Rickard Shield Practice Day (4 March 2007) We held a practice day to give the Explorers the chance to take on the 2006 route in the Mendip Hills south of Bristol. Although they went in daylight the weather was very wet and very windy and the poor visibility helped to compensate for the fact it wasn't dark! |
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Rickard Shield 2007 (17 to 18 March 2007) The competition has now taken place. Our team completed 2 of the 6 checkpoints before deciding to take an unplanned and unknown detour from the route they were given. The control centre sent a team out to look for them and found them within about 30 seconds! The team then carried on for another 2 checkpoints (4 out of 6) before one of them had to pull out. The remaining team members then continued with another team to the fifth checkpoint before the control centre decided to bring back all of the teams. Everyone was covered in mud (boots and trousers is understandable but faces and coats?), cold and wet. When asked if they wanted to take part again next year the answers varied from not so polite versions of "no" to very enthusiastic "yes"! The winners of the Rickard Shield were Downend ESU Team 2. |
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This is what the leaders do when the Explorers are lost in the dark! |
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Notice the mud on the coat, scarf and rucksack. |
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Trend setting with a pink hat and high visibility jacket. |
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I can even get the clean borrowed jacket muddy drinking a coffee. |
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The morning after.... |
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I may have lost the jacket but I've kept the hat! |
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The presentations (from right to left: County Network Coordinator, Assistant County Commissioner (Explorers), event organiser, parents of Mark Rickard (who the event is named after)). |
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Northwinds ESU receiving their certificate. |
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Ah......signal......MUST.......USE.......PHONE! |
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