2023

President's Day 2023

There were over 50 people present to enjoy this special day and the ‘ bring and share’ tea afterwards on Sunday 20th August. This years’ President, Mrs Jean Hutton, lives in the village, and has been a member of the club for many years. She is currently Bar Manager and also helps with the work on the green, and had chosen as her charity ‘Rutland Responders’. As something of a horse racing fan she suggested the day to have an ‘Ascot’ theme.

Fund raising has taken place throughout the year and will continue until the end of her term in November.On this day alone however approximately  £350 was raised as a result of a ‘Spider’, won by Frank Haynes, a Raffle with a table full of prizes, and a beautifully hand crafted quilt with a Harry Potter theme, separately raffled. This beautiful piece had been produced by the needle of member Liz Hosmer and a delighted Barbie Jenkins from the village was the one to take it home.

Many club members had input but the day’s programme had been organised by Liz Dyer and Jack Warner who had decorated the car park with plenty of Rutland horseshoe bunting, inflatable horses heads with straw feed bags and every bowler was given a ‘horse’.  The turnout of ‘Ascot’ finery was a delight, some elegant, some humorous. Bow ties, long skirts, hats, jockeys, the whole range was in there somewhere.

The bowlers were split into 12 teams for the day with a variety of clever names ready to play three races.

Neigh Bother, Harry Trotter, Hoof Hearted, Stable Relationship, No Chance, Spongebob Horsepants, Headless Chicken, Hay Fever, Al Ca-pony, May The Horse Be With You, Main Attraction and Lame Duck.

The weather was wonderful, hot and sunny with plenty of breeze and everybody took to the ‘start’ with gusto.

Heralded by a hooter with a 2 pm start was Race 1 ‘The Marko Palace Stakes’. Time allowed 30 minutes so it was up to the team to play as many ends as possible. No fine tuned setting of the jack or hanging about on the mat refining alignment; a challenge for some who like to take their time! Many teams rushed at this hell for leather finishing very hot and bothered!  One or two Stewards enquiries too for blocking bowlers views and other misappropriation. Score cards were placed in the Winning or Losing box ready for calculations later.   The Winner was Spongebob Horsepants jockeyed by John Cox, Bev Hamblett, Dave Laker and Keith Cusdin.  Bringing up the rear was Al Ca-pony jockeyed by Michelle Rawlings, Kevin Thomas, Jim Dickinson, and Peter Kelleher.   

Race 2 was The Fillies Mile. Change of skips for each team for every race was needed. Scoring was a different format, 3,2,1, for the nearest three bowls, with 2 points extra for kissing the jack.  Some hilarious attempts by one bowler in particular determined to get points this way and somehow finding the gaps every time! After 5 ends the skips changed once more and another five ends were underway. Overall winners of most points here was Lame Duck jockeyed by Roy Hosmer, Frank Haynes, Chris Fleckney and Chris Rawlings. Bringing up the rear in this race was Stable Relationship jockeyed by Mal Croson, Irene Reay, Ian Hamblett, and  Jenny Johnson.

For Race 3 The Hutton Gold Cup, we were back to the format of the first race but somehow it seemed the heat of the day had taken its toll and there was not the same acceleration up and down the green as previously! Winners were Neigh Bother, jockeyed by Jonny Abbott, Paul Taylor and Olwen Dixon. Struggling at the back this time were the Lame Duck foursome who could not repeat their success of the previous race!.

Incidentally a vote by those present on who had the best outfit agreed it was Jonny Abbott in his outrageous jockey outfit, complete with boots and he managed to wear the outfit complete throughout the day.

A game of ‘Heads and Tails’ in the club house finished off the afternoon after the sumptuous tea with Dave Laker going home a happy winner.

Well done to everybody who came to support, the organisers, and the spectators. It was an afternoon to remember.  Only Market Overton BC would make bowling such fun!! Plus raising money for a super cause.