Ben took off the basket that usually lives on the front of his borrowed MTB but he really should have left it there and used it to carry the Panther around the course; that might have tested his mettle. As it was he made it look so effortless. Anyway now he's got the next twelve months to get to know the eponymous beast and her offspring.
 In contrast Roger Hales was putting in a big effort on lap 1 when, sadly, he came unstuck. He approached Laps 2 to 4 a bit more cautiously but not a lot more slowly so his total time was still good enough for fourth place. He finished the ride looking a bit like Brer Rabbit was expected to look after his encounter with the briar patch (but, of course, didn't) but commented that his face at least saved his helmet from damage as it embedded itself in the gravel. Paul Prottey also had something to say to the dirt but fewer bloodied bits to show for it; so he received far less sympathy.
 Greg Gendron easily took the prize for 'Mr Cool' for the day, stopping after Lap 1 to remove his arm warmers. The trouble was the effect was somewhat lost when he decided the ambience of the gazebo was so much better than out on the course that he never managed to restart his 4-lap journey. We extracted a little more effort from him eventually by getting him to call rider numbers while Susie patched up Roger and Paul. Greg also claimed that lap ! took him longer than expected because he stopped to change a flat tyre at which point Mark McClellan played his trump, claiming TWO punctured tyres that he was forced to fill with grass plucked from the track-side …
 James Hales' ride ambitions were thwarted by an asthma attack but he then took over the job of race photographer from Troy when Troy took off on his own ride. Look for the results of their work via the link that will be posted on the forum.
 Andrew Mackie was out on the course two hours before his own ride began, adding the extra track markers that the event always needs. Andrew took the Panther home with him last year and today showed it was a bit more than the fluke he claimed by posting the second fastest time of the day.
 Aunt Emily had his race experience vicariously, looking after Gate 8. He did get to do a proper lap later though: helping to recover the blue arrows that helped mark the course. Susie, as we know kept busy in various ways; the starter's was one hat she wore.