Compared to the heavy rainfall we generally experience during the good old British summer, it had been pretty dry. Cleaning the bikes after an event was usually a case of removing the dust and providing no-one had an incredibly keen sense of smell; boots could escape a wash until the next outing. What’s more, I managed a record five events plus a few practices from one rear tyre – dry tracks can certainly help the overdraught.

Well, that was until Sunday 29^th October when the Southern Counties Enduro Club held a three hour Hare & Hounds Enduro in conjunction with the Royal Marines at the ever-popular MEXE ranges in Bovington. As you’d probably guess, if you’re riding on a course that the Marines use for training, chances are it’s going to be a challenging three hours. The four and a half mile lap offered tight woodland sections, sandy tracks, rocky crossings and mud. Lots of mud. Deep too.

Dust wasn’t a problem on the course.

With the drop of the flag, PAR Homes Honda’s Si Wakely led the Championship class closely followed by Nick Life. The pair couldn’t be separated around the first lap and checked in with just two seconds between them. The winner from the previous MEXE event, Stan Watt was in third, but the leading pair already had a one minute advantage. Wakely and Life stayed inseparable for the first hour until Si, who was on a two-stop strategy due to a small tank, had to pit for fuel. This allowed Nick to pass and build a slight lead. That was until one of the muddy sections drew him in and allowed Wakely to reclaim the lead - but with racing being racing, lady luck stepped in with a couple of mechanical issues and ended Si’s day. From here Nick’s lead was unchallenged and at the end of the race, he enjoyed an impressive 9 minute advantage and was the only rider to complete fifteen laps.

For me, the day was a mixture of surprise and exhaustion. Surprise, because at the drop of the E2 Clubman flag I found myself in the lead – not something that happens very often. Brimming with the confidence that the lead brings, I rounded a corner to find the track blocked by a fallen rider. With nowhere to go (not even over him) the rest of the field quickly lined up behind me. Well, that was until a course marshal decided to by-pass the blockage by redirecting everyone behind me around the hold up, relegating me into a lowly position. That’s racing for you.

But to be fair, it gave me a welcome excuse for being passed by the rest of the field. With the course offering little in the way of rest, I became tired very quickly and the dreaded arm-pump set in. For those of you that haven’t ever had the pleasure that it brings, imagine trying to use the throttle/brake/clutch whilst wearing boxing gloves. What’s more, it’s uncomfortable too, so when I saw a friend of mine in the re-fuel area, it seemed the perfect opportunity to have a drink, a banana and a chat whilst things returned to normal. Once my ageing body had regained some of its limited composure, I was able to fully enjoy all that the course had to offer, negotiating the trees, bogs and sand without incident. Although I can honestly say I was pleased when the chequered flag came into view.

A special mention must to Stephen Harrison who decided to pilot an Army issue Harley Davidson (no, not one of the leather-tasselled cruisers) and finished on a creditable eight laps. If trying to extract something of that weight from the mud doesn’t put hairs on your chest, then nothing will.

Press-ups during an Enduro. Best left to the super-fit.

And finally, a word from Si Wakely:
"Not the best race for me. It was enjoyable at the start as Nick was riding really well and staying close, which was great practice for me and made sure I had to push hard all the time - It was made even closer by having to pit for fuel twice due to my small fuel tank, so he had the one stop advantage! I managed to pull the time back that I’d lost in the pits, and then passed Nick when he became stuck in one of the bogs. This helped give me a one minute advantage over him. After my second re-fuel, I came out just in front, but a lap later had a stone jam my rear brake losing a couple of minutes. This coupled with a broken rear mousse forced an early retirement. With unpredictable handling, I decided to use my head and save myself for the International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) which is less than two weeks away and being held in New Zealand. I’ll be leaving next Monday so Sunday’s event was great practice for the event, in which I'm hoping to do well for my country."

Championship: 1^st Nick Life, 2^nd Gary Wright, 3^rd Bradley King.
Expert: 1^st Neil Hawker, 2^nd Tim Hunt, 3^rd Rob Carey.
E1 Clubman (up-to 125cc 2-stroke or 250cc 4-stroke): 1^st Paul Vincent, 2^nd Kevin Lamacraft, 3^rd Sam Legg.
E2 Clubman (over 125cc 2-stroke, or 250cc 4-stroke): 1^st Chris Collins, 2^nd James Courtenay, 3^rd Matt Guppy.
Over 40: 1^st Steven Taylor, 2^nd Arthur Johnson, 3^rd Steve Cook.
Sportsman: 1^st Kevin Pippard, 2^nd Gareth Thurgood, 3^rd Mark Woodman.