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Otterburn 2 Day Enduro 12/13 July 2003

North East Enduro Club

Fantastic weather only topped by a great course. 3 laps of 18 miles on Saturday and 3 laps of 36 miles on the Sunday. 9 Hours of racing - awesome. Has to be one of the best events of the year. Well done to Steve Potts and the hard work everyone put in to this event.

With temperatures up to 32oC and clear blue skies the Saturday run was just a wee warm up.  This "wee warm up" was harder than  some events I've done !!. Great course over the moors - with a few wee bogs thrown in. Keep moving and avoid the deep water filled bomb holes. This is one course where you obey the marshalls and don't stray. The only problem of the day was the mossy bogs where it was essential to keep moving - get off and push if need be. Going wide was getting pretty far away by the last lap and I am sure one lad spoke Welsh over there!. Only one test on day one - a real tricky off camber ( and I mean OFF !) stream section with root covered hills approached at an angle. Great test if you got it right - otherwise - push up the hill and keep going. Several riders had problems here and ended up at the bottom of the hill (And this is the easy day ). Then a quick blast to the finish.

Riders finished the day and kept their machines - no PARC FERME here. So all the bikes were clean and bright the next day ...... Just like the riders. Again another superb clear blue sky greeted the competitors as they lined up for the 9:30 start. 6 hours to go.

The course followed the route of 2002 with some changes. No real bogs this year - but one tricky section was cut out by lap 3. Mostly fast moorland going with some soft ground to keep you on your toes.

2 tests per lap on day two - more conventinal than day one. Starting with a fast blast through the trees and some tricky downhills - followed by a full throttle dash across the moors and up a great hill. Really enjoyable - about 12 minutes long of adrenaline. Then a restful tour over the moors again before the final test. A very tight , dim twist through the trees. Good times as long as you stayed on - by lap three it was getting very tiring and a lot of mistakes were made here.

Then just when you thought it was all over and a quick run down to the finish - the Sting in the Tail - a wee snap up into a forest "path" over brash - back into last years test and then the road back to the pits.

Scots riders had some problems on the day.  James Anthony breaking his ankle and ending up in plaster - up to his ar*e he tells me. Dave Donald had a collison with one of the bomb holes and his bars did the damage - with Dave limping for the rest of the event. Richard McVicker retired with a sick engine (or was it his just his tools rattling in his bum bag ..... ). Jose Vega Lozano spent all day keeping his 1 minute ahead of the webmaster - only to be caught at the final check as he pushed his bike home - 200 yds in that heat - and that man won the Otterburn Coconut Award ( Don't believe me - ask him). Andy Macdonald nearly won the award for entering his first enduro on an XR600 - and finishing - well done.

Results

Experts  - Stevie Roper just beating Paul Watson with some very fast times.

Clubman   Chris Buchan beating Richard Neaves.

Sportsman - Gavin Houson

And Scots were all over the class awards.

Best over 40 Kenny Donaldson

Best over 50 Stan Peterson

Best Over 60 Sportsman George McGowan

Best over 70 Sportsman - Ian Bell - who just keeps on getting better.

Overall a great event and definately one for the calendar for next year. This time with a padded seat.

Thanks to the NEEC for all your efforts.

Photos by Hamish and Rachel Patrick - Many thanks - click to enlarge

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