Keyne-O 6: Ouzel Valley Park

Next event

The next Keyne-O is on Sunday 13th September at Campbell Park.

Planner's Comments

It’s always a pleasure planning the Ouzel Valley, as it’s possibly the least "urban" of the Keyne-O areas, and allows varied Trot courses to be planned without needing to cross any minor roads. I hope that the resulting courses offered a suitable challenge for all levels of orienteer on a lovely late summer’s morning. I also like this area as I can stay in bed later when laying out the courses on the Sunday morning, as my house lies inside the route I set for the Run course!

No-one reported any problems with livestock, even though a bullock was zealously guarding a gate when I was putting out the controls, making me wait a couple of minutes before it decided to wander back into the main field. In the same area, I’m sorry if the shortest route choices on the trot required climbing over a locked gate in a couple of places - both had acceptable (and probably faster) alternatives by keeping to the paths in case anyone was out with a pushchair.

We always plan the longer courses so that there is some route choice, even if it’s only a decision about whether the dodge the cricket and rounders games on Woughton playing fields by staying on the path that skirts them. The very definitely uncrossable Ouzel also gives opportunities for offering alternative routes when there’s a choice of bridges. I was pleased to find that there were several legs for which competitors had actually made different decisions - although the Runner who decided to save about 10 metres and fight his way through a hedge of brambles possibly didn’t make the right one! As some participants now carry GPS, they can tell me exact distance that they covered - so I know that one quite fast Run was not the straight line 7.2km on the map but took just over two kilometres more at 9.29km.

Finally I would like to thank the rest of the team, including the helpers on the day under the watchful eye of Helen Nisbet, as well as Steve Hardy who drew and updated the map, and Dorien James for acting as controller and allowing me to retain a couple of interesting if slightly unusual control points. My next planning outing will hopefully be my first effort at a full range of colour coded courses for a level C event, in Priory Park near Bedford this autumn, so I hope to see as many of you there as possible.

Ian Byrne

Organiser's Comments

We hope you all enjoyed Ian's courses on what turned out to be a lovely day. Thanks to The Open University for use of their facilities and to all our helpers: Karen Vines, Steve Hardy, Rachel Edwards, Tasha Kent, Alec Maldar, Wendy Kent, Ros James, Alex, Matthew, Janet and Graham Pembery, and James, Rebecca and Don Nisbet.

Helen Nisbet

Joining SMOC

If you are new to orienteering and wish to join SMOC, you can join via the British Orienteering website here.

Club Nights

SMOC is now running weekly club nights. These are an ideal opportunity to learn new orienteering skills, improve your current skills, have fun and meet club members. See Club Nights for details.

Position	Name	Club	Age class	Time taken
Amble 3.0km
1	Matthew Pembery	SMOC	M16	00:21:00
2	Jane Drury	SMOC	W21	00:24:03
3	Ian Giggs			00:24:23
4	Reluctant Retfords			00:31:50
5	Sluggards			00:36:35
6	The Millys	SMOC		00:37:22
7	Team Lost			00:43:02
8	Tasha Kent	SMOC		00:43:50
9	A gecko & a cockroach	SMOC		00:46:37
10	Summertastic			00:48:06
11	The Pyes			00:53:42
12	Team Taylor			00:54:04
13	The Woofers	SMOC		00:55:44
14	Team Oalof			00:56:30
15	Minions are Go	SMOC		00:56:50
16	Cobb Family			00:59:00
17	Timi Czirbesz	SMOC	W14	01:04:30
18	Audrey Geere	TVOC	W80	01:05:00
19	Rosey Ladies			01:07:06
20	Kata Czirbesz	SMOC	W10	01:15:05
21	T Rex			01:27:00
22	Lego Legs			01:51:16
23	Finn & Simon			Retired
Trot 4.5km
1	Ric Brackenbury	SMOC		00:29:10
2	Mikhail Gryaznevich	TVOC	M60	00:30:25
3	Paul Hearn	HH	M50	00:32:43
4	Dougie Cochran	TVOC	M45	00:33:00
5	David Saunders	HH	M55	00:33:44
6	Rob Askham	SMOC	M40	00:36:09
7	Steve Hardy	SMOC		00:36:55
8	Mark Salmon	SMOC	M45	00:36:57
9	Eliza Hermann	HH	W50	00:39:22
10	Ryan, dad & echo		M16	00:41:00
11	Alex Pembery	SMOC	M14	00:41:18
12	Helen Nisbet	SMOC		00:41:30
13	Ann Harris	SMOC	W60	00:43:25
14	Krisztina Czirbesz	SMOC	W40	00:43:41
15	Rebecca Nisbet	SMOC	W14	00:46:03
16	Ros James	SMOC	W50	00:46:14
17	David Easton	SMOC	M55	00:47:00
18	Dora Bognar	SMOC	W20	00:47:54
19	Yvonne Hodson	TVOC	W65	00:48:06
20	Endre Czirbesz	SMOC	M40	00:49:22
21	Dave Varty	SMOC	M50	00:49:45
22	Dave Matthews	SMOC	M50	00:52:34
23	Alec Maldar	SMOC	M55	00:53:03
24	Family Homer			00:55:00
25	Bob Austin	SMOC	M65	00:55:49
26	Wendy Kent	SMOC	W55	00:56:04
27	Anne Power	LOK	W80	01:00:18
28	June & Chris Fox	SMOC		01:01:56
29	Samantha & Ken Walker			01:04:00
30	Hendry			01:07:30
31	Jenifer Taylor	CHIG	W70	01:08:00
32	Hoopless Hikers			01:08:01
33	The Bromleys			01:11:48
34	Fergussons			01:29:14
35	Bernard Potter	TVOC		01:32:00
36	Colin Curtis	WAOC	M80	Retired
Run 7.2km
1	Ben Green	TVOC	M35	00:44:14
2	Robin Bishop	TVOC	M45	00:46:16
3	Richard Pownall	SMOC		00:50:24
4	Ian Buxton	TVOC	M50	00:51:43
5	James Nisbet	SMOC	M16	00:53:15
6	Rachel Edwards	SMOC	W50	00:53:16
7	Oliver Tomlinson	SMOC	M21	00:53:21
8	Stephen Borrice	WAOC	M40	00:54:25
9	Karen Vines	SMOC		00:56:16
10	Jason Dunning	WAOC	M40	00:56:21
11	Liz Phillips	OD	W50	00:58:09
12	Jim Wilson	TVOC	M55	00:58:55
13	Sue Jones	TVOC	W50	00:59:22
14	Haydn Leaker	SMOC		01:01:06
15	Ian Wells	RAFO	M60	01:01:36
16	Roger Geere			01:02:00
17	Martin Bay			01:05:02
18	Drew Vanbeck	SMOC	M50	01:05:09
19	Peter Riches	TVOC		01:07:31
20	Graham Pembery	SMOC		01:07:36
21	Mark Glover	WAOC	M21	01:07:57
22	Not a Trot			01:08:52
23	Genevieve Webb	NZ	W50	01:10:37
24	Hugh Lachlan	LEI		01:15:50
25	Janet Pembery	SMOC		01:18:12
26	Catherine Galvin	LOK	W50	01:25:00
27	Tim Webb	NZ	M50	01:26:36
28	David Sedgley	SMOC	M70	01:29:51
29	Matthew Smart			Retired