The Midlands Herald Page 15 — 6th June 2008

Local cyclists making their mark . . . and Dale’s

internationally
See overleaf:
• Craig Paul in Scotland
and Italy; and
• Sharlene McGilvray in
France, Brazil, Canada
and China
Right: The winners of the women’s 45+
category at last year’s BMX World
Champs in Canada — from left, 1st,
Liesbeth van der Jagt (NED); 2nd,
Sharlene McGilvray (South Africa);
3rd, Ellen Kuiper (Canada); 4th, Joni
Siebenlist (USA); 5th, Kathryn
Bostrom (USA); and 7th and partly
cut off, Kittie Weston-Knauer (USA).
Continued from page 20
the gate — but saw her chances of the title
fade when a small mistake near the finish
meant she slipped a place.
Competitors assembled their bikes from
the pieces that they had brought in, while
the rain conspired to render the track
unusable.
On a special indoors track built overnight,
the 49-year-old raced for the first time in
her own age group and not against twenty-
somethings.
“The outdoors track there was beautiful,”
she said, adding that it was drizzling when
she had arrived earlier in Vancouver for the
pre-worlds event.
“I came third in the 19-and-over class on
a special indoors track built overnight, as
the rain conspired to render the outdoor track
unusable.”
Back home and later in the year, Sharlene
won the “Ladies’ BMX Rider of the Year”
award at the Standard Bank Cyclist of the
Year 2007 awards held at The Emperor’s
Palace in Johannesburg in November.
She received a cheque for R500 “and a
humungous bunch of flowers; it
was like carrying a small
child !”
For the second year running
she also earned her KZN colours
and has been re-selected for the
SA squad attending the 2008
World Championships.
In May she will be leaving
for Tauyuan, near Beijing.
She will still have to pay her
own travelling expenses, but for
the first time in ten years she
will be competing with full
sponsorship from Rob
Cunnington of Cycles Africa —
kit and an Intense BMX bike
with Sinz components —and
product sponsored by USN.
All her South African race
entry fees and licence fees are
fully paid.
“They obviously saw how
passionate I was about BMX so
travelling to Canada
Russell Barnes
Dale Morphew of Howick The game of canoe polo is
has been chosen to represent played in an area of 23 metres by
South Africa at the Eighth 35 metres on pools, dams and
Canoe Polo World Champion- even — as he discovered on an
ships in Edmonton in Canada overseas trip in 2005 — on canals
from 20th to 27th July. in Belgium.
Six of the seven team Each side has five players and
members are from KwaZulu- three substitutes.
Natal. According to the rules, each
Dale has been playing for half lasts 10 minutes, with just a
Natal A since 2004, having been two-minute break in between.
selected for the U21 side in 2001 The world championships are
while a Grade 10 pupil at held every second year, and this
Weston. will be Dale’s first trip.
Below: Dale Morphew — travelling to Canada in July for the Eighth Canoe Polo
I got lucky !” she laughs, and World Championships. In this file photograph taken last year he is holding his
Natal colours for canoe polo and gold medal for Natal’s winning efforts at the 2007
then says enthusiastically: ”I’m SA Champs.
also writing an all-South African
BMX book aimed at Junior
School kids.
“It’s going to be 32 pages of
SA BMX news — where to go,
how to start, who’s who, etc.
“Shuter and Shooter are going
to publish it and all the royalties
will go back into the
development of BMX, so that’s
something I’m really looking
forward to doing.”
Sharlene teaches spinning at
the Midlands Health and Fitness
Centre in Howick on Tuesdays
and Thursdays and trains at
Virgin Active in Pietermaritz-
burg.
And finally, with all the above
credentials, not surprisingly she
will be featured in Femina’s July
issue.
Look out for it !

Polo season begins Fundraising golf day at

What is the Midlands without its century-
old tradition of playing polo on its beautiful
fields ?
And remember, all tournaments welcome
visitors, and have excellent catering, free
entrance and the promise of lovely days in
the sunny winter countryside at a lovely
venue.
Up at the Karkloof Club
The Karkloof Club’s polo section will be
hosting three major tournaments this winter.
First up from 13 th to 15th June is the
Karkloof Polo Classic, the most popular
tournament of its kind in the country.
Two weeks later, from 27th – 29th June,
there will be the SAPA tournament, a new
event from the South African Polo
Association.
Then a fortnight later — from 11th to 13th
July — the South African Championships
will be playing for the century-old Beresford
Cup (circa 1890).
A special feature of these three top
tournaments is that the senior section is rated
at 15 goals — the best level in South Africa
at present.
“The winning performer over the three
matches will be awarded the Triple Crown,
which is a new feature,” said Mike Benson.
“It’s as good polo as you’ll get here.”
Across at the Lions River Polo Club
The Lions River Club was a bustle of
activity last weekend, with a Seniors
Tournament of five polo teams of the over-
50s playing on Friday and Sunday, according
club vice-captain, Julia Rees.
On Saturday the Natal Horse Fair was held
in aid of the Horse Care Unit, which is a
“horse version” of the SPCA.
The fair featured displays of various horse
breeds, and sports such as polocrosse, show-
jumping and dressage, as well as talks by
various horse experts on horse
communication, caring for horses’ eyes, a
farrier speaks, etc.
From 20th to 22nd June the club’s annual
tournament takes place with 12 teams doing
battle.
A cocktail party will be held on Friday
night.
On 2nd and 3rd August the club will be
hosting a 4x2 tournament — a smaller, local
event that aims to encourage younger players
and beginners, playing with the more
experienced players.
Then up at Mooi River
Early birds Mooi River have already had
their annual Mooi River Polo Tournament,
which was held from 9th to 11th May, club
captain Clive Cole said.
For the remainder of the season the team
will now be busy playing various
tournaments in the area, but will be hosting
a season-end mini tournament in September.
Gowrie to aid Nottingham
Road Tourism
The new Gowrie Golf Course at
Nottingham Road is holding a fundraising
“Golf Day” in aid of Nottingham Road
Tourism on Friday 13th June.
The competition format will cost
R280-00 per golfer and consist of a four-
ball alliance, with two scores to count.
There will be prizes for longest drive
and closest to the pin.
Halfway Toyota, Howick, are
sponsoring prizes for the winners of the
Betterball Stableford competition, run in
conjunction with the 4-ball alliance
competition.
Teeing off will be from 11h am at
seven-minute intervals.
Please supply names of four balls.
Gowrie has 10 caddies. Players should
let management know should they require
any further caddies.
Tea/coffee and biscuits will be served
at 10 am.
Halfway house will be a choice
between pie, gravy and gravy or quiche
and salad, while dinner will consist of
beef stroganoff, salad and rolls.
Dinner for partners will cost R65-00
per head, numbers to be confirm before
the time for catering purposes.
The registration table will open at
10 am, where golfers will be given their
scorecards, local rules and info on the
course.
Prize-giving and dinner will be hosted
at the Clubhouse after the golf day.
The club is also appealing to
businesses to sponsor a hole @ R500-00
per hole.
This is an opportunity to showcase
your business, promoting it by means of
banners, promotional gift packs and/or
making your “hole” the most fun and
wacky of the day.
Branding/banners need to be at the
Gowrie Golf Course by Thursday 12th
June.
Please contact René at Nottingham
Road Tourism ASAP to reserve your 4-ball
and/or sponsorship for this prestigious
event.
Telephone or fax 033-266 6308, or e-
mail: notts@bundunet.com