Our Club Championships take place every autumn, sometimes at a special event, or at another club’s event. We have trophies for the fastest man and woman based on minutes per km (the Peter Bourne and Karen Jackson Trophies), but also for the man and women who finish first – so age is never a barrier to winning (Chris Yardley and Judy Buckley Trophies)!
Starts are handicapped such that everyone is predicted to finish at 12noon, which makes for some exciting racing! Here we are waiting for the last finishers at Brierley Country Park in October 2022.
This year’s winners at Shipley Park are given below. Thank you the Officials Helen & Jane for their hard work, as well as Andrew for the handicapping.
Winners from 2010–2019 our DVO 50th Anniversary Champs where we all dressed in retro O kit. The event was held at Carsington Pastures; Murray White’s flickr album of the event gives a great flavour and Jane’s article in Newstrack (p 13–14) shows us copying our courses onto our maps, and the archaic control cards we had to pin-punch at each control!
Delving back further, winners prior to 2010 can be seen in September 2014’s Newstrack page 15.
The trophies hold interesting memories and we are grateful to the people who have donated them.
The Chris Yardley Trophy
Awarded to the first man to finish
Chris Yardley was one of the founder members of DVO and Club Secretary at one point. He was a civil engineer and was killed in spring 1977 in an avalanche on Ben Nevis. The DVO Club Championships was first staged that year, and was a closed handicap event in which the first person to cross the line won the trophy.
The Judy Buckley Trophy
Awarded to the first lady to finish
Judy was an active planner and controller in the early days of the Club. The Buckleys hosted Wednesday evening runs from their house in Allestree for many years, and two of their sheds doubled as the DVO equipment store before it moved to its current location. Both Godfree boys were taught maths by Judy at Mickleover School, later Murray Park. She died from cancer while in her 50s. Judy‘s husband Steve has only recently retired from orienteering with LOC, and their children Kim (now Baxter) and Alastair (both SYO) are keen orienteers with their own families.
The Peter Bourne Trophy
Awarded to the fastest man
Peter and Ros Bourne were longtime NOC members, but moved to Tansley on retirement in the early 2000s. Peter died from a heart attack shortly afterwards, just days before he would have been controlling an event at Crich Chase. Ros and Peter‘s children also orienteer, Chris and family with DVO, and Simon with EPOC.
The Karen Jackson Trophy
Awarded to the fastest woman
Karen and Andy Jackson joined DVO from LEI in the mid 1990s, when they moved to Ockbrook. Karen was a keen organiser, planner and controller, as well as Wednesday night runner. She worked as an anaesthetist at one of the Derby hospitals. Karen died suddenly in autumn 2001. Andy and his son Matthew are still Club members, daughter Nicola works in medical statistics.
The Lithuanian Trophy
Awarded to the fastest junior
Mike Godfree tells the story: A group of 4 Lithuanians were invited over by Steve Buckley and left us the trophy. This was when the Russians were being ousted from Lithuania and it was touch and go whether they would get out of the country. I was working in London at the time and went to meet them at Victoria off the boat train (this was before the Tunnel). They were hosted by the Wrights and Helen Finlayson if I remember rightly as Steve and Judy Buckley had set it all up but then they were away on holiday. They came to the White Rose.
