Vic Fox Hunt Championships 2000 report

Report for the 15th Annual WIA Victorian Foxhunting Championships

VK3YQN team, Saturday 6th May 2000

Five teams assembled at the 1st Hoppers Crossing Scout Hall on the
afternoon of Saturday May 6. The weather was typical of Melbourne: four
seasons in an afternoon. VK3JMD, VK3YXO, VK3HDF, VK3HBD and VK3BLN.
The steady rain over the preceding three days had turned much of the
western district into a ditch, ho ho ho.

The first hunt was a 2m single-leg affair, with the transmitter planted
on the old Melbourne outfall sewer (public land). Access was by foot or
through a gap in the fence 2km south-west of the hunt location. First
was VK3JMD, followed by BLN, YXO and HBD.

Hunt 2 was a fixed-order 2-legged 70cm and 2m event. The 70cm fox was
in wasteland to the south of Laverton air force base (JMD, HDF, YXO),
and the 2m fox was on the banks of the Werribee River north of the
Heaths Rd bridge (JMD, HDF, YXO). VK3HBD managed to blow up Bruce
VK3TJN's borrowed 6m converter, and VK3BLN had gone troppo with minimal
prompting.

Hunt 3 was the first mud-bash of the day. Jack VK3WWW put up a 6m fox
near the railway line to the north-east of Little River. BLN, HDF, JMD
and YXO got in, with BLN getting bogged on the way out and YXO inbound.
Many thanks to JMD for offering to drag YXO out of the mud. The second
(10m) leg was to be situated at Cobbledicks Ford but was relocated to
the north side of the Werribee racecourse to recover lost time. HDF was
first, followed by JMD. No sign of YXO or BLN (went troppo again).

After a tea break, the first five-legged hunt of the day was conducted.
A hunt-any-order affair, foxes were located at Campbell's Cove Pt Cook
(80m), Mount Cottrell (23cm), north of Cobbledicks Ford (10m), Masons
Lane Werribee South (2m), and west of Werribee Tip (70cm). JMD and BLN
found four foxes each, YXO found three, and HBD and HDF found two each.
Lots of mud and slush. The 23cm fox was easily heard at the scout hall,
and was operated at varying power for the duration of the hunt,
especially when it fell out of the tree while the diligent operator was
saturated in the dulcet tones of The Living End. No other dramas.
Overall, BLN won over JMD, YXO, HDF and HBD.

A quick sniffer hunt was conducted before dinner. HDF was follwed by
JMD, BLN, YNG, HBD, HKC and XAJ.

Sue Christian and her wonderful catering team provided the hungry hounds
and foxes with a magnificent spit roast, with baked potatoes, 5h1t-loads
of pasta salad, excellent desserts etc etc etc. There was plenty of
food, and some of the organisers' rellies and harmonics attended to
assist with the shovelling. Yum yum.

Suitably stuffed, hounds prepared themselves for the five-legged fixed
order night hunt. BLN had other commitments and withdrew from further
competition. The first leg (2m) was situated in north-western Hoppers
Crossing (Melway 202A8) (HDF, YXO, JMD, HBD). The second leg (70cm) was
barely heard, so hounds were instructed to head north-west. The fox (in
vehicle) was located at the end of an un-marked 2km track beside the
Ballarat railway line, overlooking the Melton Reservoir. HDF sniffed in
by crossing the long railway bridge, while JMD struggled up the
embankment from the distant pistol club. YXO eventually got in with a
few hints from the fox. HBD disappeared for an hour but eventually back
returned to mobile phone coverage for some assistance. The third leg
(10m) was situated at the south-east end of a 1km bike path in a new
estate south of the freeway to Ballarat, overlooking the Werribee River
(113C10). JMD and YXO located the Pajero, with no sign of HDF or HBD.
The fourth (6m) leg was hidden at the west end of some unmapped / unmade
streets to the south-east of the Melton Reservoir at Exford Downs
(117B11). JMD was the sole successful hound here. JMD, HDF and HBD
found the fifth (2m) fox, located at the north end of Wandsworth St Mt
Cottrell (359 B1).

Tired and muddy hounds and foxes retired to Roger's QTHR in Hoppers
Crossing for a post-mortem and supper. Prizes abounded, and there was
even some useful stuff to be had. Scores were tallied and announced.
Teams were allocated 5 points for 1st place, 4 for 2nd, 3 for 3rd, 2 for
4th, 1 for 5th and 0 if not in at all. Scores were awarded for each fox
(ie 15 foxes plus separate sniffer event).

Scores as below. VK3HDF has agreed to conduct the 2001 Vic Champs, in
the Yarra Glen area.

Hunt	1	2a	2b	Total 2	3a	3b	Total 3	4a	4b	4c	4d	4e	Total 4	6a	6b	6c	6d	6e	Total 6
JMD	5	5	5	10	3	4	7	5	0	3	4	3	15	3	4	5	5	5	22
BLN	4	0	0	0	5	0	5	4	0	4	5	4	17	0	0	0	0	0	0
YXO	3	3	3	6	2	0	2	0	4	5	0	5	14	4	0	4	0	0	8
HBD	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0	3	0	6	2	0	0	0	3	5
HDF	0	4	4	8	4	5	9	0	5	0	2	0	7	5	5	0	0	4	14

Report by Roger VK3HRL.