Excellent performances by Stafford and Stone Canoe Club paddlers

Canoeists from the local club posted some excellent results at the Stone ranking division 3 and 4 slalom this weekend, marking another successful event for the club.

In division 3, Stafford and Stone Canoe Club members secured all the top places. In the men’s category, Ian Moorcroft was the clear winner, followed by Tom Woodhead in second place. In the ladies’ race all four top places went to Walton Priory pupils. In first place was Rosie Bate with a time that would have put her high in the men’s race. Rebbecca Heath was second, followed by Katie Brownhill and Lara Horne.

In the division 4 race, Peter Tansey put in two consistently good runs without penalties to come first. In the entry-level division 4, paddlers can earn promotion to division 3 by coming in the top 20%. Tansey, along with juniors Samuel Miles (4th) and Adam Moorcroft (5th), were rewarded with promotion this weekend.

Division 4 ladies, Samantha Owen from Trentham Canoe Club, who came 3rd, and Jasmine Manuell from SSCC (4th) were also promoted.

In both division 4 races there was an exceptionally high turn out, with many Midlands clubs bringing fleets of beginners to try out canoe slalom with a total of 88 entries.

Earlier in the week the event was in jeopardy from being cancelled after the previous week’s strong winds had brought down two trees, blocking the river right in the middle of the slalom course. At the eleventh hour, an ex club paddler, Robert Smith, saved the day by offering the services of his newly founded tree surgery company, T & J Smith Tree Services. The Saturday before the race saw his team, along a gang of volunteer Dads, clearing the course.

The Stone event kick-started the canoe slalom season, with many of the newly promoted paddlers competing at Matlock, Sowerby Bridge and Marple, Stockport over the coming weeks.

Meanwhile in division 1, the season started well for club junior, Jasmine Royle with a second place at the Shepperton slalom on the Thames the previous weekend and a first place last Saturday on the Chapel Falls section of the Tryweryn, the National Whitewater Centre in Bala.

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