Bale Push in Crantock hits the spot again

- Cornish charities and fun are the winners

 

14 September 2008

 

 

Crantock village did it again last Friday, when hundreds of happy smiling people enjoyed a fun evening as huge hay bales were rolled through the village - and all for charity.

 

“Initial calculations show that more than £5,000 was raised, with CLIC Sargent raising a further £450 on the night,” said John Richards, Bale Push Coordinator.  “Totaling an incredible £35,000 raised since the Crantock Bale Push started in 2000.”

 

This, the ninth year of the Big Bale Push, once again drew a very lively crowd to enjoy the spectacle.  Teams of all ages, raced against the clock up to a quarter of a mile, supporting the popular annual fund-raising effort for both local and county charities.

 

The Neonatal Unit at Treliske Hospital and Cornwall Hospice Care are the two major key charities targeted by this year’s Crantock Bale Push.

 

“We have chosen to support the purchase of a special Neonatal CosyTherm Cot for the new Neonatal Unit at Cornwall’s main Hospital.  £1,800 will purchase one special cot.”

 

“The CosyTherm system provides unrivalled warming performance in neonatal care, which provides the perfect environment for a new born infant.”

 

“We have also decided to support Cornwall Hospice Care, which is the new name for Cornwall’s only hospice service, and was created following the formal merger of Mount Edgcumbe Hospice and St Julia’s Hospice in 2006.”

 

The Crantock Village Hall project and Cubert School Football Club will also be helped from this year’s charity drive, as will other good causes locally.

 

“Incredible support from local businesses is, as always, the key to this major fund raising effort,” said John Richards.   “We owe so much to the many businesses and individuals who help us in our charitable aims. Support comes from all directions, led as always, by more than seventy sponsors.”

 

"The friendly ambience of the evening is a magic formula, and the highlight for many was 'The Open' race for all-comers! This once again provided a hugely exciting and challenging event over the full 440 yard course.”

 

“This year the race was won by ‘Three Tall Blokes and a Dwarf’, beating last year’s winners ‘Hollywell Bay Surf Life Saving Club’ into second place.”

 

“The winning team, very closely connected to newly promoted, Newquay Hornets Rugby Club, claimed first prize and the Cornish Championship Cup with the fastest time of the evening, a magnificent 3 minutes and 8.5 seconds. Repeating their winning success of 2006,” said spokesman Nigel Eustice.

 

“ Once again the  two famous pubs in the very heart of Crantock village, The Old Albion and The Cornishman, provided wonderful hospitality throughout, allowing competitors and spectators alike a chance to relax between races, and afterwards with live entertainment."

 

The evening started with the ‘8 and Under’ race, using a smaller bale. The winning team were ‘Rock Stars‘ in a record time.

 

“It is great to see the little ones enjoying competing against each other, cheered on by families and friends.” said commentator Rick Hopkins.

 

The 'Twelve and Under' event was won by the ‘Hornets Young Guns’, and the 'Sixteen and Under' race was won by ‘Hay City Rollers’, both teams connected with the local Rugby Club, Newquay Hornets. Then of course was the ever-popular 'Ladies' race. All these categories were over slightly shorter courses than the full quarter of a mile race run by the ‘180 Veterans’ and the ‘Open’ events.

 

“The Ladies' race winners, ‘Chicks With Sticks’, are a well named team of very fit local hockey players. They once again swapped hockey sticks for bale pushing kit, winning once again for an incredible sixth consecutive year.”

 

“The '180 Veterans' is a race over the full quarter of a mile however, and was won by a magnificent body of veterans with close connections to Crantock Surf Life Saving Club.  They are also well named as the ‘Crantock Masters’.”

 

“The ‘Crantock Masters’ winning time was so good that it would have placed them in third place overall in the ‘Open’ event, which is quite amazing considering that the teams of four must have a combined age totaling more than 180 years. As always, everybody was very impressed by how fit some people ‘over a certain age’ actually are,” concluded John Richards.

 

The Big Bale Push race is run in teams of four, pushing full size round bales of hay, weighing approximately 420 lbs and measuring 4' 6" in diameter over distances of different lengths depending on the class of race, but up to a full quarter of a mile. Starting and finishing between the two village pubs The Cornishman and The Old Albion.

All hail Crantock's bale
By James White  from the Newquay Voice 

13.09.2006

BLOOD, sweat and beers went into this year’s Big Bale Push at Crantock, with over 370 competitors taking part on Friday evening.
It was a record-breaking night for bale pushing, both in terms of the number of competitors, spectators and the estimated £6,000 raised for CLIC Sargent and the Merlin Project, the most in the village competition’s six-year history. The money will also be shared with projects in the village, including equipment for the village playing field.
There were 93 teams across six categories; eight and under, under 12s, under 16s, ladies, veterans and ‘The Open’, the latter encompassing a fearsome quarter-mile course around the village, with teams of four getting their backs behind a 300kg bale.
John Richards, spokesman for the Big Bale Push, said: "We could not be more pleased with the incredible support we received from everybody.
The grand total raised since the first event in 2000, is now approaching an astonishing £29,000, and it all started from a casual idea over a couple of pints in a local pub."
Amazingly, once again the event has grown. The turnout was just wonderful, from participants and supporters alike! The friendly ambience of the evening is a magic formula with support coming from all directions, led initially as always, by more than 70 sponsors."
John said sponsorship had come from businesses of all types throughout Cornwall which allowed organisers to achieve another successful Bale Push.
The surprise winner of ‘The Open’ was ‘Three Tall Blokes and a Dwarf,’ a Newquay Hornet’s ex-players team who rounded the 440 yard course in an impressive 2 minutes and 49 seconds. It was the first year ‘The Open’ had not been won by a Surf Life Saving Club team, with previous winners Hollywell Bay SLSC and Crantock SLSC finishing in second and fifth respectively. Third place went to ANZACs, a combined Australian and New Zealand lifeguard team.
Popular local team ‘Newquay Voice’ unveiled their secret weapon Josh ‘Patriot Missile’ Spurgeon of the US Navy shortly before their push-off, but even this was not enough to prevent a mediocre time of 4mins 02.47, leaving them in 19th position overall. Rival media team ‘BBC Radio Cornwall’ limped in with a sorry time of 4m 33.45.
The inaugural ‘8 and under’ competition, using a special smaller bail, was one by ‘The Cheeky Girls.’
Hospitality for the event was provided by The Old Albion and The Cornishman, who kept the drink flowing throughout, and there was also a barbecue for spectators.

james@newquayvoice.co.uk