Saturday afternoon brought a 3 hour MBO score from the same start finish area in the middle of the old airfield. The stiff breeze had dropped slightly but I decided it would be better to go out into the head wind rather than face it later in the event with tired legs.
I started strongly in an anticlockwise direction towards 1 and 11 but could feel the race from the morning in my legs on the gradual climb. Out of number 6 my route descended down a beautiful grassy winding valley past Cottam Village and its decaying ruined church. Dropping into the valley there were fantastic views out over the Yorkshire Wolds, an area new to me and quite sublime. Rolling farm land, secret valleys and small villages, where seemingly time has stood still.
The next climb took me up to Sir Tatton Sykes’s Monument, a spire visible even from the start , some 6 km away. At this point after hoovering up the centre of the map it was decision time. It was obvious that clearing even most of the controls was not possible, so riding up to 23 I did some maths and worked out the best route home via the most points. As I returned back from the in/out to number 25 I realised I was going to be on mission to get back in 3 hours so really started to ride hard. Luckily the drop down the bridleway from 9 was a good track, as was the one in the bottom of the valley. 
However getting to the bridleway junction at number 21 I just could not find the control. The map was very out of date with the forest felled, and the track the control was on bared no resemblance on the ground to that on the map, it doubling back following the fence/hedgeline. I must have gone within about 10 ft of the control along the track but never saw it.
Looking at my watch I just had to bin it after a couple of minutes and head for home leaving others searching. Luckily the track was a very fast bridleway on the edge of a field, someone had even mowed it. I got a real feeling of ‘hedge rush’ as I blatted flat out with my handlebar almost skimming the crop.
I finished 7 mins late but the organisers wouldn’t credit the control (25 points) I couldn’t find. This is the fundamental problem with OS map based score events, be them adventure races or MBO scores. If the map is not accurate enough at the control you are relying on a written description. If someone else exits the control as you get there you get the control on a plate. If you are on your own well sometimes you just have to hunt and this makes the competition unfair. I know many people are happy with this and I suppose the event was not a national so I shouldn’t moan but it is the reason controllers exist in foot O and the reason many foot orienteers who try ‘trailquests’ or MBO score are put off and don’t return.
I felt that the rolling Yorkshire Wolds made a great location for a fast MBO score and I enjoyed the riding. The distribution of the controls was good and there was lots of route choice.
Stats – 69km 750m climb 3hours 7 mins
Results available here in a couple of days
Looks like a good event, wish I could have gone. Have been looking at the BMBO site to see if there would be something suitable for me. Will just have to get it confirmed by the boss first.
Did you take those pictures as you was going round the course?
noooooooo just internet searches afterwards
Shame I missed it, looked like 2 good events. But was advancing my career at the time!