Back on the Peat
March 21st 2013
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Amanda Fitzpatrick Report
How do you run a Hauraki Plains College Motox Tournament in the middle of a drought – you just have to run with it and hope for the best!
The best certainly did shine on March 22nd at the “Back on the Peat” tournament. Once again I asked myself do we? Don’t We? And as always those words are always in the back of my mind “JUST DO IT” so we ran with our first tournament for 2013 which resulted in some podium changes which is a good thing, some faces were shocked at the end of the day but imagine being able to stand on the podium for the first time and take home a trophy to keep – priceless!
Yes there was dust but we tried our hardest to keep the track watered and to smooth it out where we could but at the end of the day when you put 230 plus riders from 42 different schools on a track, there is going to be dust.
I love to see the kids resilience and determination to never give up and shine through, kids that never thought they could do it to come off the track smiling with black faces that’s what it is all about and that’s why I do it, tell me where the perfect track is? I don’t imagine there is one but hey if there is what are the riders going to learn on that?
Neil Ritchie once again did an amazing job of letting us know what was happening on the track, MX Timing was quickly backing him up with results, Mike Phillips was there for some inspiration and advice, Lakes Event Medic Team were absolutely fantastic although not that busy with injuries which is the beauty of the peat still an amazing team to have on the track, Julie Stephenson was amazed from Sports Waikato, the start gates with Andrew and Fridge ran like clockwork as did the finish line with Karen and Jason, our HPC team of marshals were outstanding to say the least.
The support behind this team is fantastic and nothing could be done without them. To have two of the original HPC MX team members setting up the track, working on the track during the day, racing in the supporters race and then handing out the trophies at the end of the day I think was my icing on the cake Cameron Fitzpatrick and Andre Langeveld you are the true legends I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed having you both being part of our team and seeing Cameron for the first time ever stand on the podium! I must thank my husband Dennis for putting up with my hours on the computer at night, phone calls, helping very early Friday morning and of course making us lovely real sausages for the team BBQ.
If there is one regret about hosting a tournament it’s that I miss what’s going on amongst my team and miss a lot of the racing, the day races by in a bit of a blur which is weird but true, I guess I am focusing on all the things that “pop” up during the day. But to hear what visitors have to say that have never seen our tournaments in action before is so rewarding and when some stranger comes up to you and gives you a big hug and says “I love you to bits, this is amazing thanks very much for doing this for the kids” that is priceless just encourages you to start planning the next one!
To see the Wairoa and Gisborne teams with us this time was fantastic and them showering under the water truck at the very end of the day – just spreads that smile wider. Always a happy bunch of kids to have and even thou Wairoa’s school van broke down on the way they were all smiling early Friday morning and always so appreciative – such awesome people!
So no helicopters and no ambos were needed which has to be the winning formula and a bonus of the peat – do I run another on the peat – we’ll see, with a farmer like Jason Wenn who is so generous with his families land there is a high possibility but maybe not again in the middle of a drought!
There are some outstanding results which can be found on www.mylaps.com
