Vinduro Hare and Hounds

As pandemic lockdowns began to tentatively ease, NE Vinduro held a Hare and Hounds on their course near Wooler in Northumberland…it was a great day.

Like other organisers Vinduro NE inspected the regulations and found they could run a Hare and Hounds if they met the regs. We were there.

Regulations brought in to control the coronavirus pandemic are certainly restrictive, but it doesn’t mean all sport is shut down, it just means sport has to happen in a slightly different way at the moment.

Take NE Vinduro club for instance, aware that a normal time-card enduro might not meet the social distancing rules at this time – best will in the world, checking a time card in a tank bag can’t be done while two metres apart – they considered a Hare and Hounds.

All riders are already wearing face masks and as long as each competitor’s number can be seen from two metres away they can be checked off as completing each lap. The governing body of sport agreed and around a 100 riders made their way to

Northumberland in September, eager for action.

No spectators were allowed of course and only people from the same bubble could accompany riders, but an enduro is more about the rider participation than performing for spectators.

In case you’re not familiar with the concept of a hare and hounds event, there is a course to be tackled as many times as possible in a time set for the event duration. There are no hard and fast rules for how long the event should last, nor how long the course is.

NE Vinduro have a reasonable stretch of land to use and the lap was 12 miles this year, with, I think, three hours to do as many laps as you could or wanted to.

In the past they’ve used an hour, with an hour break, then another hour which has also worked well. The idea often is a rider will go at their own pace with no pressure and enjoy the event… however, we’re competition riders and often the thrill of going on a challenging course brings out the extreme, and good intentions are left standing on the toolbox as the extra mile is done…fully in the knowledge one should have stopped the lap before, or two laps before, then one wouldn’t resemble a zombie… I have the pictures to prove it.

With a rolling 25-year cut-off date there is plenty of scope for a selection of motorcycles to be eligible for this type of event and while the majority of bikes will be Eighties or Nineties Japanese or European machines, there is no need to stick to this era. On the day we saw Royal Enfield and CCM being used as well as Can-am. So, if you fancy a go, look for NE Vinduro Club on Facebook and see what it’s all about.

Above: Riders explain to each other how many laps they’re going to do. Right: Mark Shaw is quietly confident and managed seven laps in the expert class. Far right: James Hitchcox’s Kawasaki was best Expert Evo with nine laps under its wheels. Below: The calm before the start and look how many don’t have a side stand.

Above: The riders meeting at the start is an important part of the proceedings and where Gavin Douglas lays down the law.

Right: The broad spectrum of colours abounds in vinduro, Suzuki cornered all the yellow paint for years with their PE enduros, RM, mxers and RL trials bikes.

Right: Donny Hamilton took best Sportsman Evo aboard this Husky which he hauled around for eight laps.

Above: As the hour approaches the combatants await the signal to start… Left: Kawasaki rider Andy Ayre grins while IT man Mark Aldred gives the thumbs up as Terry Wilkinson feigns nonchalance. Above right: Royal Enfield have an excellent record in international enduros… Okay, it was a while ago, with the likes of Johnny Brittain aboard them, but still… Left: In life there are the blameless and then there are those who have to take the blame… Chris Marsh is responsible for the editor’s Can-am habit… Right: Evo rider Kevin Robertson guides his bike between the stonework before the time control. Bottom: … and they’re off!

Left: Shane Mcdonald finished the day as 2nd Evo in the Clubman A class. Right: Steve Hodges, up from the East Midlands, managed to hustle his Enfield around the long course for three laps. Left: Honda-mounted Mick Floyd was second in the Clubman A class. Below left: Barry Jeffrey approaches the time control. Below: Down in the woods the early riders approach, with what looks like James Hitchcox ahead of Ross Elliot.

Below: Class B rider Carl Withers looks good on his IT.