Don't forget to book for Sunday lunch at The Orchard House.

Meat, veggies and dessert and no washing up afterwards.

Book now to avoid disappointment.

033 032 0584 or whatsapp/sms 071 876 7159

News supplied by The Orchard House.

 A Show NOT to be Missed!!

Giovision will be at The East Coast Radio House & Garden Show.

Giovision expert offer a wide range of home appliances and expertise to the Natal Midlands and the surrounding areas at competitive prices.

We service tvs, vcrs, dvds, sound systems, radios, soundbars and microwaves. We tend to always have a look and quote no matter how small or cheap the item is.

We also install all the mentioned items as well as full entertainment systems from a basic DSTV to the more complicated HD installations.

News supplied by Giovision.

There is very little in life that will keep me away from a good game of lawn bowls and I have always wondered whether other people have temptations that keep them away from the game. Well, we definitely discovered one that affected our lady bowlers this past week… A ROYAL WEDDING… Only 3 ladies arrived on the royal wedding day to enjoy a game with the guys at Umgeni Waterfall Bowling Club. As they say, “You’re never too young to have a happy childhood"

Competitions
We had a brilliant morning of bowls on Friday 25 May when we played our Woodstone Craft Café sponsored 2 Bowl Trips Competition. We had a mixed field of 16 teams from bowling clubs in PMB, Hilton and Howick who participated. This competition is set up to produce attractive bowls in that the team with the most shots wins the comp. This month the winning team was Clark Logan, Mark Taylor and Nicky Wallis. Second place went to Colin Burden, Julia Strachan and Bev Vorster and the third prize went to Vic Rowell, Courtney Gace and Graham Dicks. All the main prizes were sponsored by Woodstone Craft Café who operate from The St John’s Village Lifestyle Shopping Complex. There were also Toucher prizes for the first lead, first second and first skip to touch the jack with their bowls. These prizes were sponsored by The Treatery who operate from Yard 41 and were won by Barry Fairbrother, Mark Taylor and Dave Stephenson. Mark Schraader the owner of Woodstone Craft Café was away on business so could not hand out the prizes but we had the privilege of having our Regional NIBA Representative Colleen Duikers present to hand prizes out to the winners. It was lovely to have Colleen spend the entire morning with us watching the competition. As a club, we would like to thank all our visiting bowlers for playing in this competition and special thanks to our sponsors for making it possible with their generous sponsorships.

Our members are hereby reminded that we will be playing the Internal Warwick Wealth Competition on Wednesday 6 June 2018 at 1.30pm. There is a list on the notice board for this competition and tabs will be drawn from this pre-entered list. Please make yourselves available to play as a courtesy to our generous sponsor. A fun afternoon is envisioned with lovely prizes up for grabs.

Special Congratulations
As a club, we would like to say congrats to both Bev Vorster and Margie Holl for representing the club at the Prelim Masters this past weekend. You gals make us extremely proud. Special thanks to members who went to go and support them.

Regular Times Are:
Tuesday mornings Tabs in by 8.45am (Civvies)
Wednesday and Saturday afternoons Tabs in by 1.15pm. (Club Colours)
Visiting bowlers are welcome to join us at these tabs in times.

Karkloof – Zimbabwean Nomore Mandivengerei emphatically retained his title in the men's 18km trail run that kick-started the 2018 Sappi Karkloof Classic Trail Festival on Saturday while Comrades runner Sarah Gray dethroned Kim Westbrook in the women's 18 km race.

35-year Mandivengerei, based in Pietermaritzburg, said he thrived on the fast, twisty trails and the superb early morning running conditions. "You needed power to be fast on all those sharp corners," he said. "The trails were superb and well-marked," he added.

Valley of a Thousand Hills athlete Mthobisi Mzolo stayed with Mandivengerei for most of the race but was unable to match the Zimbabwean man's kick three kilometres from the finish.

"I tried as hard as I could to catch him but he was too good," conceded Mzolo, who added his praise to the trail builders.

"It was an awesome route, but the switchbacks were quite difficult," said Mzolo who was pleased to realise his goal of making it into the top three against a strong field.

The women's race saw defending champion Kim Westbrook beaten into second by Sarah Gray, in the key stage of her training for the upcoming Comrades Marathon.

She managed to break away on her own and gradually drive a two-minute wedge between herself and Westbrook.

"It was a beautiful morning on the trails and great Comrades training," she said afterwards.

Westbrook, who is aiming to ride the MTB Enduro in the afternoon and the 60 km MTB ultra-marathon on Sunday, conceded that Gray was in a class of her own over the 18km.

The 9km trail runners made light work of the Karkloof layout, running in ideal cool and clear morning conditions as the mist lifted in the Karkloof Valley, with Mxolisi Zondi winning the sprint finish to the line from Hlelani Radebe, while Roxanne Vale was a very comfortable winner of the women's 9km race.

Trail runners have another chance to enjoy the Karkloof trails with another 9km trail run being staged at 9:20am on Sunday morning.

