Congratulations to Octavian Droobers on their victory in Monday’s event at Pooley Fields. Summary individual results are available on here.
In the club competition, the 2023 top two positions were reversed again this year with Wrekin runners up:
Not content with winning the Laurie Bradley Score at the start of the year, Wrekin have now won the West Midlands League by over 200 points from Harlequins and Octavian Droobers. Despite being a much smaller club than their rivals, a great turnout on Saturday secured the vistory.
Is this the first time that they have won the league?
Can they repeat this feat in 2024?
| Club | Points |
|---|---|
| WRE | 5750 |
| HOC | 5511 |
| OD | 5411 |
| WCH | 4535 |
| POTOC | 4032 |
Here are details of the club counters and individual scores.
Octavian Droobers are hosting the final West Midlands League event for 2023 in Sutton Park on Sunday 10th December. Full details can be found here.
For discounted Pre-entry, and to guarantee a map for the course of your choice, pre-enter by midnight on Sunday 3rd December; here is a link to Fabian4.
A reminder of which course to enter to gain the maximum West Midlands League points for your age can be found on the WM League Rules page.
It’s a nailbiting finish to this year’s league. Octavian Droobers are back in third place, less than 100 points behind Harlequins and with home advantage for the final event on 10th December in Sutton Park. However Wrekin are still out in front. Can they hold on for an historic win – the first this century? Ever?
Standings in the 2023 West Midlands League before the final event:
| Club | Points |
|---|---|
| WRE | 5464 |
| HOC | 5166 |
| OD | 4219 |
| WCH | 2633 |
| POTOC | 2041 |
The fourth and final event in this year’s league was last weekend and the points have been updated here. Many thanks to all the event officials and volunteers. Results are on the Wrekin website:
Congratulations to this year’s winners:
| Category | |
| Young Junior Men 12- | Edward Lewis (WRE) |
| Young Junior Women 12- | Lana Whitrman (HOC) |
| Junior Men 16- | Craig Thompson, Kieran Rose, Oscar Whitman (all HOC) |
| Junior Women 16- | |
| Open Men | Simon Lanckham (HOC) |
| Open Women | Eloise Lee (HOC) |
| Veteran Men 40+ | Chris McCartney (HOC), |
| Veteran Women 40+ | Tanya Taylor (LOG) |
| Supervet Men 55+ | Roger Thetford (TVOC) |
| Supervet Women 55+ | Karen Thompson (HOC) |
| Ultravet Men 65+ | Ian Prowse (NGOC) |
| Ultravet Women 65+ | Hilary May (OD) |
| Hypervet Men 75+ | Peter Carey (OD) |
| Hypervet Women 75+ | Sheila Carey (OD) |
The West Midlands Junior Squad is holding an open training session for interested juniors on Sunday 22nd October at Hartshill Hayes Country Park, near Nuneaton. Juniors who are not currently a member of the squad are welcome to attend and benefit from the training on offer- you need to be a second year M/W12 or older, and be able to confidently and independently complete an Orange course (or above). The day will include several exercises to develop various aspects of orienteering technique, and finish with a fun race. Contact wmjsquad@gmail.com to find out more.
The squad holds regular training sessions and has its own website.
In September every member of the squad took part in the Junior Inter-regional Championships and in August ten members joined some of the Welsh squad on tour in Finland.
Congratulations to West Midlands Junior Squad member Eden, who was part of the English team that won the Junior Home Internationals held in Sutton Park on 7th-8th October 2023. Squad members Adam, Grace, Harriet and Kieran also volunteered in various roles over the weekend, supporting the event teams led by Harlequins and Octavian Droobers.
Read more, including a write up from Eden herself, on the WMJS website
The Ward Junior Home Internationals took place on two different parts of Sutton Park over the weekend of October 7th and 8th 2023.
Congratulations to overall winners England, who were closely challenged by Scotland. Ireland beat Wales to the Judith Wingham Trophy.
