. No problem though. It gave me plenty of time to take in my morning kick of caffeine and get the first section laid out before he eventually saw the note and joined me.

We then spent the rest of the day setting out 10 sections and making sure that they could all be driven by both Martins’ 110” pick-up and my 88“ trialer.  Our objective was to have wide gates, giving plenty of choice of driving line and to try and make it the ground which would stop people. We also wanted to try and place the canes where there was an obstacle rather just as markers to show the route. This resulted in some rather long sections where you could not actually see the next set of canes to head for. Good memories, or sat nav, was going to be essential.  This wasn’t actually very easy to do, but that was our objective. The weather forecast suggested rain late afternoon on Friday and the possibility for more on Saturday afternoon. Another reason for wide gates. We did get about half an hour of light drizzle on Friday afternoon, but as those of you who came to the event on Saturday will confirm, Saturday was hot and dry. A beautiful day. This did mean that some of the more slippery sections we’d laid out had dried out a bit by the time they were run on Saturday. Not a bad thing in the end as they still caused some problems for some people.

Saturday morning arrived, together with only 13 competitors. Where were you all? You missed a good day.  As usual we were short of Marshals, with only Martin and myself to begin with. We couldn’t run the event with only 2 marshals, especially with the length of some of the sections we’d laid out. Our rescue came in the form of 2 new members, Paul and Luke. (Sorry chaps, I didn’t get your surnames.) This was the first event they’d ever been to. And they’d never really even driven their Landrover off road either! They were hurriedly signed on and given a quick run-down of what they needed to do by me, before they could change their minds.

The day started with section 1 set around the old barn. Straight away the ground and the wide gates started to catch people out. A grassy up-hill part with a side slope (yes that was rather cruel) saw off some of the leafers and nearly a few coilers too. The wide 5 gate also took it’s toll on some short wheel bases. However, some Discos’ managed to get through without a shunt. Just shows how much difference taking the right line can make.

Section 2 was a jaunt around the field, with just a grassy bank on gate 9 catching one or two people. There were lots of clears on this section. Which boosted confidences, ready for the rather tricky section 3.

Section 3 was quite a technical section with big slopes, loose rocks and a short wooded section. A bit of tree hugging went on in the woods, resulting a couple of lightly bruised motors, as well as bruised egos’. 

Section 4 again resulted in some early section victims being caught-out on the 8 gate. Those that managed the 8 gate mostly went on to score 1’s. 

Section 5 was a long section. Very long. There were a few choices of line to be considered as well, all of which seemed to work. I think there was a least 1 person that lost his way. Sorry about that. Bring a navigator to blame next time.  After section 5 we took a short break in the sunshine for lunch. We sat and admired the beautiful view over Cheltenham and watched the Buzzards soaring in the thermals below the hill. Fantastic!

Section 6 was up at the far end and went down the very steep and rocky bank, which now had a stream running down it, round in a couple of muddy, wet loops and then back up the bank. Well that was the theory anyway. Even though it was much drier than on Friday, this section very soon became very tricky. The early runners certainly had the best chance of low scores. As it was the best score was a 5, (well done Leigh) with some motors getting very stuck at the bottom of the hill. Winches were used! Good job we didn’t keep it as we first laid it out, which went even further down the bank into the woods, we’d have still been there trying to recover vehicles now.

Section 7 zigzagged up and down a muddy bank on and off the track further along in the woods. The end was so far from the start that I had to borrow a whistle so that the start Marshal (Paul) knew when to send the next motor. Sorry Ben, I forgot to give it back to you. I’ll bring it with me next time.  The 7 gate was a bit of a heart stopper for some on this section. If you slid off-line too much between the 8 and 7 gate, and thus got the line wrong going through the 7 gate, peoples back wheels were dropping into a deep rut just as they were going down a short but very steep bank. There were many “Brown Trouser” moments. Sorry chaps, it wasn’t intentionally laid out like that, honest. The drivers were not the only ones to be relived when that section was completed. The last thing you want, as a layer outer, is to set-up a section where someone gets injured or a motor gets seriously damaged. So I was relieved as well.

And so to the mud hole. Unfortunately, there was another one of those nasty little grassy side slopes between gates 9 and 8 that caught the first 2 drivers out, preventing them getting as far as the mud bath. Oh dear! It only seemed fair to consider changing the 9 gate and let them try again. Everyone seemed happy with this suggestion, so that’s what we did.  Most of the rest of the section was fairly straight forward, although gate 4 did take a couple of late victims. It was the 3, 2 and 1 through the mud hole that was the tricky bit. Mark Downes actually scored an 8 on his way round, but everyone forgot to tell him. Sorry about that Mark. So Mark was the first one to actually try and run the length of the mud hole – and the last!  The Disco dropped straight into the water and mud, which came up over the top edge of the bonnet.  Thanks to Tom for volunteering to hitch the winch cable on and to Mike Hayes for offering to try his new winch, won at the National Charity Auction, out in anger. Works well Mike.  There were no further takers for this route through the hole, the remaining drivers, if they got that far, opting for the seemingly more simple route skirting the edge, before attempting the bank. But even this route caused more than a few to slither to a halt. A special congratulations must go to Simon Griffiths, who, having had a fairly high scoring day, managed one of the very few clears on this section, to rounds of applause and much cheering.  Well done Simon.

Unfortunately, with the extra time taken getting through sections 6 and 8, the time was now 4:30, and it was decided to call it a day, pull the last 2 sections and head back to tot the scores up, present the trophies and head off home.  So that’s what we did.

Class winners for the event were:

• Tony O'Connor Short Wheelbase Coil

• Will Guilding  Short Wheelbase Leaf

• Leigh Heaven Long Wheelbase Coil/leaf

As for the “Spanner of the Month” Award, when you see the pictures of Mark Downes’s Disco in the smelly mud hole, you will understand why he chose to retain it for a second consecutive month. It was a close-run thing, because Kev Miller was leading on body damage points up until the mud hole section. Mark’s valiant gesture to retain the silver spanner was met with much cheering from all present. Incidentally, nobody has done anything stupid enough to keep the Award for 3 months yet….. No pressure Mark!!! 

A very special thank you must go to Paul and Luke, who, as new members, at their first trial, stepped in at the last minute to marshal. I think they also had a great day though. They’re not quite confidant enough to have a go themselves in their Landrover yet, but would really love to navigate for someone to get a little experience. So anyone with a spare seat at the next event, please think about Paul and Luke, without which the Cleeve Hill event would not have run. Thanks again chaps.

Nick Ives