Farmer John's Race Weekend

 

Location: Hillside Farm, Stockport
Event Date: 20-21 September 2008

With spiralling transport costs affecting downhill, it was a case of back to the future at Farmer John's Race Weekend. No transport and two days of racing for £20, that's got to be a winner in today's economic climate!

Above: Farmer John

 

Farmer John, A.K.A. John Thorpe and his band of helpers have created something pretty special over the last three years. There's a nice dirt jump area set aside with some good transfer lines, a multitude of downhill courses, jumps, northshore and wall rides. In keeping with this very picturesque part of the Cheshire/Derbyshire border, you'd be hard pushed to even spot this North West MTB Mecca, even from the air. It all blends into tree lines and even some of the jumps have been purposely turfed to keep it all looking natural.

Above: The hut jump

Saturday was Barbecue, Beer and short course downhill day. Not quite in that order, but you gotta give the hosts credit for bringing the fun back into downhill. Saturday's course was lined with generators powering up the lighting that ran the full length of the course giving it a very Christmassy feel.

Racing kicked off around 8.30pm with a two timed run format. Anyone getting under 30 seconds deserves the plaudits, so well done to Mat Stuttard, Simon Stewart, Chris Barker, Aaron Lever, Leo Fullick Rich Keates and Michael Upton. Harriet Latchem took the female category honours showing the majority of the boys the way home posting a 31.84 on her second run.

Above: The wall ride

Sunday's racing was on a much longer course with most riders posting times around 1 minute 45 to 1:50. Same two run format but no Christmas lights. The course started tight then really opened up before entering the trees and differing conditions. Grass to mud, to clay, to stone, to wood and back to clay in the space of 30 metres really tests the concentration before more familiar twisting sections through the trees. The bottom half of the course caught many riders out as no sunlight on the lower part kept the course greasy. Two riders broke 1 minute 32 seconds, (both riders doing it for the over 30's) so well done to Senior winner Jamie Armitage and Master winner Richard Keates.

Many of riders that had never raced before, but after such a successful weekend rest assured there will be more to come. Watch this one grow.

Above: Derek Ezers and Philip Turnball

Above: Rich Keates and Robin Barton