Moravian Orienteers

Congratulations to everyone who took part in our annual Club Champs recently at Findhorn, and competed for the Climie trophy for Navigation. Before the start Andrew explained the devious rules of the score event, which for the adults included selecting all odd then all even controls, with penalty points for punching out of sequence (see photo).  The handicap for the event was based on BOF recommended course length equivalents and gender.  The results for the event can be seen here. Congratulations to the following club members: Open course 1st Rob P, 2nd Andrew C, 3rd Morag M.  Junior course: 1st Ben H, 2nd Julia R, 3rd Verity T-M.  Thanks to Bill (Planner), Kaisa (Organiser) and Andrew (Mentor) for putting on such a successful event.

Our 2025 AGM was held after the Score champs in the Findhorn sunshine.  Over 30 members attended, and approved the committee membership for the following year.  The minutes of the AGM can been seen here.

The sixth and final round of the 2025 NUL takes place at Grantown-on-Spey this evening.  Everything is still to play for with the overall series standings, with your top four races out of the six to count.  The current standings after five events are at the link here: Microsoft Word - Document1.  There will be a short prize giving ceremony for the top three men and women on the long and short courses after tonight's races conclude.  

The results for the Scolty MTBO event are here and the Routegadget link is below.

2025-07-30 Scolty MTBO

After the first four rounds of the NUL series, the standings are shown at the following link.  Many congratulations to Neil, Rob and Colin who are the leading Moravians on the long and to Paul, Steve and Penelope who are the leading Moravians on the short. Everything can still change with two events to go, so sign up to Dalneigh (21 August 2025) and Grantown (27 August 2025). if you have yet to do so.  Prizes will be presented at the final race in Grantown. 

2025 NUL League Positions after 4 events.

All club members are invited to join us for the Club Championships & AGM on Saturday 23rd August at Findhorn.  There will be two courses for the Club champs - an Open and a Junior Course.  The Junior course will be a 30-minute score for W/M14 and under age classes.  For all older age classes, the Open course will be a 45-minute score. We will be using a cunning handicap system, devised by Alan Halliday and based on your performances this year as recorded in the main club league.

After the Score Champs we will hold our AGM, maybe while eating our lunch!  The agenda can be found here. 

We are pleased to announce that the Cluny Hill Permanent orienteering courses have been re-instated. We have installed some new posts, and thanks to the Forres Footpath Trust and Forres Heritage Trust we have added our control markers to existing posts.  We are grateful to these organisations, and to Moray Council for supporting this initiative.  Maps and instructions are available online (https://mor.scot/node/445), directed from the Qr code on the Start/Finish sign which can be found at the south estern edge of the woods where the tree lined avenue comes up from the Bowling Green. Paper copies will also available to collect from the Forres Community Centre indue course.  We are experimenting with waterproof non-tear paper post markers, but plan in the future install rigid aluminium or plastic markers which will be more long lasting. We hope that this resource will be used by local schools, youth groups and visitors to the area, as was the case with the courses that were originally out in Cluny Hill woods.  So, if you have friends visiting (or your dog needs some exercise!) why not enjoy a walk or trot round and introduce them to orienteering?  If you notice any damage or missing posts, please email club(at)mor.scot.

We enjoyed the first MTBO event of the summer today 10th May at Culbin - full results including splits can be seen here. Thanks once again to our planner and organiser Steve Smirthwaite, who set us a real challenge on each of the three courses.  It was great to see some families out enjoying the forest in the May sunshine. While I enjoyed the biking challenge, the highlight for me was seeing two ospreys fishing in the estuary near to where Steve took this photo. Delightful!
Rob

The Lady Culbin Scottish Orienteering League event held on Sunday 23rd March was a huge success - over 430 competitors enjoyed the technical challenge of a classic forest. Putting on a such a successful event is a real achievement for our club. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to three people who have been working so hard for many months prior to the event.   Jon Hollingdale, as planner set us some excellent, really challenging courses.  He also mapped the area, and then updated the map at short notice following recent forestry work. David Ritchie organised the event and printed all the maps, as well as many signs to guide us to the event and around the assembly and to the starts. David's efficient organisation contributed to a lovely atmosphere in Assembly, helped by coffee from Un Petit Café.  Our thanks go to Lynne Walker (BASOC) who was the controller for the event, supporting the planner and organiser with her wise counsel in the months, weeks and days leading up to the event. 

Entries are now open for the first Scottish Orienteering League event of 2025 via SI entries - please follow the SI link, and see full details above in the Moravian Diary. Entries close at midnight on Sunday 16th March.

AND don't miss the opportunity to own your personal jigsaw of the area! David Ritchie has commissioned a unique memento of the event - see details below and on the image, which has been intentionally blurred for the advertising! The cost of the jigsaw is only £18.00. Collection at Lady Culbin SOL event is preferred, postage extra if required. Order from organiser: drhoneyhowe@gmail.com for collection at Lady Culbin SOL on Sunday 23rd March

This year the Scottish heat of the CSC is being held at Kinnoull Hill & Deuchny Woods, Perth on Sunday 23rd February. The event is being organised by Tayside Orienteers - see here for details. The CSC is the premier nationwide club competition, which has regional heats leading to the National final, being held this year in mid-September near Redcar in North Yorkshire. Are you available to run for the club in February?  The club covers the cost of Junior entries, and pays half of the Senior entry fee for the event.  As a ‘Trophy’ (smaller) club, we need at least 13 scoring runners, so a team of more than 20 would be great to give us an opportunity to progress to the final.  I will be co-ordinating entries, and will be sending out details of courses and age classes in a week's time.  I will need to know if you are able to run for the club by the end of January - so please start thinking about it now, and let Rob know (chair (at) mor.scot) if you are able to join Team Moravians that day.