Scotland win SHIs-Scottish Orienteering

Scotland win SHIs

After success at the relays on Saturday at Dalnamein, Scotland went on to win the individuals at Craig a Barns as well. Results here.
Read the full report by Andy Kitchin below.

Everyone found Craig a’ Barns tough and technical, but for the English it was too tough and too technical.

The Senior Home International is run across the M/W 20/21 classes with 6 senior men and women plus 3 junior men and women to make a team of 18. The competition is hosted by the 4 nations in turn; Wales, Scotland, (All) Ireland and England
After holding the SHI title for 3 years Scotland lost out last year in Wales to the Auld Enemy. Back on home turf it was time to put things right.

A strong team was available this year, many assembled on Friday night in Aberfeldy, the busy ones travelled up on Saturday morning and all gathered at the House of Bruar for some team chat and a last hot drink before heading out to Dalnamein for the business of the day - the relays.

With Wales unable to muster their best runners and Ireland unable to field any W20s the threat was from England.

It was a wet and windy day but the woods were sheltered and relatively warm. The Scottish relay team selection aimed to produce 2 matched teams and a back up (there is always the risk of a mispunch). Dalnamein is a typically Scottish plantation bisected by a small but uncrossable river, surrounded by moorland. The races centred around a footbridge over the river. The courses ran out in a longer easterly loop, taking in some moorland, crossed back over the river, passing the start, for a short final loop. This meant that between the finish and the cross-over there was almost always some action to be seen, particularly as the racing was close all the way to the end.

Each nation can run 3 men’s and 3 women’s teams and must run a M/W 20 in each, the running order is free choice.
In the men’s race Oleg Chepelin lead leg one for Scotland just 4 seconds in front of the England’s Neil Northrop, Mark Nixon was just 40 seconds back for Scotland with Anthony Squire coming in 5th behind the second English Team.

In the women’s race Claire Ward took out a big Scottish lead on first leg, 2 and a half minutes ahead of Laura Daniel for England. Sarah Dunn brought Scotland in 3rd and then Lorna Eades finished in 8th just at the back of 5 closely bunched teams. Second legs for Scotland were the M/W 20s. Hazel Wright ran strongly to hold the lead that Claire had set up but the English girls were closing the gap and whilst Hollie Orr had a good run she was passed for 3rd by the English who ran W21 Becky Carlyle on second leg, sister Jessica Orr ran well to move Scotland’s 3rd team up to 7th.

Back in the men’s race at the cross over on leg 2 Ali McLeod, in his first SHI, held the lead but Doug Tullie and England’s David Scorah were on his shoulder. Ali held his cool in the last few controls in the thicker green forest whilst the others missed. Alan Cherry, also debuting, ran well to keep Scotland 3 in 5th place. It was Scotland, England from 1st to 6th place. On last leg Ewan McCarthy lead out, followed by England’s Matt Crane and by the crossover Ewan had stretched that lead, but Scot Fraser had already powered past both of them taking the lead and finishing a minute clear.

It ended Scotland 1, 2, England 3, but for a fumbled punch at the second last control a storming run from James Tullie would have put Scotland in 4th too but as it was James was pipped at the line by Nick Barrable.

On the last leg of the women’s race the in form Fiona Berrow lead out for Scotland, 2 minutes back came Helen Bridle for England with Mhairi Mackenzie hot on her heels. At the crossover Fiona maintained a minute lead over Helen and Mhairi who were neck and neck. When the runners came through the forest for the finish it was Mhairi who appeared first having made her move in the green 2 controls out, she won by 13 seconds from Helen and Fiona came in third only 8 seconds further back. Then came two English teams before Janine Inman finished 6th, gaining another place for Scotland.

A comprehensive relay victory for Scotland was soon followed by a comprehensive sampling of cakes back at the House of Bruar, out of the wind and rain. After a good hot meal and the breaking OMM news teams socialised either at Aberfeldy’s Black Watch Inn ( familiar perhaps from Tayside ‘97 Scottish Six Days?) or in front of the X-Factor. Down the pub the English were muttering that the scoring system was a bit skewed as they couldn’t now win the competition. The Scots decided that to quash any discussion they would simply win the individual day too. And so it came to pass.

Everyone found Craig a’ Barns tough and technical, but for the English it was too tough and too technical. In the individual races runners score points for their placing and these are added up to a team result in each class. Scotland wound up team winners in M21, W21 and M20, with individual victories for Ewan McCarthy, Mhairi MacKenzie and Doug Tullie respectively. Scotland won both days and regained the SHI trophy.

Thanks and well done to the team, everyone ran well and this combined with Scotland’s team spirit brought the victory.

My thanks to the following for helping to put the SHIs on this year.
Relay Planner, Rob Lee
Relay Controllers, Colin Eades and Graeme Ackland
SI systems, Robin Strain and Andy Dalgleish
Individual Planner, Ian Pyrah
Individual Controller, Brian Bullen
To the ESOC organising team for accommodating the individual race.
Thanks also to Lorna Eades for helping with the team managing / feeding.

Photo of author Posted on 26th Oct 08
by Andy Kitchin -

Filed under: Fixtures/Events • News • Results • SEDS

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