2 Years ago at a committee meeting at The Wheatsheaf pub in Ingleton, I put my name forward to plan the 2020 British MBO Score Championships at Tebay. With the plans in motion I set about picking a suitable area only to be told by John Houlihan that sending people over a single bridleway above Cautley Spout in the Howgills might not make for the most interesting event! So I moved the area a bit further north with reassurance from some senior MBOers that the riding would be excellent. They weren’t wrong and with a 12 month hold up due to covid and limit time to recce the area due to lockdowns, weather and work planning has been tricky to say the least. Feeling nervous with a few weeks to go and few entries and seemingly a clash with the XC Nationals, I wasn’t too sure if the event would go ahead. Ten days to go and the entries picked up, the long range weather forecast was great and folk were getting excited, with emails and queries rolling in. My nerves were a bit more settled by now!
50 riders were keen to start at 9.30am outside the Cross Keys Inn at Tebay, where thankfully the cloud had come in somewhat and the temperatures had lowered, following a scorching week, which would have made for difficult riding conditions on the exposed plateau of Great Asby Scar and beyond.
First place was taken by Tom Gibbs with a score of 521 from 530, clearing up but going overtime by 6 minutes and 5 seconds. Following Tom in second and third place respectively were John Houlihan (490) and Ifor Powell (480). In the women’s competition Rachel Drew scored 400 points closely followed by Charlotte Somers Cocks with 380 with Val Ravenhill in third with 320.
In the generation category it was the boys versus the girls with Moira and Aimee Newiss beating Ruairidh and Andy Newiss by 50 points!
Thank you to everyone who took part this weekend and I sincerely hope everyone had a great time. Thanks to our hosts Tom and Dulce Brodie of The Cross Keys Inn, Tebay and our sponsors Wheelbase for the loan of the gazebo to keep the sun off, Tony and Angela Brand-Barker for all there help and guidance on mapping and setting the controls. Special thanks to Gemma and Eleanor Martin for putting up with my constant disappearing acts and complaining about impassable bridleways, control boxes and nettles.