SUMMARY OF RESULTS
18km Karkloof Trail Run
Men
1. Nomore Mandivengerei 1:09:54
2. Mthobisi Mzolo 1:09:55
3. Zolani Dlamini 1:10:18
4. Bongani Zuma 1:11:44
5. Mdu Zondi 1:14:12
6. Joe Maphumelo 1:15:15
7. Matt Dove 1:15:45
8. Zwelihle Ndlovo 1:17:48
9. Xolani Mathalane 1:17:54
10.Derek Wasserfall 1;18:01
Women
1. Sarah Gray 1:30:21
2. Kim Westbrook 1:32:02
3. Apiwe Gaga 1:33:11
4. A Halstead 1:33:14
5. Tarryn Blake 1:37:30
6. Trish Eksteen 1:38:05
7. Nedene Cahill 1:38:42
8. Megan Wassung 1:39:13
9. Sandy Cromie 1:44:20
10.Gina Treleaven 1:45:03

9km Karkloof Trail Run
Men
1. Mxolisi Zondi 38:12
2. Hlelani Radebe 38:17
3. Dumisa Shabalala 38:40
4.Sifundo Sithole 39:38
5. Unknown 39:57
6. Samkelo Shangase 40:37
7. Raymond Radebe 40:53
8. Bheki Bangisa 43:50
9. Bernhardt Herbst 47:19
10.Andrew Tarpey 48:32
Women
1. Roxanne Vale 46:31
2. Alta van der Watt 52:50
3. Jen Theron 54:15
4. Emma Pons 55:58
5. Jennifer Neumann 56:15
6. Kerry Drummond 58:14
7. Heather Carruthers 59:27
8. Natacha Smith 1:01:01
9. Brenda McCann 1:01:02
10.Larissa Bohmer 1:01:12

Schedule:
Sunday, 27 May
07h30 - 60km Sappi Karkloof Marathon
08h30 - 40km aQuellé Half Marathon
09h20 - 9km Karkloof Trail Run
09h30 - 20km aQuellé Family Ride
10h00 - 10km aQuellé Kids Ride

The 2018 Sappi Karkloof Classic Trail Festival takes place at the Karkloof Country Club on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 May 2018. More info can be found at www.karkloofmtb.co.za

Pictured here:  Runners taking part in the Sappi Karkloof Classic Trail Festival enjoy the trails through the Sappi plantations as the early morning mist burns off on Saturday.

Photo credit:  Anthony Grote/Gameplan Media

Karkloof – With another big field entered for the 25th anniversary of the Sappi Karkloof Classic Trail Festival this weekend, riders and trail runners are being asked to throw their weight behind a local primary school's drive to improve the education of youngsters in the area.

The Hawkstone Primary School, which is seven kilometres from the race headquarters at the Karkloof Country Club, runs an Early Childhood Development (ECD) class aimed at helping young local children get a better head start with their schooling.

Local resident Mary Gray started the project in January this year with the support of local landowner Bruce McKenzie. It is run on a daily basis by teacher Londiwe Dladla, catering for nine boys and girls ranging from three to six years of age, with another twelve grade R pupils visiting the school twice a week.

The school's ECD programme has been supported by the race in the past, and this year the race is appealing to mountain bikers and trail runners coming to enjoy the Karkloof trails to get directly involved in supporting the school by donating specific items that will be useful on a daily basis.

These include educational toys, building blocks, puzzles and any sorting games, as well as basic classroom needs like carpets, a full-length wall mirror, preschool desks and any English story books relevant to pre-school children.

Gray said she was also looking for a number of the plastic ride-on kids bikes for their playground and said she hoped this would strike a chord with the mountain bikers.

The race is also aiming to raise money to enable Dladla, who also went to Hawkstone Primary School, to receive further ECR training at the Caversham Educational Institute to allow her to get qualifications aligned with the National Qualification Framework.

"Supporting the greater Karkloof community has always been an important priority for us," said Sappi's Communications Manager for Forests, Zelda Schwalbach.

"This event attracts a lot of tourism business to the region over this weekend, but it is very important to leave a lasting legacy of this event on the Karkloof community.

"Early Childhood Development (ECD) is extremely important, as it occurs at a phase of a child’s life where important physical, psychological, cognitive and social development should be taking place.

"A child who attends an ECD class has a significantly higher chance of doing well at primary and high school, and ultimately of reaching their full potential, and is the prime reason why we have opted to support ECD here, and in several other communities adjacent to our operations,” she said.

"It's a key step in reducing social inequality, which assists in poverty relief and assists in economic upliftment of communities.

"Enhancing the future prospects of the young boys and girls that live in the area will contribute to their own future prospects and their potential to contribute to this country in the future.

"I hope this appeal resonates with the riders and trail runners," she added. "donating any relevant items that can be used in the ECD classes will be hugely appreciated, and there is always the option of making a cash donation."

The project sits neatly alongside the Sappi Forests/TREE Early Childhood Development (ECD) programme that has been running since 2014, based on a growing body of international evidence which shows that language and cognitive development are especially important during the first six months to three years of life and that the more stimulating the early environment, the more a child develops and learns.

In KwaZulu-Natal, Sappi has partnered with local NPO Training and Resources in Early Education (TREE) to train 23 women across KwaZulu-Natal as ECD practitioners. These candidates were selected from communities adjacent to Sappi Forests’ plantations.

"They have now completed their three-year training course and have graduated with NQF Level 4 Accreditation as fully-fledged and qualified ECD practitioners," said Schwalbach.

"In 2016, Sappi expanded the programme to train a further 36 trainees which consisted of 18 crèche workers and 18 workers that were in charge of informal playgroups; also from forests communities," she added.

The 2018 Sappi Karkloof Classic Trail Festival takes place at the Karkloof Country Club on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 May 2017. More info can be found at www.karkloofmtb.co.za

Pictured here:  Avid enduro rider Kath Fourie (left) gets into the mood of the Sappi Karkloof Classic Trail Festival with Hawkstone pre-Primary pupil Elihle and his Early Childhood Development teacher Londiwe Dladla. Riders and trail runners taking part in this weekend's events are being asked to support the school by bringing relevant learning aids to the race this weekend or to make a cash donation.

