A fine gathering of riders quietly waited in anticipation for the start of Ixion's first round of the 2020 club championship.
Much rain in the preceding weeks meant for a shortened course as waterlogged areas of the farm were a complete no go.
Four laps of nine sections were ridden with a variety of roots gullies cambers with slick climbs and a graded hill.
The sun was low in the sky the frost was lifting and to these elements add a few sections with slick cambers and turns the scene was set for an exiting days sport.
Rob Warner 300 Mont started the season off with a win in the Expert class running out a convincing twenty four point winner over Tom Nicholas 300 Vertigo.
Warner was near perfect at section one ' Gorse bank ' a triple sandy bank loop that dried out though the day but this hazard got worse not better as roots began to appear through the steep sandy exit.
A crowd had gathered at the Graded Hill to witness some spectacular attempts at this notoriously muddy rooty affair and they were not disappointed.
The marshy bottom section soon became a multi line affair but this made the second sector difficult to navigate as the natural spring water dragged up so anybody recording better than a two had a good ride.
Nicholas had four perfect cleans here with varying lines the 300 Vertigo a perfect tool for the job.
Best Inter Lee Sullivan took top spot in the Inter 50/50 class and leads the championship after one round.
Lee had mixed fortunes at section eight a ditch crossing and gully with a camber to finish on, not first lap though as a perfectly calculated line saw him put in a rare clean here on the expert route.
On the Yellow middle route Ixion Clubman Alan Taylor was in no mood for hanging about and scorted around in record time to record an emphatic victory over old rival Adrian Steele 16 points to 30 both 250 Beta mounted.
The ride of the day on the yellow goes to Beta mounted Justin Cookson a clean at section nine a really tough cambered bank with a soft loop turn before lining up for a fourth gear thirty yard blast to the summit.
Best Novice was Simon Clark on 53 and best youth B George Clark made it a Father and son double for the day.
On the White Easy course it was a three way Tie-break 23 the total with Ian Horner just edging it on most ones.
Wayne Hutton Tiger Cub split Father and son riders Mark Davidson 200 Fantic and Freddie 125 Gasser.
Seren Walters had some creditable rides putting the 125 Beta around section seven clean every visit.
Many thanks to all the observers and a Happy New Year to all.
Report Ken O'Brien