Bromyard teams on top of the world
Despite strong entries from teams as far away as Poland and Bulgaria the winners of both the Men’s and Women’s 2012 Hop Pocket races were local teams.
‘Awesome’ and ‘Luscious Ladies’ took victory and with it the right to call themselves Hop Pocket Race World Champions.
With 21 teams entered – more than 40% up on last year’s inaugural event – it was no surprise to see a large and appreciative crowd generating a great atmosphere in the sunny town centre.
Two innovations from last year, the new shorter ‘out and back’ course and the obstacle which had to be cleared twice, added to the spectacle and gave the spectators more to see and more to cheer.
Winners of the 2012 Hop Pocket Word Championship mens race team ‘Awesome’, comprising of two pairs of brothers: Ashley and Andrew Davis, and William and Lewis Jacobsen didn’t decide to enter until the last minute. “We had no special training, but we’re all pretty fit, so we just went for it”. said Andrew Davis, ‘Awesome’ carried the 70 kg pocket round the course in 2 minutes 41 seconds, beating a team of Halo Leisure fitness instructors by just 6 seconds.
The new Ladies World Champion team is Luscious Ladies. Team members Philippa Jones, Sally Bullock, Carla Chamberlain and Steph Bagley. clocked a time of 4m 11s, beating Lower Hope’s ‘Crazy Girls’ by 20 seconds, “We are very proud to have taken over the title of Ladies’ World Champions. Proud, but exhausted!” said Steph.
Bromyard can be proud, not just of its new world champions but also of its Former Mayors. Three of them Jonathan Lester, Jamie Jacobsen and Nigel Davis along with this year’s Mayor’s consort Daniel Pearce Higgins competing under the mysterious title of the X Men, completed the course in a creditable 4 minutes 44 seconds. What a credit to the town – I wonder how many other towns in Britain could do this!
