#JK Memories : Early JK Relays by Mike Smithard

JK Memories - Early JK Relays - some good, some not so.... like, worst run ever.

By Mike Smithard (Dunfermline HS, EUOC, INT, AIRE, DEE). 

Including some of those experiences most of us have had.

1969 - Pristine OS 1:25,000 maps, courses hand drawn, probably the night before as venue moved a few days beforehand because of snow.  Rides on map, not forest roads. Me, first leg for EUOC, 2 men and a lady relay - start on road, whistle goes, mass charge down road, me at back thinking what's going on?  First 3 in any order, middle one road end, road goes off right, so do I.  At least I know where I am.  Arrive back at changeover in first 3, asked Ewart Scott (then as now of ESOC), what went on at start?  He laughed, 'I was at the front and just raced off down the road, no idea where I was going.  When we came to the river, we all stopped and milled about a bit.....'  So EUOC won 2 relays that day.

1970 - EMOA, start at top of area called Alderwasley, now called Shining Cliff (used with Crich Chase for BOC one year).  EUOC/HWUOC bus had a little difficulty manoeuvring around minor roads to get there.  First legs pre-marked, rest MM's, tactics in leading group on Men's Open class (no gaffling), copy down course from end and when others leave, follow them.  Long downhill run-in across field, Dave Walkinshaw (West of Scotland) walked all the way! to win his class.

1971 - Holmbury Hill (SEOA) - Ran with Hilary Smith and Alistair MacLean (of EUOC but I had left?? must have been a EUOC/INT team).  Narrow exit from field, 3rd leg Alistair caught and snapped the elastic on his O trousers on the barbed wire as he went through.  Arghh - decision, go back and find a safety pin or run round holding them up?  Chose 2nd option.  Finished behind team from Swedish Junior Squad (not surprising really) who got the trophy - on a club relay???

Quiz question - what is the link between the 1971 relay whose map was used by Chris Smithard for the Final of his Virtual Orienteering JK2020 event this month and Chris himself?

(Answer below).

1973 - SOA - running for INT, 2 men and a lady relay again - Carol McNeill and my brother Les, doing well after 2 legs, then one of us brothers gets on a long straight road back towards the finish, and runs and runs and runs and....... Ah well, always next year.

1974 - Forest of Dean - but organised by OKNuts (a minute club, how did they do it?) of London.  Brilliant sunny day, maps handed out beforehand, unfolded, in very thin brown paper bags - there was a claim that someone got round without taking their map out of the bag, we all certainly had a very good idea of the course.

1975 - SCOA - Hawley and Hornley Common. Mixed scrub and rhododendrons. About 110-120 teams in the Open class. Gafffling by now. Me, steady eddie on first leg, to hand over to reigning BOC champion, Alistair Wood. No pressure. Definite headless chicken day, find every control except mine, overtake someone I know (PFO) who's walking round about 4 times, come back 103rd!! Ali steams off (probably out of his ears), overtakes about 40 teams and comes, to my surprise, racing in round the big horseshoe run-in at full belt. Why did you do that, I ask. 'Ha, tried to get in quick before the commentator saw me coming in (so far down)'. Didn't work.

Quiz answer - by chance, Chris James' note re JK's names the winning club in the 1971 JK Relay - OK Pan Kristianstad (SWE), which is the club that Chris now runs for in the Jukola and Tio Mila relays!!

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