The following individual day results are available:
England won the individual day, and going into the relay day, held a slender five point lead over Scotland for the Ward International Trophy.
The relay day results are:
The team points breakdown was as follows:
Men: ENG 28 (16+12); SCO 24 (14+10); IRE 10 (6+4); WAL 10 (8+2)
Women: ENG 30 (16+14); SCO 22 (12+10); IRE 14 (8+6); WAL 0 (mp)
The total points for the relay day were: ENG 58; SCO 46; IRE 24; WAL 10, making England also the winners of the relay trophy.
The overall scores were: ENG 135; SCO 118; IRE 65; WAL 33.
Photos are available courtesy of Andy Johnson and Will Heap.
Ian Gamlen, the Event Co-ordinator, reports:
The Junior Home Internationals take place every year in early October. The top 12 male and 12 females in each of the age groups M/W14, M/W16 and M/W18’s from all the home nations of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland compete in a 2 day orienteering event with an Individual Day and a Relay Day.
There are four trophies awarded at the JHIs
• The Individual Trophy – awarded to the country with the most points in the Individual race.
• The Relay Trophy – awarded to the country with the most points in the Relay.
• The Ward International Trophy – awarded to the country with the highest overall points total.
• The Judith Wingham Platter – awarded to the winner between Ireland and Wales.
This year the JHI was hosted by the West Midlands Orienteering Association on 7-8th October 2023 with Harlequins Orienteering Club organising the Individual Day and Octavian Droobers organising the Relays. Sutton Park was the venue with residential accommodation at Beaudesert Outdoor Activity Centre.
In total 88 competitors took part supported by team managers from each of the home nations.
Adrian Bailey and Barry Elkington planned some challenging courses for the individual and relay races respectively, overseen by Richard Lewis from WRE who controlled both days. Peter Langmaid and I organised the individual day and Alistair Powell from OD organised the Relays.
Thanks to the unseasonably warm weather we were able to have a very lively ceilidh and individual prize giving outside with live music from the Banjacs, a West Midlands band on the Saturday evening.
England won the individual day, and going into the relay day, held a slender five point lead over Scotland for the Ward International Trophy.
The total points for the relay day were: ENG 58; SCO 46; IRE 24; WAL 10, making England also the winners of the relay trophy.
The overall scores were: ENG 135; SCO 118; IRE 65; WAL 33, so England were awarded the Ward International Trophy and Ireland were awarded the Judith Wingham Platter.
Thanks again to everyone who helped make sure that the event was both challenging and enjoyable.
Ian Gamlen HOC – 2023 Event Co-ordinator
Notice of the WMOA AGM has been sent to all clubs for distribution to their members. It will be held on Monday 2nd October at 7-30pm at The Great Barr Hotel and also by ZOOM.
A reminder that the WMOA Annual General Meeting will take place on Monday 2nd October at 7-30 pm at the Great Barr Hotel. For those not able to attend in person we are also planning to Zoom the meeting. If you would like to join the meeting via Zoom please let me know via secretary@wmoa.org.uk by Friday 29th September so that you can be forwarded the log in details.
For anyone attending the meeting at the hotel can you make sure that you register your car details on arrival at the reception.
Here is the Agenda for this year and the Minutes of last year’s meeting.
This year we will need a new Vice Chairman, as Ray Collins is stepping down after many years in the post and we are still in need of a West Midlander Editor. Please consider whether you could take on one of these key roles in the running of the WMOA.
If you would like to be nominated for a position on the committee please let me know beforehand. Likewise any matters to be raised under AOB should be submitted at least 7 days prior to the meeting.
Hoping to see you at the AGM either in person or via Zoom link,
Carol Dredge, secretary@wmoa.org.uk
Thanks to Walton Chasers for hosting yesterday’s event.
Victories were shared between clubs:
The Relay results are here and Individual course results are here.