Another enjoyable weekend away for the running of the 11th edition of the Graperide. With many away for the Gentle Annie sufferfest it was expected that numbers would be down, however it was gratifying to see a lot of new faces participating this time around resulting in the usual similar numbers attending and riding.
There were many great efforts on the day with personal bests and OTB's featured in a number of placings for their age group. (see results page) We saw medals awarded to:
|
Rachael Cunningham |
3rd placed female in the Magnum (2 laps) |
|
Viv Collier |
1st in age group for the 100km |
|
Rebecca Owen |
2nd in age group for the 100km |
|
Jo Geoghegan |
3rd in age group for the 100km |
|
Ian Paintin |
1st place in the Master Elite age group |
A full house for dinner at Allan Scott's Vineyard where we recognised outstanding efforts along with some of the more unusual ones.
Of note, Peter Garty is standing down as OTB Huntmaster For Life. One of the "Originals", Peter has overseen a period of huge change in the Tarbabies, and has also seen some remarkable milestones achieved, most notably the fundraising effort for Child Cancer. Safety and ethos has always been paramount with Pete. That's never likely to change either! We all owe him a debt of gratitude for his remarkable service to the Tarbabies. We look forward to seeing more of your unfettered presence on the road Pete.
Peter has, in our uniquely democratic fashion, appointed Frank Geoghegan as the new Huntmaster for Life. Please join me in congratulating Frank on his appointment. The Huntmaster's Horn of Office was presented to Frank at the post ride dinner.
Thank you all for making the Graperide such a successful weekend once again.
Most importantly, we all finished unscathed at the end.
It also sounds like those who participated in the Gentle Annie ride this weekend suffered and endured. Congratulations to all of you on what is quickly becoming an iconic sufferfest ride. I'm sure we'll be hearing more from you about your stories of pain and triumph.
As the cycle season draws to a close and visibility gets less and less, please consider how visible you are on the road and remember that you'll be needing lighting much earlier with each week getting closer to winter.
Photos from the day are posted in the Galleries
Stay Safe,
PFL
Diesel