Best ever Horsington Open raises £781

44 players took to the field to battle it out for the coveted Claret Jug in the Horsington Open at Henstridge Golf Club on Saturday September 2nd. The weather was sunny and warm, the course beautifully prepared, and nothing could go wrong. And it didn’t.

The event raised £781, to be shared between St Margaret’s Hospice and Wincanton Live at Home, thanks to the generosity of the players, sponsors and prizegivers. The Open also received generous donations from potential competitors who were unable to play this time.

As usual the competition was stiff and the winning scores very close. Some very good golfers turned out and the Henstridge course, thought to be rather easy by the unknowing, served up several traps for the complacent, as demonstrated by the lost ball count – 40.

A special mention goes to the Ashford Family, whose team Wrong Direction played impeccably, but were beaten for honours by the handicap system. Elizabeth Ashford, aged 12 and playing off a handicap of 10(!) achieved the longest drive by a lady. Ron Ashford achieved the longest drive by a man, on the tricky  dog-legged 7th hole.

Edward Malcolm of Gnashers United achieved the Nearest the Pin prize with a spectacular shot on the short 8th hole, which was as close to a hole in one as it was possible to be.

Horsington Open Winner Jon Banfield collects the Claret Jug from organiser Richard Gaunt

The Overall Winner was Jon Banfield of the White Horse Wishfulls, which also won the team prize with 50 points. Jon achieved 26 stableford points off a handicap of 28. (Report to the handicap secretary -Ed).

The Claret Jug will now reside in the White Horse until the next competition. Go and check it out, Steve has got some decent beer in.

Second was Lynne Williams of the SLAGS (Sherborne Ladies Amateur Golfing Society, in case you wondered), with 23 points off a handicap of 19. The Sherborne ladies all played impeccably, and came second in the team competition, with 49 points

Third was Steve Penny from Henstridge A with 21 points off a handicap of 18. Henstridge A Team also came third, with 48 points. Steve also collected the lost ball lottery, correctly guessing 40 balls would be lost. Funny, he also walked off with this prize a week earlier at the Henstridge Open.

At the prizegiving at the Half Moon Mark Warren generously bid for the foursome at Woodbury Park. Exeter, kindly donated by Hunts Foodservice..

Many thanks to The White Horse, the Half Moon and Henstridge Golf Club for a very successful day and the best Horsington Open yet.

Full Results and Prize list
Photo Gallery

Horsington Open 2017 – All the action

We will update this as more pictures and captions come in. Please email any pictures to editor@idnet.com. Please add a caption to identify people.

Full Report
Final amount raised

Sean Riordan,Mark Warren,David Blake and Phil Warren of Hackers Galore
The SLAGS (Sherborne ladies Amateur Golfing Society): Sylvia Blackwell, Jenny Scarth, Carol-Anne Raisbeck and Lynn Williams
Teabags: John Scarf, Bryan Stringer, Martin Coulsey, Mike Davies
Peter Garbo, Neil Edwards, Ray Phillips and Richard Gaunt of The Beggars
George Wagland,Chris Bailward, Chris Ralston and Peter Gripper of the half Mooners
The Whippets: David Shephard, Anthony Ward,Peter Munro, Ken May
Andre Blond and Jon Banfield of the White Horse Wishfulls – winners of the team and individual competition
Horsington Open Winner Jon Banfield collects the Claret Jug from organiser Richard Gaunt

Only a week to the Horsington Open and you can still enter


Entries are flooding in for this year’s Charity HORSINGTON OPEN on Saturday 2nd September 2017 at Henstridge Golf & Leisure Centre.

There is still time to enter. All welcome. Why not form a team?

Full details are on the Horsington Blog .

This year you can enter on line and pay on the day. You are one click away!
Or you can pick up an entry form from our two village pubs, which are generously sponsoring the event – Horsington’s Half Moon, and South Cheriton’s White Horse. Also the Henstridge Golf Club.

You will enjoy an entertaining morning’s golf in aid of local charities – St Margaret’s Hospice, which has helped so many people in the village, and Wincanton Live at Home, which helps elderly people to lead independent lives at home.

If you would like to provide a competition or raffle prize it will be most gratefully received. Please contact Richard gaunt – gaunt@idnet.com or co-organiser David Blake – dmvblake@btinternet.com.
Please enter – you are one click away!

Get ready for the Horsington Open 2017

The Horsington Open is back, bigger and better, at a date and time which will be more convenient for many players.

This year’s competition will be played at Henstridge Golf Club on Saturday September 2nd 2017.

The 9-hole competition is in aid of local charities, and is open to all comers. Ladies and non-handicappers are welcome. Entry is just £15 per player, including green fees. Individuals and teams of 4.