Photo credit:  Mary Gray/Gameplan Media

Howick – The KwaZulu-Natal Midlands gem that is the Sappi Karkloof Classic Trail Festival will take its famous trails back to their roots as the event celebrates its 25th anniversary over the weekend of 26 and 27 May.

The Karkloof trails have become famous over the decades for being accessible and enjoyable for hardcore mountain bikers as well as beginners. In recent years there has been a significant switch in the trails but trail builder Hylton Turvey is nostalgically taking riders back to the original route.

“Last year was the first year that we didn’t use the Lebanon section of the trail for the 60km marathon and we are going to use it again this year,” Turvey said.

“It’s such a popular part of the Karkloof trail network and we have changed things back this year quite significantly.

“We have also change the trail coming down from Lebanon and this year it is going to be a very unique and special bit of trail that will take riders through natural forest and grassland.”

Due to the nature of the Sappi plantations that form a crucial part of the trail network around the Karkloof Country Club, Turvey has had to change some sections of trail as plantation harvesting takes priority.

“There are sections that we have included this year that have been out of action for the past few editions of the race.

“Especially for the trail runners, there is a lot more trail involved because we were told that that was an area that we needed to improve on.”

The Bat out of Hell section of trail was another popular element that has been missing in recent years and Turvey has given this piece of the track a make-over and a new name going into this year’s edition of the Sappi Karkloof Classic.

“A Canadian filmmaker by the name of Matt Hunter came to Karkloof and we took him through the Bat out of Hell section and we needed to get it back on the Karkloof route.

“We have made a few changes to it and we are calling it Sisonke, which means we are all together in isiXhosa.

“It’s named after my brother who was pretty influential in the reworking of the trail there and we are glad to have it back in the race,” Turvey added.

In 2017 Turvey felt that the aQuellé 40km half marathon might have taken a turn towards a more difficult outing and 2018 will see the event move back to its roots near the Karkloof Club.

“We will set up the course for the 40km race around the club where we have set up some new trails as well as incorporating a stretch of track that we haven’t used since 2015.

“There are always a few changes that we make and we try and set it up where a few changes make quite a big difference.

“We are lucky to have such a huge expanse of trails and hope that this year will be another exciting year,” Turvey added.

The 2018 Sappi Karkloof Classic Trail Festival takes place at the Karkloof Country Club on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 May 2017. More info can be found at www.karkloofmtb.co.za

Pictured here:  The beautiful, swooping trails of the Sappi Karkloof Classic Trail Festival have been given a revamp in 2018 as trail builder Hylton Turvey takes riders back to the familiar trails for the event coming up over the weekend of 26-27 May.

Photo credit:  Anthony Grote/Gameplan Media

The week under review had some very interesting activities and competitions. Including having to deal with the early onset of winter. Our President would also like to thank to all those members and visitors who participated in our Spider Fundraising Roll. We managed to raise R560 and said funds have been donated to The Howick Hospice.

Natal Inland Bowling Association Activities
The Midlands area including our club was decently represented in the NIBA Senior Singles competition, where the Howick based bowlers acquitted themselves well. Even though our bowlers did not make it through to the playoff stages we would like to congratulate Beverley Vorster, Margie Holl and Colin Burden for representing the club at this competition.

Competitions
The Halfway Toyota Howick Competition played in wonderful sunny weather on Wednesday the 9th of May was handsomely won by Ed Sharpe, Tiny Lourens, Stan Albertyn and Mark Taylor. The second prize went to the team of Peter Burton, Chantal D Hotman and Dave Riall. The first prize was sponsored by Halfway Toyota Howick and the second prize byThe Orchard House. We also had a lucky draw prize which was sponsored by Macheila Purchase of Hairitage Hair Salon and this was won by Mabel Tully. Special thanks to Halfway Toyota Howick for the tea time treats and also to Margie Wheelwright for again presenting the winners with their prizes.

The SUPERPSAR Greendale Competition was played on Saturday 12 May and was a very close contest. The eventual winners of the SUPERSPAR Greendale sponsored 1st prize was the team consisting of Peter Burton, Tiny Lourens, Audrey van Coller. Second prize sponsored by Dr Alan Sara went to Barry Bedworth, Tony Gage, May Blackford and Colin Brown. A very big thanks to SUPERSPAR Greendale for the delicious treats.

Club Trophy Competitions
Members are hereby reminded that the clubs Men’s and Women’s Pairs draw has been completed and is now posted on the noticeboard. These matches may now be played on any tabs in day and except on competition days. Matches may also be played outside of tabs in day as long as members make appropriate arrangements with the greenkeeper.

Forth Coming Attractions
The next competition will be the Leslie Smith & Co Inc 2 4 2 competition on Tuesday 15 May 2018 with tabs in by 8.45am. (Please note the winter time change for the morning comps) Visiting bowlers from other clubs are welcome to join us in these tabs in competitions.

Regular Times Are
Tuesday mornings Tabs in by 8.45am (Civvies)
Wednesday and Saturday afternoons Tabs in by 1.15pm. (Club Colours)
Visiting bowlers are welcome to join us at these tabs in times.

News supplied by Umgeni Waterfall Bowling Club.

Karkloof - Young, up-and-coming mountain biking, and road racing star Tiffany Keep will be lining up for the 40km aQuellé Half Marathon at the Sappi Karkloof Classic Trail Festival on Sunday, 27 May as the seventeen-year-old patiently builds up her racing experience.

