For the next instalment of my race reviews, I decided to combine November and December because I ended up only going to one event in December.
The first event of November was the Mad Dog Jog, Forest of Dean, 2nd November – A very friendly and welcoming event run by members of the Forest of Dean canicross group. This was a canicross race with a difference, as the course was a challenging, twisty, turning route through part of the Forest of Dean with many ditches, tree roots and hills to keep us occupied. I had decided to run this with just one dog, as I had prior warning of the nature of the course! We had a great run and I laughed my way round the course and across the finish line, where I was handed my finishers medal but none other then Eddie ‘The Eagle’ Edwards. We also enjoyed the special goody bags which contained a vast array of goodies for both me and Judo to enjoy.
The following weekend we made our way up to the Canicross Midlands / Adams Agility Race Series 1, Eland Lodge Derbyshire, 8th & 9th November – this was another brand new venue for a race series which promises to provide a challenge for many competitors throughout the 4 race weekends being held here. The course includes 3 water crossings, two man-made horse jumps (the route winds it’s way around a large equestrian cross country course) and one natural river crossing. Although, the race is set in just a few fields, it provided a mix of hills, straights, grass and mud that made it tough enough for even seasoned racers whilst managing to be suitable for the novice entrants who have their own classes in this series. I competed in both the bikejor and two dog canicross classes, with Donnie running so well in the bikejor, we even managed to come away with a second place trophy.
We were back up the country again for the Box End Collie Wobbler in Bedfordshire on the 15th November – Held at the Box End Park, this was the second race we had been to at the venue and yet again we thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere. The course, which flows around the central lakes and then off up into an area of small hills and single track, all on grassy trails, was just as fun the second time round. We participated in both the bikejor and canicross classes, getting some unusual prizes for taking part, which included a bottle of wine, some electrolyte tablets and a technical t-shirt.
The next day we were racing just up the road at the Stowe Park Pace Setter on the 16th November – This was a new venue for a canicross event and the timings dictated by the National Trust meant that only one class entry was possible per competitor, so we chose bikejor. The course was all on hard packed paths and incorporated one of the estate roads too, so although it was an easy trail, the terrain wasn’t ideal for a dog sport race. We had a good run and enjoyed seeing the different parts of the park (Donnie even got to take a mid-race drink from an ornamental fountain!). In spite of the fog it was easy to appreciate the beauty of the setting. Prizes were given over a wide range of classes but only for first place, so I’m not even sure where we finished but it seems that all who took part agreed that Stowe Park was a unique and charming venue.
Our final event for November was another local one for us, the Deans Doubles, Wyedean Mushing Event, Forest of Dean, 22nd & 23rd November – This was a team competition where the results were based on the combination of times from two team members from two runs (one each day). On the Saturday we completed a short course of approximately 1.6 miles and a longer course of 4 miles on the Sunday. We really enjoy the events based in the Forest of Dean run by the Wyedean Mushing team and this was no exception. The weather wasn’t kind too us with loads of rain and as a result, loads of mud, but it did nothing to dampen our spirits. This was also the first chance I had to record a video on my new Garmin Virb Elite sports camera, the footage can be found here:
After two really good runs for both myself and my team mate, we came home with a second place, only beaten by the team who had the fastest time over the whole weekend, so a great achievement!
On to our only December event the Wyedean East Mushing / UCSC Event, Thetford Forest, 27th & 28th December – We made our way across the country to this one on Boxing Day and set up for the weekend in the beautiful Thetford Forest. All three dogs were entered in their own classes, two in the bikejor and one in the canicross, so we were all kept busy at this event. The course consisted of long, wide, grassy trails with only the merest hint of a hill, which suited us just fine! We had good runs both days, in spite of the non-stop rain on the Saturday, but nothing quick enough to get any of us into one of the top spots as both the bikejor and canicross were male and female combined.
To sum up, we had a manically busy November and needed a bit of a rest to recover in December but the events we attended just seem to get bigger and better, with more entries and even more open classes now. I think 2015 is going to be the best year for racing in the UK yet, with so many new clubs organising races and the established clubs gaining entries from the rapidly growing disciplines of canicross and bikejor.