In search of Dorothy (and a bit of common courtesy)

Southampton Club National
Sunday 22nd July

And so to the final Club National of 2007, held in sunshine at a picturesque if somewhat isolated part of suburban Southampton. Indeed after parking the car and loading our gear onto a shoulder saving van we were directed down a tree lined gravel path. This in turn eventually led to a rather meandering brick road and at this point I half expected to shortly be bumping into the Tin Man, Dorothy and Toto.

With a really short slope, almost certainly the shortest of the season, and a sharp incline the course was never going to be straight. Indeed after the course setter settled for its third incarnation, it was almost as twisting and mazy as the route down from the car park. Kind out of the start, swing a right, after the hairpin take the first left go straight on for a bit, over the rainbow and fork right. Even TomTom would have required a full course inspection for this one.

In the minis, Jordan failed to adapt his style to the course and struggled to a somewhat pained 2nd place. Indeed, despite the Bloxwich High Street feel provided by the continued firing of the starter’s gun at the neighbouring Athletics track Jordan never really settled all day and skied his three runs like his boots were chock-a-block with lead. Nathan conversely proved that the course could be negotiated smoothly and added another impressive finish to his tally with 4th place. With this race providing probably the season’s biggest field of minis this was a real achievement.

Representation in the female category was unusually sparse for Telford with only the Gould girls in action and with Charlotte producing an unfortunate brace of morning DNF’s it was left to sister George (sounds like a nun) to fly the Telford flag with a super trio of runs placing her a creditable 8th in Chi 2.

In the boys, Ben Cooper promised much with a really encouraging first run that had him placed inside the overall top 20. However a 2nd run dnf and 3rd run first gate straddle left everyone frustrated at one that really got away. Ashley again did what Ashley does and after a feet finding first run he blasted a magnificent second that saw him in 6th place overall at lunch. Sadly he couldn’t quite hold onto this position in the afternoon run and despite another cracking run that saw him comfortably win his category he came home slightly disappointed in 12th position.

Jobsworth of the day has to go to the fellow who shuffled racers into the start gate “number 27…number 26...number 25” might have been an efficient way to greet racers as they prepared themselves to get into the gate but it wasn’t particulally friendly or pleasant. Still, as I’ve previously noted, if put any man in a florescent jacket and provide him with a clip board and a scrap of paper it's a big risk to expect them to also use anything even slightly resembling common sense - especially those who also have moustaches! So imagine the scene as an already DSQ’d Charlotte turns up in the start for her last run after the minis 3rd run had already been completed. It wasn’t her or my fault that the awfully nice and cheery chap who got the kids in order wasn’t listening when we tried to tell him that Charlotte was a DSQ and should subsequently go before the beginning the final run. Nor was it our fault that he decided to shuffle Charlotte in before the girls’ race, but that didn’t deter Moustachioed man from getting all tetchy and officious as we turned up out of sequence at the start gate. Getting tetchy with teenage girls who were only doing what they were told isn’t big or clever.

Man of the day however has to go to Ashley Breese. The fact he was gutted to have finished 12th was testimony to how far he has progressed this year and another sub 100 point score will find him mixing in esteemed company in the summer ending National Championships.