Keep, who recently finished second in the aQuellé Tour Durban road race, has been taking the road cycling world by storm, but was quick to clarify where her priorities lie on the bicycle.

"Mountain biking is definitely my main discipline," the Silverback Volvo athlete said. "This year there have been a lot more road races than MTB races so that is why I have been on the road a lot more.

"As much as I enjoy road racing, I am using it to gain experience in racing against older women."

The Thomas More pupil could quite easily take on the top ladies in the 60km Sappi Marathon at the Karkloof Classic, but despite being tempted she felt there was no need to rush into the full marathon at her age.

"I am always up for a challenge and racing in the 60km marathon would have been a huge challenge - it is probably one of the toughest marathons in KZN.

"The 40km half marathon is also going to be tough and I think that it also includes a lot of the same features as the full marathon so it will be a good test."

Keep's pedigree speaks for itself when you look at her MTB record which includes both marathon and cross country victories around the country.

At the 2017 Illovo Eston MTB Challenge, one of the last major marathon events of the year in KZN, it was just the might of Bianca Haw that kept Keep from the top step of the podium against a field that included defending Sappi Karkloof champion Natalie Bergstrom.

Her record at Karkloof has been a stifled one due to her absence over the last few years, with sickness preventing her from getting to the start line.

Despite never having won a Karkloof title, Keep knows the trails well enough to understand where her strengths and weaknesses lie.

"The single track at Karkloof is incredible and that is an area where I am going to be the most comfortable.

"There are some tough climbs but I don't really mind that as long as there is a nice downhill section on the other side," she laughed. "I don't really enjoy the district road sections, I would much rather be riding over rocks than on a road!"

Keep saw the jump from the 20km aQuellé Fun Ride to the 60km marathon as quite a serious leap so settled on the 40km half marathon, a race that she should get through without too much competition. Testing herself becomes the next challenge so an overall top 10 is the simple goal.

"I like to race against the guys and see how I can do. They race a lot more aggressively and that is something that I enjoy and need to get used to so the guys ahead of me will become my targets at Karkloof.

"It gives me good motivation when I race so I always look forward to testing myself," she added.

The 2018 Sappi Karkloof Classic Trail Festival takes place at the Karkloof Country Club on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 May 2017. More info can be found at www.karkloofmtb.co.za 

Pictured here: Young Silverback Volvo star Tiffany Keep is hoping that she can continue her growth as a mountain biker when she takes on the aQuellé 40km Marathon at the upcoming Sappi Karkloof Classic Trail Festival over the weekend of 26-27 May.

Credits: Silverback Volvo/Tiffany Keep/Gameplan Media

Karkloof - With four wins from four attempts at the Sappi Karkloof Trail Festival's STIHL Enduro, Tiaan Odendaal's absence in 2018 will pave the way for a new winner at the event when loyal enduro riders take on one another on Saturday, 26 May.

Odendaal has retired from competitive mountain biking following a successful career on the local racing circuit. This news hands the riders that sat in Odendaal's shadow the chance to get their name on the winner’s trophy.

One such rider will be Greg Minnaar Cycles', Tim Bentley. The Pietermaritzburg local has been a stalwart on the national downhill scene and is looking forward to taking on the 2018 STIHL Karkloof Enduro track.

"I would say that the Karkloof track is right up there with the best in the country," he mentioned. "There are some big mountains and the stages are a lot longer than your normal enduro stages, like six or seven minutes.

"They are a bit harder than other tracks but it is super flowy and fast which is what I really enjoy."

The 2018 showdown promises to be particularly exciting as the discipline of enduro is enjoying a boom time in KwaZulu-Natal, with races attracting large numbers.

"We have seen enduro grow from about 60 riders to around 180 riders at events which is great to see,” said Bentley.

"The reason for the growth, I think, is that it provides riders with cool middle ground between cross country and downhill. It's a bit easier than cross country but it not as hectic as downhill and it has such an appealing social element to it as well.

"The tamer downhills mean that you don't have to be a professional downhill rider to enjoy it and the relaxed climbs between stages means that there is time to catch your breath and enjoy the company of friends," Bentley added.

Bentley's sees enduros as the perfect opportunity to hone his skills as he prepares for the big downhill races around the country.

"I do suffer a bit on the uphill’s because I am not the fittest rider around!" he joked. "We enjoy having a shuttle that takes us to the top of the hill before we ride down but enduro is great for my training and preparing me for the downhill races.

"It's great to see enduro catching on amongst your everyday rider and I think it will continue to draw riders in from around the Pietermaritzburg and Midlands area.

"We have Cascades, Karkloof and Howick all within half an hour of each other so there are plenty of options for riders which is a massive plus for us in the area," he commented.

More info can be found at www.karkloofmtb.co.za

Caption: Greg Minnaar Cycles' Tim Bentley will be back to try and stake a claim to the vacant STIHL Enduro title at the 2018 Sappi Karkloof Classic Trail Festival on Saturday, 26 May.

Photo credit: Anthony Grote/Gameplan Media

Hot off the Press
Our bowlers acquitted themselves well at the past weekend’s NIBA Novice tournament at the Maritzburg West Bowling Club. Most won at least one of the two games they played but some fell short of qualifying for the next round. We are however incredibly proud of Bev Vorster and Lisa Nagel who have both made it through to the Quarter Final stage of the tournament. Good luck to both of you on the 24th of June. We will all be rooting for you. (Congrats as well to our neighbours Howick Bowling Club who also had 3 bowlers qualify for the playoff stages. Well done Doreen, Dave and Steve.)

