Braemar - 5 Sep 09
By Flt Lt Ben Trapnell
Representatives of the Royal Air Force once again travelled to Braemar to compete in the Royal Highland Gathering. This year teams represented RAF Odiham, DCAE Cosford and RAF Halton in the Inter Unit Medley Relay, competing along side units from the Army and Navy. An RAF Tug of War team was also competing in the Inter Unit Tug of War competition and we had a single entry this year in the prestigious Morrone Hill Race. The conditions were tough as torrential rain throughout the previous week made for heavy going but the day itself proved to be sunny and saw some excellent competition.
The Braemar Gathering is an annual festival of sport and Scottish heritage up in the Cairngorms. Events range from the events mentioned above to individual sprint and throwing events as well as the more light hearted sack race for the kids. Bagpipes and Scottish dancing competitions are also on hand to entertain over 15,000 spectators from all over the world. The general feel is of the worlds biggest school sports day.
The day started with the Morrone hill race and saw Flt Lt Ben Livesey make a strong challenge right from the start in this extremely tough event. The premise of the event was simple: complete one lap of the track before making your way to the top of Morrone Hill and then back again to the park for a final lap before finishing in front of the crowds. There was no set course and includes a field of 80 athletes varying from professional fell runners to normal club athletes. Ben was the first runner to the top of the hill but was slowed in his decent by some ambiguity in the rules allowing 2 other runners to get past him. He finished strongly however, belting into the arena to loud applause and taking 3rd place.
The heats of the Inter Service Relay were up next and saw RAF Halton, represented this year by a mixed team of SAC David Hughes, Flt Lt Sasha Sheard, SAC Nick Gaulder and Flt Lt Sean Davis took on the might of the Royal Guards and 30 Signal Regiment to name but a few. They performed well and remained in contention for much of the race but were finally edged out in the closing stages.
Next up in a tough heat were RAF Odiham and DCAE Cosford facing up to 10 Signals Regiment and HMS Neptune. RAF Odiham was represented by Cpl Stu Benson, SAC Darren Robinson, SAC Mike Wright and newcomer SO Alasdair Stewart. DCAE Cosford fielded Flt Lt Nath Jones, Flt Lt Rob Barker-Davies, SO Darren Tremble and SAC Mark Oak. Both teams motored round the track and qualified easily for the final despite a bit of ‘rubbing’ with the 10 Signals team.
The arrival of Her Majesty the Queen heralded the relay finals. With two teams in the final it promised to be an interesting race. With SAC Robinson leading the Odiham team off they started strong and powered around the course in a fairly close race until Stu Benson ripped the track up in the last half lap to take the overall victory. DCAE Cosford didn't have it all their own way but still managed to claim fourth in a highly competitive field. The day concluded with Cpl Stu Benson going up to receive the trophy from Her Majesty. Tired but proud the team departed Braemar happy with their achievements of the day with everyone keen to come back next year to participate in this fantastic event. A steady trip back to Leuchar's allowed them to unwind before celebrating their achievements in St Andrews.
