Fresh Faces at the Jamie Stevenson Trophy: Juniors Share Their Stories

By Louise Adams – SOA Lead Development Officer

Scotland’s junior orienteers turned out in force for the annual Jamie Stevenson Trophy, held this year on Sunday 15th June at Hill of Alyth. With stunning views, great weather, and a fantastic buzz at the assembly, the event celebrated both competition and community — and inspired many new memories for the juniors involved.

The Jamie Stevenson Trophy is a much-loved date in the junior calendar — a chance to represent your club, build team spirit, and enjoy a full day out with friends from across the country. This year, Forth Valley Orienteers (FVO) retained the coveted trophy for the 4th year in a row, holding off a strong challenge from INVOC who were just 4 points behind. Moravian completed the podium.

“Exciting, fun – and a bit spiky!”

The event drew wide praise from participants. From face paint and club colours to the cheering at the finish, the atmosphere left a big impression.

Nathan L (KFO) said, “It was an exciting and fun event. The views from the top of the hill were great in the good weather.” Evan C (KFO) said, “I enjoyed the buzz, and colours with all the other teams at the base camp.” Aaron L (KFO) added, “There was a good atmosphere between the clubs and the extra activities kept people entertained. It was good to be in an area I hadn’t run before. It was something different from normal because of all the paths and gorse.” Not everyone was a fan of the vegetation, though — Aster L (KFO) admitted, “I enjoyed the course, especially navigating with the nice big contour features, but not the gorse!”

Kingdom of Fife Orienteers brought one of their largest away teams in recent years, with juniors competing across age classes from M/W10 to M/W18.

“Some were sets of siblings who tackled the courses on their own or as a pair,” said Club Secretary Matthew Clark. “When you add on the other KFO members taking part in the afternoon Tayside event (the local event being held alongside the junior competition), we had more than twenty KFO members at Hill of Alyth – one of our biggest ‘away days’ for years.”

First-timers make their mark

For many, this year was their first Jamie Stevenson experience — and it hopefully left a lasting impact.

Leo L (FVO), aged 9, ran at the JST for the first time:

“It was hot so I got quite sweaty. From the top we could see far and there was a good view over the nearby hills… At the prizegiving, I was really surprised to hear my name — I’d won first place for the boys! I was really happy and my horse medal was cool. I have it beside my bed. Our club won overall and we all cheered a lot. It was a fun morning and I liked seeing a new part of Scotland. I would tell other juniors to enter as it was fun running as part of the Club. Everyone was very friendly and cheered when you finished. I’m looking forward to entering again next year.”

Luc D (FVO), aged 11, began his journey through school orienteering and has quickly risen through the ranks:

“I got into Orienteering a couple of years ago at the P5 Scottish Schools Orienteering Festival, and our 2 brilliant orienteering coaches (Jason Inman and Dom Edward) really motivated and inspired us. Earlier in the year, I was asked to join SWAT which made me excited as I could join my friends and get better at orienteering! I was really looking forward to this year’s Jamie Stevenson trophy. When we got there, there was lots of face paint, hair dye and noise, all in FVO colours! After I’d downloaded, I found out I was in second place and then Sean T came around the corner and beat me, which was a bit irritating, but I was happy for Sean as he is my friend. It was brilliant fun and FVO managed to win, beating INVOC by four points for the second year in a row! There were lots of sweets and I came third overall, so I had a great time. I’m looking forward to next year…”

From Tayside Orienteers, Dougie C shared his experience as a first-timer:

“I was glad I attended the event as I was able to meet new people, and I was excited to learn more about orienteering, map-reading and exploring Scotland in a new way. I am now looking forward to trying to improve my times, my scores and placings.”

Looking ahead

From club camaraderie to personal bests and podium surprises, the Jamie Stevenson Trophy once again proved to be more than just a competition — it’s a celebration of junior orienteering in Scotland. Congratulations to all that competed and a big thank you to Tayside Orienteers for organising the event.

Next year’s Jamie Stevenson Trophy will be held on Sunday 21st June, location tbd.