Competitions
The Warwick Wealth Competition held on Wednesday 6 June was a huge success and much fun. With the generous sponsorship of Warwick Wealth we managed to hand out 15 prizes in total on the day. The top 4 prize winners were Balf Balfour, Colin Brown, David Riall and Conrad Clifford. Over and above the prizes, Warwick Wealth also handed out Loyalty awards to our members who have portfolios invested with them. Thanks to the generous sponsorship of Warwick Wealth, this was an all-around winning day for our club. Special thanks to Managers Conrad Clifford and Stuart Milligan or being present on the day to represent of sponsors.

On Saturday 9 June, in glorious sunshine, we played our monthly SUPERSPAR Greendale Competition. SUPERSPAR Greendale once again adorned our premises with promotional banners and lovely treats on our tea time table. After some epic battles, the SUPERSPAR Greendale Sponsored first prize went to Tony Gage, Tony Stalberg and Jenny McHendrie. The second prize sponsored by local Ophthalmologist Dr Alan Sara was won by Alison Toms, Alan Wells, Pat Bailie and Eric Simpson. Special thanks to SUPERSPAR Greendale and Dr Alan Sara for their sponsorships and thanks to those who had birthdays this past week. Our tea time table had some double blessing on it on Saturday.

We would also like to wish our Men’s and Women’s Senior Fours everything of the best as they participate in the NIBA Senior Fours starting on Tuesday 12 June.

Reminder to all members that the next competition will be our Halfway Toyota Howick Comp on Wednesday 13 June with tabs in at 1.15pm followed by our J Leslie Smith 2 4 2 Competition on Tuesday 19 June with tabs in at 8.45am. We will also be hosting the J Leslie Smith Business Bowls Challenge on Thursday 21 June and request that our club members please avail their bowls for some of our visitors to use on the day.

Regular Times Are
Tuesday mornings Tabs in by 8.45am (Civvies)
Wednesday and Saturday afternoons Tabs in by 1.15pm. (Club Colours)
Visiting bowlers are welcome to join us at these tabs in times.

News supplied by Umgeni Waterfall Bowls Club.

Congratulations to Sarah Macaskill of Howick Preparatory School who participated in the KZN Youth Cattle Show this past weekend at the Royal Agricultural Show in Pietermaritzburg and won 1st prize in every category she entered!

. 1st place - Dairy Knowledge Test for Juniors
. 1st place - Overall knowledge (Juniors)
. 1st place - Washing and Preparation (Juniors)

Rylie the calf won the following prizes :-
. Ayrshire Trophy for best Ayrshire on Show (1st place)
. Best dairy animal on show (out of 17 Holsteins, Ayrshires and Dairy
Swiss animals)
. Best Animal Overall on Show (out of all 58 cattle entered for both
beef and dairy)

Sarah also won prizes for Showmanship :-
. 1st place - Dairy Showmanship (Juniors)
. 1st place - Best Junior Showman (both dairy and beef, 25
contestants)
. 1st place - Overall Stockman for Juniors

Photo attached: Sarah Macaskill with her awards.

News supplied by Howick Preparatory School.

Karkloof – The race for the overall line honours at the Sappi Karkloof Classic Trail Festival 60 km ultra-marathon ended in a thrilling sprint finish with Under 23 ace Julian Jessop bouncing back from a series of crashes to outwit Stuart Marais on the finish line.

Jessop and Marais raced the entire race together with Pieter du Toit, and the crowd enjoying the 25th-anniversary celebrations of this pioneering event were treated to a grandstand finish to the blue ribbon race.

It was an emotional win by Jessop, whose racing career started at the same venue when was a nervous youngster.

"I did my first race here when I was nine years old," The Pyga/Euro Steel star recalled. "I was crying on the start line of the 10 km race because I was too scared to do it.

"Then my younger brother took off, and I thought 'There is no way I can let him beat me', and off I went, so I actually dedicate this win to him.

"Stuart (Marais) was really on form today," said Jessop, who had to watch his early lead eroded by the lion-hearted Marais on the tough Lebanon climb. "He was on fire and dropped me at the top."

He was able to team up with Pieter du Toit and bridge the gap back to the charging Marais, and which stage he realised the need to be calm and plan the closing stages of the race.

"The last section in Logan’s Loop is always tough, and going into that section Stuart and I were attacking each other, and I managed to get into the single track ahead of him.

"But I had a slight problem with my fork and I crashed. Stuart asked me if I was alright and then got in front of me.

"In my fury to catch up, I crashed another three times, because those corners are very slippery.

"Finally I caught him as we got into the sugar cane, and that’s where I went through my plan to win the sprint finish.
"When I saw him go from the corner I realised he had gone way too early. I had to wait but it was quite hard because I wanted to go around but didn't want to go too early, so I just waited.

"When I saw that he was blown I went around him. I think watching the Giro helped!" he added.

The woman's race was dominated by the Red Bull ace Bianca Haw, who was never under serious pressure from any of the other elite women, with Jeannie Dreyer, a former winner here, securing second and Christie-Leigh Hearder the last step on the podium.
"I was having such fun the whole way," Haw enthused. "I was warned that there were three huge climbs so I paced those ones, but after those climbs, there was such cool single track."

She said that riding the enduro on Saturday afternoon had been useful as she learnt a lot about the single track on the descent from Lebanon, though her ride was far from flawless.

