It was a sad day as Peter Massey the Clerk of the Course for several years had succumbed to cancer on Friday after a long battle and everyone’s thoughts were with his devoted wife Pat, who, despite her loss was there in the Sponsors tent as usual helping with lunch. Peter, who loved his hunting and team chasing, would have been very proud.

The course had been modified during the summer and the wonderful hedges had been reshaped and proved to be much more horse friendly, it was a great pity only six teams entered the open class as this course always proves a joy to ride and has to be the most natural team chase course in the country.

The first team to come under starters orders in the Open were the Generation Gap, the team consisting of Katherine Tudor - Arny, Alistair Beedles – Nigel, Sarah Gibson – Manny and Susannah Gill – Dillon, have stepped up from Intermediate to Open after their win in the Intermediate at the Berkeley the previous week, they set the pace with an immaculate round in a time of 5.06mins.

The Boring Gorings, led by Fred French – 3 Seasons, were without their usual team member John Perry, having sold his best horse Perryfields Halo (Fred) to the Bollocks to Blair team, however, with Linda Adams – Denzil, Nick Fuller – Cocoa and Jane Lindsey – Question Mark, they set off at a great pace, Question Mark decided he did not like the water at fence four and deposited Jane on the floor, unfortunately she was unable to remount and had to retire, the other three continued in fine style and cut two seconds from the Generation Gap’s time.

Fight the Ban.Com were entered to go next but did not declare.

The Hair Raisers were next to come under the starters flag, Aly Brown as usual gave them a fantastic lead, cutting every corner, Penny Still with Erin came to grief at fence 10 but Paul Thomason – Tiny and Allen Brown – Bert kept up the momentum and the angles they approached the two serpentines of hedges had to be seen to be believed, their time of 4.44 was a full 20 seconds faster that the Boring Gorings.

The Mixed Pack, Sophie Rooker – Teabag, Julie Wheeler – Oscar, Rosie Vestey Joseph and Jane Edmunds – Monty, were up on the clock and as usual treating the large crowd of spectators to a perfect display of team riding, when they were most unfortunate to lose Rosie Vestey three fences from home as Joseph crumpled on landing. Jane Edmunds was left slightly behind and after a spirited gallop to the line the team finished just over one second behind the Hair Raisers. Rosie was knocked out for a short while and with cuts and bruises to her face she was taken to hospital for a check-up. I am pleased to report that after speaking with Mark today, (Monday) he tells me Rosie is resting at home in bed with a very sore head, but in good spirits.

The final team to run were the Odds and Sods, Geoff Lockwood – Freddy, Heather Moody – Arthur, Alan George – Flash and Christine Watts and although they tried to cut the corners they were clearly not up to the pace, Heather Moody came to grief when Arthur slipped on the flat and when Christime Watts had problems at the same fence that claimed Rosie their chance was over.

Thus the class was won by the Hair Raisers with the Mixed Pack second, these two teams qualified for the National Championships third place went to the Boring Gorings and a well deserved fourth to the Generation Gap.

Twenty-four teams contested the Novice Class, which was won in fine style by the Mixed Pack’s second team of Sophie Rooker-Tucker. Andrew Wheeler- Sunny, Fiona Russell Brown- Dash and Charlotte Alexander-Dennis, this team who are as experienced as the first team gave a lovely display of team chasing, which it is hoped some of the newer teams were watching and learning.

Second place went to the Whacky Racers, who had a last minute replacement in ex Frogmarcher Jason Purlant.

Third placed Hopwas Hooligans were reduced to three members with Jane Wilkinson sporting a broken collarbone after a schooling accident at home on a young horse.

Fourth were the Cunning Stunts, fifth the Reprobates and sixth the Boring Gorings second team.

Hopefully the open teams missing from the line up at the Meynell will try and get their horses fit earlier next season in order to enjoy the lovely ride over this inviting course and the hospitality of the enthusiastic Meynell hosts.

Netty Nevill