Heavy frost and freezing temperatures greeted a small but committed group of thirteen members signed on and ready to challenge for the honour of the 2022 Christmas Pudding champion.
Numbers were low this year, perhaps due to the freezing weather and no road option, but also undoubtedly due to all of the winter viruses affecting so many. Those who turned up though brought plenty of seasonal cheer with tinsel, festive jumpers and Santa hats out in force.
The 2022 event was an off-road version of the Christmas Pudding Time Trial due to the risk of ice on untreated roads. Thanks to Lydia Gould and Malcolm Cross for plotting a course where nobody could possibly go wrong.................or could they.
South Wonston Pavilion provided a perfect base to follow a five mile course down towards Stoke Charity Road before picking up bridleways heading towards Wonston and looping back towards HQ. It became clear however after only three riders had completed their first five mile loop that maybe some of the competitors had taken a wrong turn, and only realising when challenged by a local landowner for trespassing. Consequently the results became even more of a lottery than normal with reigning champion Oscar Hoult who at the last running of the Christmas Pudding predicted his finish time to within a few seconds on this occasion underestimating his finish time by the small margin of more than thirty minutes.
Special mention and a happy birthday to Dylan Baxter who was riding on the day before his 6th birthday, and with dad Ben he completed his one lap course 6m 22s faster than his predicted time.
Also a mention for Lydia Gould who we can only assume thought she was still short of her predicted time as she did the slowest piece of showboating ever seen coming down towards the finish which ultimately cost her the title.
Congratulations and consequently the award of the large Christmas pudding went to Ed Gurney who despite a wrong turn finished within 2m 24s of his predicted time for two laps with Lydia taking a small pudding for second place at 2m 50s. Other awards for best dressed individual(s) went to team Hoult with Simon completing the course with a Christmas tree on his rear carrier, Brenda in a very dubious Santa outfit and Oscar fresh from a night on the town in his sparkly jumper. Other puddings were awarded to Richard Sambrook-Smith for displaying creativity with some sticky backed plastic and colourful furry balls (sorry, no other way to describe it) and to Dylan (and Ben) Baxter for beating their predicted time by the largest margin.
Huge thanks to the rest of family Gilmour for acting as timekeepers, recorder and caterers and to Team Lyons (Hannah, Daz and Liv) for assisting with sign-on and catering.
Merry Christmas to all of our members.
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