"I had a high-speed slide out, landing on my shoulder in the bank, but luckily I was fine," said the bubbly Himeville rider.

She said that starting all the elite women in B batch made assessing the race really easy, and she realised she was racing away into a commanding lead early on in the race.

The race for overall line honours in the 40km Sappi Karkloof Half Marathon also went down to a sprint finish, with the cool head of Sam Moore prevailing over Johandre Marx.

The pair broke away early on after a blisteringly fast start, and soon had a sizeable gap to the rest of the A batch riders.

"Coming into the finish I just waited on his wheel and when he looked back I took the gap and sprinted off," said a delighted Moore.
Francis Janse van Rensberg took the women's 40km spoils ahead of young Tiffany Keep.

"There was a lot of single track which I loved," enthused Janse van Rensberg.
SUMMARY OF RESULTS
60km Sappi Karkloof Marathon
Men
1. Julian Jessop 2:39:22
2. Stuart Marais 2:39:23
3. Pieter du Toit 2:39:40
4. Henry Liebenberg 2:47:57
5. Tyrone White 2:48:54
6. Brennan Anderson 2:52:25
7. David Low 2:52:32
8. Sthembiso Masango 2:59:35
9. Ndumiso Dontso 3:00:00
10.Nathan Treble 3:00:29
Women
1. Bianca Haw 3:13:32
2. Jeannie Dreyer 3:17:37
3.Christie-Leigh Hearder 3:23:13
4. Andrea de Boer 3:27:24
5. Shauna Esmeyer 3:30:43
6. Nadine Nundes 3:43:47
7. Landy Puddu 3:51:15
8. Sandra Haywood 3:52:44
9. Debrah Thomas 3:56:37
10.Bronwyn Evans 4:08:51

40km aQuellé Half Marathon
Men
1. Sam Moore 1:54:10
2. Johandre Marx 1:54:20
3. Stefan van Deventer 1:59:58
4. Thomas Cheatle 2:01:19
5. Daniel van der Watt 2:01:27
6. Brent Yelland 2:05:10
7. Kieran Blunt 2:05:10
8. Mitchel Potgieter 2:05:49
9. Grant Muller 2:05:51
10.Heinrich Zellhuber 2:08:26
Women
1. Frances Janse van Rensberg 2:01:25
2. Tiffany Keep 2:05:11
3. Chloe Bateson 2:15:48
4. Ilse Longmore 2:19:25
5. Beanie Thies 2:24:27
6. Ainsli de Beer 2:26:56
7. Yvette Roberts 2:29:14
8. Sarah Ryan 2:30:50
9. Lindsay Everson 2:33:43
10.Jacqueline Scott 2:36:12

More info can be found at www.karkloofmtb.co.za

Pictured here:  Women's race winner Bianca Haw negotiates a river crossing during the 60km Sappi Karkloof Marathon on the second day of the Sappi Karkloof Classic Trail Festival on Sunday.

Photo credit:  Anthony Grote/Gameplan Media

Karkloof – A huge field of mountain bikers and trail runners will descend on the fabled Midlands forest and farmland trails for the Sappi Karkloof Classic Trail Festival this weekend, with ideal weather forecast to add to the event's 25th-anniversary celebrations.

From its humble beginnings as a pioneering mountain biking adventure a quarter of a century ago, the event has gone into a hugely popular family occasion, with trail running snowballing in popularity since it was introduced in 2016.

The two-day long festival starts on Saturday morning with the 18km and 9km trail running races, which has attracted some of the top trail runners in the region, eager to test themselves against the famous Karkloof trails and the strong field of seasoned runners.
The men's title race looks wide open, with many of the top ten from last year's race entered but under threat from a larger and stronger field in the 18km race.

Kim Westbrook, who took the women's honours last year and in the process broke into top ten overall in the 18km trail run, is back for another shot at the Karkloof trails. She is equally adept on a mountain bike but seems to have been bitten by the trail running bug.

At midday, it is the turn of the thrill seekers as the dedicated downhill fans take to the STIHL Karkloof Enduro race, contested over four timed sections of downhill trails as part of a twenty-kilometre outing.

There is added hype in enduro circles after the announcement of regular pacesetter Tiaan Odendaal's retirement from competitive racing, leaving the door open for a new name to be etched into the Karkloof record books.

Pietermaritzburg stalwart Tim Bentley is primed to step into Odendaal's shoes, using his fondness for the fast flowing Karkloof trails to work to his advantage.

The entry to the enduro is bigger than expected and includes a number of strong riders keen to try their hand at the adrenaline-laced sister to marathon racing, where consistency and speed are rewarded and momentary lapses prove very costly.

On Sunday over a thousand mountain bikers will converge on the Karkloof Country Club for the hugely popular array of races through the Karkloof plantations and grasslands, starting with the tough 60km Sappi Karkloof Marathon, followed by the 40km aQuellé Half Marathon, then the easier 20km aQuellé Family Ride and rounded off by the 10km aQuellé Kids Ride.

The 60km Sappi Karkloof ultra marathon title is one that is prized by the elite riders, and in recent years has seen the likes of Max Knox, Brendon Davids, Rorke Croeser and Phil Buys on the top step of the podium.

Coming at the end of the tough stage racing season, the distance of the race and tough climbs combine with accumulated fatigue make it a real test, and one that often sorts out the wheat from the chaff.

Hungrier than anyone in the elite batch will be the current SA Under 23 champion Julian Jessop, who after coming close on several occasions, will be eyeing the top step of the podium.

