Contrary to the early forecast we were blessed with good weather for our Annual Grass Track at the Priory School on Sunday (Aug 8).

The 192 metre oval had already been set up and marked out for our try-out evenings on the preceding Tuesdays, and with a small but dedicated band of helpers we were up and ready for action well in time for the 11am start. For the record the organising crew were; Neville Pettitt, David, Helen and Hannah Ballam (and Ed), Don and Brenda Picking, Richard Seggar, Geoff Byne, yours truly and John Stockwell, the new BC Go Ride man, who came to witness his first GT meeting and proved helpful with the judging, with Bill Gridley the official photographer.

As usual it was difficult to drum up a big entry as so few riders nowadays have the equipment (or the confidence) to tackle this branch of the sport, which was once so popular. It deserves to make a comeback, combining, as it does, fast and furious action, friendly rivalry and the opportunity for riders of all ages and abilities to compete in the same meeting, in front of family and friends. It is the discipline in which Victoria Pendleton cut her teeth as a juvenile, and in which riders like the Downing brothers excelled before signing for professional road teams.

Our event included the Eastern Region Championships, with medals up for grabs in five categories (U12, U14, U16, Ladies and Senior/Junior men) all on fixed wheel bikes, and with races for youngsters on freewheel bikes. The overall results are posted on our web site already, but don’t tell the whole story, so let me add a few comments, particularly regarding our own members.

New member Jonathan Wilson made a brilliant debut, winning his first ever race, heat two of the two lap sprint, and going on to secure sixth overall in the Championship Omnium, and after that partnering Steve Newman in the Madison, for a fourth place, in a race dominated by the Juvenile paring of Alan Trolove and Kieran Brady (Ely) who rode away from all the senior teams. Jonathan had watched a grass meeting whilst on holiday in the Lake District, came to have a try out one Tuesday on his fixed wheel road bike, and was persuaded to remove the brakes and enter the meeting ~ he loved it, as did his young son Alex (nine), who won the freewheel youngsters omnium, run on a handicap basis over three similar events to the adults. Also figuring in this category were Alice Maguire, who is now trying out a fixed wheel bike, Alexandra Sjolin and Lianna Denny, who at just seven years of age was the youngest competitor.

Steve Newman and Adrian Grimwood also represented the club, but their Lotus League road race fitness did not convert well to the short, all-out efforts needed for this tricky little track. However, it did suit Ed Ballam, who retained the U14 title that he won here last year, despite a mid-race crash with Lewis Freeman in their distance race. Both remounted and gamely continued. We achieved a clean sweep in this age group, with Jonathan Sjolin second overall. He took a tumble in his Sprint race, but also remounted and finished. Lewis was making his debut on fixed wheel and rode very well to get the bronze. All these riders could do really well if they could commit to racing and training regularly.

The U16 category was a three-way battle between Alan Trolove, Kieran Brady (Ely) and George Wood (Maldon), with Brady winning the opening Sprint event. However Alan won the Devil and the Distance race to win the U16 gold and was unbeaten in all remaining races of the day, including the Allcomers Win and Out, where he pipped Colchester’s Mike Smith on the line, this rider having earlier lapped the field in the Senior Men’s Distance race.

The Senior Men’s omnium was won by Tony Wilkins from Gt Blakenham riding for Team Endura, and the Ladies title went to the only female senior, Susan Wood (Maldon), who, it must be said, rode very strongly all day, particularly in the Team Sprint, where she was partnered by husband Gary and Samantha Parker (U14) to win this event, with the West Suffolk U14 Team of Ballam, Sjolin and Freeman coming home second.

At our monthly meeting the following day we asked the question ‘Do we continue to promote this event in 2011?’ and the answer was ‘Definitely Yes ~ but let’s do our best to attract a bigger entry, and apply for a round of the National Series to help the cause as well as encouraging more members to get involved.’