11th March 2018, 78 Makairo Road, Kohinui, Pahiatua (Craig & Nicky Ellingham)
We were the first people to get there which is good because dad likes to be early to set up stuff. The only problem was that it was freezing cold. Thankfully it warmed up later on although my hands were feeling a little bit frozen on the look lap.
There were four of us in the ‘Junior’ Women’s class, but only two of us were actually Juniors. Hazel just wanted to have a fun ride so rode in the morning race with me. It was April’s birthday and she was going to go to a trail ride but it was cancelled so she just came out for a fun ride as well.
I got off the start line just in front of Hazel and April and caught up to the other girl, Ella, fairly soon after. I got a bit of a lead on Hazel and April but then I relaxed too much and they caught up with me. Then I stalled on a corner and April passed me.
On the next lap I passed her and pretty much led the other women for the rest of the race. Except that I’d made the mistake of trash-talking Hazel on the start line and, on the 2nd to last lap, she passed me and took off. I was feeling a bit queasy and didn’t give chase as hard as I should have and then it was too late. She was gone.
There was a tight 180 degree right-hander through a gate at the start of the chicane. Just through the gate was a large macrocarpa that was in the way. The base of the tree always pushed the front wheel out and everyone dabbed. By the third lap I had it sussed and started clearing this ‘section’. It was all good until the last lap when I stalled with April right behind me. The gateway was too tight for her to pass me but I made a total meal of it and almost dropped the bike.
At the end of the day we were just about the last people to leave. We stood around the BBQ and pigged out on venison. On the way out the gate Nicky gave us a box of mutton. Awesome!