Add to that the class of Tyrone White, who has been a consistently strong performer, but one who has been denied a podium finish by the race on several occasions. The winner of the recent aQuellé Tour Durban 55km cyclocross race, the Ballito Bicycle Co-rider has the distance in his legs to match his hunger to succeed.

Throw in the likes of Howick local Stuart Marais, White's teammate and the current Quattro ROAG Series log leader Andrew Johnson, as well as Jedson Tooms and the racing at the front of the 60km race, will be fast and unforgiving.

In the women's race, the appearance of the name of Bianca Haw on the entry list has thrown the cat amongst the pigeons. The Himeville local is now a seasoned international, matching her massive base fitness with solid technical prowess and a tenacious attitude to her racing.

She often immerses herself in a race against the elite men around her, with her boyfriend Andrew Houston often spotted struggling to stay on her wheel.

She will have a classy field pushing her from the start, including Hayley Smith, Quattro ROAG series leader Andrea de Boer, and Christie Leigh Hearder.

In between that jammed packed Sunday programme of mountain biking action is a third trail run, offering a 9km route for the avid runners.

The event is also supporting the nearby Hawkstone Primary School, and specifically the new Early Childhood Development project that was started there earlier this year.

They are appealing to trail runners and mountain bikers coming to race the event to donate any old educational games, puzzles, reading books and stationery to the school, along with any suitable furniture, carpets, mirrors and, ideally, any old plastic ride-bikes suitable for children aged between three and six years of age who attend the pre-school.

"Supporting the greater Karkloof community has always been an important priority for us," said Sappi's Communications Manager for Forests, Zelda Schwalbach.

"This event attracts a lot of tourism business to the region over this weekend, but it is very important to leave a lasting legacy of this event to the Karkloof community.

"Early Childhood Development (ECD) is extremely important, as it occurs at a phase of a child’s life where important physical, psychological, cognitive and social development should be taking place.

"A child who attends an ECD class has a significantly higher chance of doing well at primary and high school, and ultimately of reaching their full potential, and is the prime reason why we have opted to support ECD here, and in several other communities adjacent to our operations,” she said.

"It's a key step in reducing social inequality, which assists in poverty relief and assists in economic upliftment of communities," she added.

Schedule:
Saturday, 26 May
07h00 - 18km Karkloof Trail Run
07h30 - 9km Karkloof Trail Run
12h00 - STIHL Karkloof Enduro
Sunday, 27 May
07h30 - 60km Sappi Karkloof Marathon
08h30 - 40km aQuellé Half Marathon
09h20 - 9km Karkloof Trail Run
09h30 - 20km aQuellé Family Ride
10h00 - 10km aQuellé Kids Ride
The 2018 Sappi Karkloof Classic Trail Festival takes place at the Karkloof Country Club on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 May 2018. More info can be found at www.karkloofmtb.co.za

Pictured here:  Greg Minaar Cycles' Tim Bentley will be back to try and stake a claim to the vacant STIHL Enduro title at the 2018 Sappi Karkloof Classic Trail Festival on Saturday, 26 May.

Photo credit:  Anthony Grote/Gameplan Media

Hot off the press:
We owe a huge apology to Autumn. With the onset of the cold weather about two weeks ago we proclaimed that winter had arrived early. So this past week, overnight windy conditions reminded us not to miss the beauty of trees losing their leaves during autumn. To this end, our Men’s Singles competition is drawing to a pulsating finish. During the past weekend quarter and semi-final matches were played with only one more semi-final match still to be played. Within the next week, both the Men’s and Women’s Club singles will be at the final stage and we should be heading toward an epics finals day.
Competitions
Tuesday morning 15 May 2018 we played our J LESLIE SMITH & CO Inc 2 4 2 competition. This format of play continues to enhance the bowling abilities of members and we are indebted to J Leslie Smith & Co Inc for their continued sponsorship of our club activities. The winners of the JLS sponsored first prize were Chantal D Hotman and Mark Taylor. The first prize of the plate section also sponsored by JLS was won by Barry Bedworth and Colin Brown. JLS PR Coordinator, Crystal Dekker and Lisa Nagel were again on hand with their beautiful smiles to present the prizes and ensure that we had some lovely treats for tea.
Forth Coming Attractions
Our 2 Bowl Teams-In Trips Competition which is played at 9am on the last Friday of every month, will be played against on the 25th of May 2018. We currently have 18 teams participating and our limit is 22 teams. Bowlers have until midnight on Wednesday 23 May to enter a team. Participation costs R30 per player and a poster of the competition can be found on our Umgeni Waterfall Bowling Club Facebook page. For a prompt response email your team to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call on 082 758 1246 for telephonic bookings or enquiries.
We would also like to Congratulate Beverley Vorster on her selection to participate in the NIBA Prelim Masters and Margie Holl who is reserve for the Senior Masters.
Regular Times Are:
Tuesday mornings Tabs in by 8.45am (Civvies)
Wednesday and Saturday afternoons Tabs in by 1.15pm. (Club Colours)
Visiting bowlers are welcome to join us at these tabs in times.

To celebrate World Book Day, the staff and pupils of Howick Preparatory School all dressed up as their favourite character from a book of their choice.

What a wonderful day! The children (and teachers!) looked amazing in their character costumes and the school was filled with colour, fun and laughter as the pupils and teachers explained who they were, and a little about their characters. It really brought reading to life.

As part of World Book Day, the pupils were also asked to bring a book to school which could be donated to schools without libraries thereby assisting other children, who are less fortunate, to develop a love for reading.