The prize (as befits an “Open”) is a claret jug, plus many other prizes generously donated by local businesses.

The competition tees off just after 10 am. The prize giving will be held in the Half Moon, Horsington at 6.30 pm, when there will also be a charity raffle.

This competition is back after a year off in 2016. It provides an opportunity for players at all levels to get together for a fun day of golf and raise money for charity. The field normally includes some really good golfers, some desperately bad golfers, many ladies and several beginners.

The Half Moon, Horsington, has generously agreed to sponsor some prizes and to host the prize giving.  South Cheriton’s White Horse pub has volunteered its customary support, with players and prizes. Henstridge Golf Club have been generous and wonderful, as usual.

The easiest way to enter is to book on line  Pay on the day.

Or you can get an entry form  and more information from the Half Moon, the White Horse, or Henstridge Golf Club,  ALL WELCOME!

The competition is organised by Horsington’s Richard Gaunt and David and Tricia Blake.

Thanks to the estate of the late, celebrated cartoonist, HM Bateman for permission to use his cartoon in our poster. We will be offering one of his famous prints as a prize.

Download a poster

Re-live last the 2015 competition won by Tony Brodie, of Henstridge

Horsington Open Golf Competition – save the date – 2nd September

The fourth Horsington Open Golf Competition will be held on Saturday 2nd September 2017 at Henstridge Golf Club.

Keep the date free’

Full details and entry forms will be available nearer the time. Start practicing your swings!

Cheltenham: the reckoning

Sadly Winterbourne – and most British punters –  were completely wiped out on Friday at Cheltenham. Winterbourne comments: “16 Bets. 4 Winners. 5 other placed horses.  25 per cent  Strike Rate. Overall loss of £12.50 on a total of stake of £325. at £20 per race and a £25 Treble. Not Clever!”

Here is the reckoning:
Tuesday 14 March
APPLE JADE Won 7/2
YANWORTH  Lost
Wednesday 15 March
CAUSE OF CAUSES  Won 4/1
PROJECT BLUEBOOK 4th 14/1
DEBUCHET 2nd 10-1
Thursday 16 March
TOP NOTCH 2ND 7/2
JURY DUTY 3rd 9/1
UXLANDRE
LETS DANCE  Won 11/8
Friday 17 March
WINTERS ESCAPE Lost
WORLDS END Lost
DJACKADAMLost
MORE OF THAT Lost
SWEET AS A NUTLost
ASK DADDYLost
DADS IN TROUBLLE Lost
Winterborne’s Treble
ALTIOR,  Won 1/4
DOUVAN Lost
UKNOWHATIMEANHARRY 3rd 5/6
£25.00 Treble. Lost

Horsington cricket picture gallery 2016

Cricket bailward 2016
Umpire Chris Bailward
Cricket bennett 2016
Umpire Phil Bennett
Cricket ladies 2016
Belinda Mann, Phillipa Tarling, Mardi Bennett and Libby Gaunt
Cricket RoseTarling 2016
Horsington’s young batting stars Sam Rose and Michael Tarling
Cricket Teams 2016
Horsington XI and the Tabard Pilgrims after the match

Horsington loses in fine style (again)

The annual cricket match between Horsington and the Tabard Pilgrims, from West London, took place on Bank Holiday Sunday in perfect conditions – sun, a light breeze to cool things down, two full teams of sporting gentlemen and a significant crowd of spectators enjoying the cricket and their various refreshments.

Despite some exceptional batting and fielding, Horsington failed to gain a victory and were overtaken by the visitors in the second innings, with only a few overs left to play.

Chris Dean and captain Christian Bennett were the star batsmen from Horsington, backed up by two very promising youngsters,  Michael Tarling and Sam Rose, who both put in a sterling performance.

Tom Walker and Chris Heal bowled very well, ably assisted by Charles Mann with his slightly unorthodox bowling action.

Chris Dean pulled off a spectacular stunt, bowling and catching a surprised Tabard Batsman.

Ollie Tremlett, not the tallest man on the pitch, excelled in the fielding department. No surprises there, as he is a member of the Tremlett cricketing dynasty. His uncle played for Hampshire, Surrey and England.

The crowd was kept amused by the extraordinary number of wides, byes, no balls and run-outs. Some of this was down to the eccentric behaviour of the pitch, and the ball tended to do its own thing once it had left the bowler’s hand.  Blame for this can be laid at the door of the mean, disgusting, dishonest lowlifes who stole the elderly but very effective Atco mower from Rob Hoddinott’s hut, leaving him to prepare the pitch by hand, and without an effective roller.

The delicious tea was provided by Libby Gaunt, Mardi Bennett and Belinda Mann and was much enjoyed by the players. Pitchside refreshments were provided by Andrew Tarling of the Half Moon.

