Posted: 11 January 2012

Last weekend (07th/08th January) saw the successful Strathpuffer 24 event take place at Torachilty Forest. At this event there was an exceptional ride from Ben Forsyth and Francis Webb of ERC/Martin Currie RT, Calum McGowan (Peebles CC) and Harry Johnstone (Dales Cycles) all under 15 youth boys. This ride saw them win the Strathpuffer overall and took the quad category beating all the adult teams by a lap accumulating a grand total of 33 laps in the 24 hours.

This was an exceptional ride and the win seems very fitting as it is the first year of the "Doug Stewart Award for Youth Performance”.

Sadly Doug passed away early in 2011 after being diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer. Doug was a devotee of "The Puffer". Doug was enthusiastic about bringing kids into sport at an early age and challenging them to "be all they can be". It is with this passion, spirit and ethos that the award now comes into being.

The award was presented to Ben, Francis, Calum McGowan and Harry by John and Olivia Stewart, the parents of Doug Stewart.

The “fantastic4” will now be taking a well earned break before returning to training to take on the best of British in the 2012 National Mountain Bike Series which starts in Sherwood pines on the 25th of March.