With memories of Bogkhana 2023 still fresh in our minds, it was with some trepidation that we watched the long range weather reports for Sunday 17th March. But our fears were ungrounded, and the day dawned bright and clear.
Rod and Shanlee Milner had invited us to their home in Clevedon for Gymkhana 2024, and as late arrivals we were greeted by two rows of gleaming Mercedes cars on the driveway. Last minute polishing and judging was underway, while out in the back paddock the marquee had been erected and the course was being laid out. This was not our usual sloping paddock at the NSVCC with the dip in the middle of the course that trapped so many in the mud last year, but a flat paddock with fresh knee-high grass, and with firm ground underfoot. The course got faster as the day progressed, and the grass dried out.
If you include the other class cars of Jags, Lexus, BMW, Holdens and Henry the Honda, we had 22 drivers ready to have a crack. Anyone who tells you that this is not a competitive event has been attending the wrong gymkhana, and so with lots of laughter, banter and borrowing of cars the event kicked off.
Round one was a slalom course around the outer edges of the paddock, ending with a fairly fast turn into the timing gate. We all had at least two attempts at the course with the fastest time being recorded, and then it was time for lunch by the pool. Thank you to everyone who had brought a salad to share, as always lunch was delicious, and everything was made easier by Shanlee and Rod providing bottomless coffees, plates, cutlery and a kitchen to serve from. Chris and Debbie’s grandchildren had a wonderful day swimming and playing with the animals.
Round two was a slalom course with wicked zig-zagging gates and a halfway post where we turned around and did the course in reverse.
Winners on the day were Ken Williams in the classic class, Arthur Iles in the modern class and Samantha Lynch in the Ladies class. But a couple of other winners had to be Philippa & Ken’s B180 “the mighty B” – mighty fast on grass, and Henry the Honda which just looked like an epic ride.
Thank you to Rod and Shanlee for being the most wonderful hosts, and thank you to everyone who attended, brought food, judged events, recorded the races, cooked the barbeque, and did all those other things that made the day so special. As always this is one of our most popular events and I am looking forward to 2025.
Sue Iles
Click on this link for the S&S and Gymkhana results
Click here to view more photos on our Gallery page