A huge round of applause goes to the two umpires Chris Bailward (who gave up a day immediately before he left for Carlisle to begin his epic cycling tour) and Phil Bennett.

See the picture gallery

Horsington prepares for annual cricket battle

The weather looks reasonable for the bank holiday Sunday, the pitch has been mown by Hoddy, and a reasonable quorum of players has agreed to turn up for the annual cricket match of Horsington v The Tabard Pilgrims, a London pub touring side.

Judging by previous years, the game will be a hard-fought fun game of village cricket at its best.

Kick-off is at 2 pm, and the match will be followed by the usual shenigans at the half Moon, which is also holding its traditional Bank Holiday Sunday quiz.

Able bodied cricketers seeking a game should contact Andrew Tarling at the Half Moon to see if there are any vacancies to fill – on either side.

Cricket 026
An action shot from last year’s match – Horsington captain Christian Bennett clouts a ball to the boundary.

Best yet Horsington Open raises £600 for charity.

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The 2015 Horsington Open – the third competition in this series – was the biggest and best yet. 42 golfers of varying abilities took part for fun and charity at Henstridge Golf Club on Friday 23rd October, enjoying a good day’s sport, making new friends and raising a grand total of £607 for the St Margaret’s Hospice charity. AND it didn’t rain.

The competition was won by the narrowest of margins by Tony Brodie from Henstridge,  coincidentally the oldest player. Henstridge also won the team event, again by the narrowest margin. But why not? After all it’s their home course, and some of them play virtually every day.

Horsington’s golfers performed extremely well. John Macdonald came a close second, beating David Blake, George Wagland  and  Peter Gripper by a tiny margin. George Wagland, John Macdonald and Richard Gaunt all  improved their scores considerably over last year, and Paul Mann won the “Nearest the pin” competition on the 8th hole. Sadly Chris Bailward, playing for the first time for many years, was pipped for the “Putt of the day” competition, putting from off the green on the 8th, having tonked his previous two balls into the lake. He was beaten by  Henstridge’s Mike Baker, who putted off green for a birdie. (No I don’t understand  either- Ed)

The Half Mooners team, led by landlord Andrew Tarling were in the frame to win the team competition but failed due to what was described as, ahem, “putting failure” by the , er, ahem, team captain.

The competition was so close that the scorers had to take into account performance on the last six, and then the last 3 holes to decide a winner. There were 7 players contending for the first 3 places with 3 points between them. This may be a testimony to the accuracy of the handicapper or the skill of the players. Or maybe the organisers need to look more closely at the handicaps.

A special mention should be made of the Foresters team, of Joan Palmer, Bob Foot, Joy Crabb and Kath Rolls. These brave souls had never been on a golf course in their lives, and although they came last, it was no humiliation, and we observed them executing several spectacular cover drives. The cricket club secretary has been informed and will no doubt be recruiting them next year.

Anthony Yateman, another golfer making his debut (he claims), won the best dressed golfer award, resplendent in plus fours and a bow tie. We hope  competitors will take note for next year.

The amount raised for charity was far in excess of previous efforts, helped by the generous donation of a foursome at the championship golf course at Woodbury Park, Exeter by Hunts Foodservice Ltd. This was auctioned at the prize giving, with Howard Bentley-Marchant from Yenston  providing the winning bid of £110.

Thanks to everyone who took part, donated, catered, scored or bid – see you again next year.

Prize list

Full Results

Photographs (Click on a picture to see full size)

The Winning Team from Henstridge GC - Tony Brodie, Steve Penny, David Constable, Mike Baker
The Winning Team from Henstridge GC – Tony Brodie, Steve Penny, David Botterill, Mike Baker
The Half Mooners - David Blake, George Wagland, Peter Gripper and Andrew Tarling
The Half Mooners – David Blake, George Wagland, Peter Gripper and Andrew Tarling
Previous Winner Chris Dibben with Richard Walker, who came 3rd this year
Previous Winner Chris Dibben with Richard Walker, who came 3rd this year
Golf fifehead 2
Andrew Lakeman and Andrew Gordon of the Fifehead Follies
Golf liz
Liz Bentley-Marchant
Golf foresters
The Foresters team, making their golf debut: Joy Crabb, Kath Rolls, Bob Foot and Joan Palmer
golf antony
Anthony Yateman, Horsington,s best-dressed golfer
Golf Aged West
David West, the fastest golfer in the competition
Created with Nokia Smart Cam
Prizewinner William Wallace
golf Wright
James Gordon and Hutch Wright of the Wright Stuff
Golf Aged 2
Howard Bentley-Marchant, Glynn Parry and Colin Constable
Created with Nokia Smart Cam
Sally Ward, Ladies’champion

 

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