Duck Derby Winners 2016

I’ve been involved with the Duck Derby for around 20 years, but this years running was the most challenging ever with adverse weather and extra deep, thick silt to endure all day.  A  huge “Thank You” to Jason Paxford and Simon Holly for helping to construct and run this year’s event, with help from Grace Paxford and especially Angela Shirt, stepping in at short notice to sell duck tickets in the atrocious windy and wet conditions.

An especially difficult day was apparent when, on lifting the barrier on Race 1, ducks took fright of the swirling wind and headed backwards toward the calm of the Old Mill pool! Those that did head ‘downstream’ only inched their way painfully toward the finish.  Stragglers were caught by violent crosswinds, forced over the course barrier and only saved from the River Kennet and the open sea by some nifty footwork, sticks and nets!   So much for the first race.  A few course alterations and the rest of the races were run with no further escapes, but all were record slow race times so that the final did not run until 5pm.

So where did your ducks end up?  Winners receive £20 and go into the final race with race finalists.

Race 1 Winner 99 J Hobson finalists 2, 22, 26, 39, 45, 61, 65, 72, 78

Race 2 Winner 109 R Pritchard finalists 106, 107, 137, 148, 153, 156, 183, 187, 199

Race 3 Winner 215 R Saunderson finalists 206, 223, 226, 234, 240, 256, 278, 289, 294

Race 4 Winner 375 H Beecher finalists 306, 310, 313, 327, 330, 334, 341, 361, 364

Race 5 Winner 432 C Jordan finalists 400, 441, 445, 458, 466, 472, 480, 487, 492

Race 6 Winner 580 D Willoughby finalists 513, 521, 528, 556, 559, 562, 567, 585, 587

Race 7 Winner 619 C Lovell finalists 605, 618, 624, 627, 633, 636, 639, 655, 690

Race 8 Winner 797 J Fjorden finalists 702, 729, 751, 770, 776, 777, 786, 791, 795

Race 9 Winner 872 Altzeimers finalists 832, 840, 845, 858, 880, 884, 887, 894, 899

Race 10 Not Run

Final

First Prize £100  375 Hannah Beecher

Second Prize £ 50 61 P. Afia

Third Prize £ 25 153 J Wechsler

Duck Derby Plate Matthew Meade

Thank you to everyone who supported this year’s race by buying tickets, you’re all fantastic!!

Also, thanks to our race prize sponsors:

Aldermaston Signs – Tadley Floral Design – The Rowbarge-  New Standard Tandoori 

4 Rent Vehicle Hire – The New Inn, Tadley

Hi-Line Car Dealers – The Swan, Thatcham – The Butt Inn – The Falcon Garage

First Prize  Swift Couriers  

Second Prize Barkers Butchery

Third Prize  The Badgers  Wood

Clive Vere, 4 Sept 2016