NATTERJACK ENDURO 2007

The weekend of the 29/30 Sep 2007 saw the running of Ex Natterjack the final round of the British Enduro Championship at Longmoor in Hampshire. There was some doubt over the running of the event due to the recent nearby outbreak of Foot and Mouth but after careful consideration by all parties (the Auto Cycle Union, DEFRA and Landmarc) it was given the all clear. Organised by Team–REME the land was maximised to produce a 35 km loop with approximately 15km on each side of the A3 along with Enduro and Motocross special tests. The organising team arrived bright and early on the Monday and after a few hours of confirming the route with Landmarc and Natural England they set about laying out the course. By Wednesday the tented camp and the start/finish area was coming together and work had started in earnest on the special tests.

The first competitors out of the promised 220 arrived on the Thursday night and with all of the final touches completed by late on the Friday we were ready to go. The two day event is one of the premier events of the riding calendar and many of the titles are won or indeed lost at the event. Catering for all classes – Championship down to Sportsman – the event is challenging for experts and beginners alike.

The Clerk of the Course waved off the first Championship rider at 1000 hrs on Saturday for the first of 3 laps and around 6 hours of riding. As could be expected the Clubman and Sportsman had an easier time of things with reduced laps and times, but all would be thoroughly tested throughout the day. The check times were set to be slack thus allowing the riders a little rest time and reducing the risk of accidents and the Motocross (sponsored by DEP) and Enduro (sponsored by Optima Loans) tests both designed to be as testing as possible but giving a wide choice of lines. On the Sunday the times were tightened giving the riders less rest and a faster schedule to follow and the course and tests were reversed. At the end of the event all competitors agreed it had been one of the best for some time with the two tests singled out for particular praise. To cap it all Team-REME who entered a team of 3 (Cpl Daz Hughes pictured, LCpl Lee Bailey and Cfn Mike Bailey) took the best services team with Cfn Mike Bailey winning the Clubman class.

Thanks must go to the organisers without whom the event could not have taken place. In no particular order they were: Clerk of the Course – Maj Mike Tizard, Secretary – SSgt Neil Hesleton, Check 1 – Cpl Andy Williams and his team, Check 2 SSgt Al Cook and his team, Check 3 - Cpl John Nelson and his team, MX test SSgts Roger Baker and Gaz Paterson, Enduro Test – Dusty Martin and SSgt Eric Noy. Big thanks to Dave May-Miller and Tony Altass from the REME old boys Enduro team who return year after year to assist and of course to those in SEME from M Coy who under the control of Capt Dave Armstrong and Sgt Si Guy ran all of the event admin and volunteered away their weekend.

To our event sponsors a very big thank you: Yamaha for the use of the quad (sorry we broke it!), DEP for the MX test, Optima Loans for the Enduro test.

For more info and photographs follow: www.enduronews.com