The school is overwhelmed by the generous response to our book drive with over 1200 books being collected by the Howick Prep pupils for distribution to schools without libraries.

Photo Attached is of the Howick Prep School Academic staff dressed up as their favourite book characters for the day.

News supplied by Howick Preparatory School.

Take your mother on an adventure of a lifetime at Kakloof Canopy Tours.

Pay for 3 and get 1 free.

To receive this special you need to book online using the promo code"MOM"

News supplied by Karkloof Canopy Tour.

Over the past two weeks, we have had some awesome weather, leading to some fantastic bowling. Even though Public Holidays affected attendance due to members and players taking much-deserved vacations, those of us who remained behind made the most of it.

Competitions

The J Leslie Smith & Co 2 4 2 competition played on the 24th of April was handsomely won by Brain Ellison and Chantal D Hotman who walked away with the first prize meat pack. The second prize was won by Ed Sharpe and Ann Marnoch. Third prize was won by John Hodgkinson and Kitty Conradie. Lisa Nagel of JLS was present to hand out all the prizes sponsored by JLS and also brought some lovely treats.

Our Woodstone Craft Café competition which was played on Friday 27 April was a very close contest. The eventual winners were the team from Hilton Bowling Club consisting of Barry Best, Barend van der Merwe and Willie Horne. Second prize went to Clark Logan, Margie Holl and Mark Schraader and third prize to Lynn Durant, Graeme Cameron and Tiny Lourens. All three main prizes were generously sponsored by Mark Schraader of Woodstone Craft Café. The Toucher prizes sponsored by The Treatery were won by Allan Wells, Willie Horne and Alistair Stott. This competition has quickly turned into a much sought after comp and we are thrilled to have a sponsor who not only ensures quality prizes but also ensured that we had some lovely treats to eat during the tea break.

League Activities
The final week of the 2017/2018 league took place this past weekend. To this end, we would like to congratulate all our league teams for a commendable effort during the league this past year. Even though final results are not out yet, it definitely is a set of results that we can build on for next year. During the final weekend, the Men’s 3rd team had a brilliant home victory over neighbours Hilton Bowling club by 12 – 1. Our Men’s 1st team had to travel to Mooi River where the lead ebbed and flowed the entire afternoon. Umgeni Waterfall was eventually victorious by 8 – 5. Any away victory is worth celebrating.

Forth Coming Attractions
The next competition will be the Halfway Toyota Howick competition Wednesday 9 May with tabs in at 1.15pm followed by the Leslie Smith & Co Inc 2 4 2 competition on Tuesday 15 May 2018 with tabs in by 8.45am. (Please note the winter time change for the morning comps) Visiting bowlers from other clubs are welcome to join us in these tabs in competitions.

Regular Times Are
Tuesday mornings Tabs in by 8.45am (Civvies)
Wednesday and Saturday afternoons Tabs in by 1.15pm. (Club Colours)
Visiting bowlers are welcome to join us at these tabs in times.

News supplied by UWBC.

Karkloof – The Sappi Karkloof Classic Trail Festival continues to be one of the most prestigious one-day marathon titles on the mountain biking calendar, and with two second place finishes in the last two years Julian Jessop is hoping to claim his first win at the race on Sunday, 27 May.

Having been pipped at the post by Brendon Davids and Max Knox in the past two years respectively, Jessop’s drive to win this year’s event is evident as the student prepares to juggle his textbooks and mountain bike over the next few weeks.

“I have been doing a lot of riding on the weekends and since Epic I haven’t done too much so fatigue isn’t a problem. It’s just managing my studies and my riding that’s key,” the PYGA/Euro Steel star mentioned.

“I just want to go out there and make it right this year! You can’t concentrate too much on what the other guys are doing and just try and manage what you can control and hopefully I can get the win this year.”

Having ridden to the African Jersey title with Matthys Beukes at the Absa Cape Epic and the two joining up for the three-day KAP sani2c just two weeks before the Karkloof Classic, it’s going to be a busy period of riding for Jessop.

A busy few weeks of marathon riding coupled with the pending international season, his focus will also shift to the cross country discipline as he eyes a spot at September’s UCI MTB World Championships in Switzerland.

“I am aiming to ride in the Val de Sol and Andorra World Cup’s in July which will hopefully help me qualify for the World Championships but that is later in the year; I’ve got exams to write first!”

Marathon and cross country have many elements in common despite the difference in length and Jessop has refined his training style that he does not have to change what he does depending on the discipline he is preparing for.

“The interval training and speed training are important for both disciplines and it’s important that I don’t neglect one discipline so my training is geared towards making me a better all-around rider.”

Sunday’s 60km marathon course is one that has been enjoyed by thousands over the years including some of the nation’s top marathon and cross country stars.

The Karkloof region is synonymous with its flowing, exciting track and Jessop is looking forward to getting back out onto some of his favourite track countrywide.

“The trails at Karkloof are insane!” he said. “I definitely think that the trails in the Karkloof are some of the best in the country and they do suit my style of riding.

“With the three climbs in the middle of the race and fast single track descents it plays into my hands coming from a cross country background.

“It is always such a fun race for me and the trails are so well maintained that I look forward to taking part every year,” he added.

It is often a title that KZN riders want to put on their championship lists and with Knox coming to KwaZulu-Natal to take the title in 2017, Durban’s Jessop is hoping that he can claim back the honours for his home province.

More info can be found at www.karkloofmtb.co.za

Photo credit: Anthony Grote/Gameplan Media