2023 Steeplechases showcase determined runners and house spirit

The final School race of the year, the Steeplechases, took place at the end of the Lent Term, after some hurried last-minute changes to accommodate the 1st XI footballers’ memorable progress in the ESFA Cup.

A long-standing fixture in the Shrewsbury calendar, the Steeplechases has been raced annually since 1845 – indeed, it is one of the very earliest recorded cross-country races. Whilst earlier races would see the ‘hounds’ tackle all manner of obstacle and vegetation (armed with special ‘hedging’ gloves that used to be stitched onto the jerseys by the school tailor), today’s race is a far tamer team relay event raced on campus.

Although the building work at the Port Hill end of campus resulted in some tweaks to the course, the distance remained comparable to previous years’ iterations, with five legs of roughly 2.5km each. Following the dismantling of the Rigg’s monopoly last year, the boys’ race winners looked very difficult to predict, with the Hunt’s top runners distributed across a number of contending houses. The girls’ race was similarly difficult to call, with EDH and MSH both looking particularly dangerous. 

As ever, the race saw the Third Form set off on the first leg, with an initial lap of Top Common to negotiate. At the sharp end of the field, Al W built a 25 second lead for Radbrook, with fellow RSSH runners Max S (S) and Oliver R (PH) completing the top three. Run concurrently, the girls’ race saw Georgia G (MSH) in commanding form, finishing nearly 30 seconds clear of Bethan R (EDH), with Bella B (M) in 3^rd.

The second leg was completed by the Fourth Form. Amelia B extended MSH’s lead beyond the minute mark, whilst Artemis W consolidated EDH’s 2^nd place. Showing their junior strength, MSH B, through Kitty F, charged into 3^rd place. On the boy’s side, Radbrook looked to be sitting pretty, with Zac W finishing a minute ahead of Churchill’s Johnnie T (who had himself passed two to reach second). Robbie L ran well to keep Severn Hill in the top three.

By the end of the third leg, Dom W (R) had retained the lead, but there were ominous signs behind. Jack K’s sub-8 minute clocking – the first of the day - took Port Hill from 4^th to 2^nd place. Moreover, whilst Louis H had kept Severn Hill in 3^rd, Harry P-M’s 7m 53s leg had brought Ingram’s into much closer contention. On the girls’ side, MSH, through Sophia C, had built a towering lead of 2m 30s, with Frances T-T keeping EDH in 2^nd and Liv K restoring Moser’s 3^rd place. With the senior runners set to complete the final two legs, MSH seemed to have things wrapped up, whilst the boys’ race remined tantalisingly open.

The fourth leg saw plenty of action. Despite Katie H (MSH, LVI) keeping the long-time leaders in front, Rosie M (EDH, LVI) reduced the lead to just over a minute, setting up an enthralling contest on the last leg. Moser’s, with Kitty S-P (UVI) on the course, held on to 3^rd. By the end of the boys’ race, the top three teams were separated by just 10 seconds. Kristian T’s (UVI) outstanding 7m 25s had pulled Ingram’s into a narrow lead over the two day houses, with Archie C (Rb, UVI) and Hamish G (PH, LVI) just a few seconds adrift. Meanwhile, in 5^th place, Brad K’s impressive 7m 47s had given Rigg’s a sniff of the podium.  

The hugely exciting final leg saw an emerging battle royale in both girls’ and boys’ races. Ultimately, Massimo W’s (PH, LVI) 8m 14s was just enough to overtake Timothy S’ (I, IV) 8m 26s, with Port Hill claiming a famous 2 second victory. Radbrook’s Alex M (IV) held on for 3^rd place, despite the rather terrifying prospect of Rigg’s William S (UVI) bearing down on him (Will’s 7m 16s was fastest leg of the day).

Meanwhile, there was an equally compelling and close contest between MSH and EDH. Sophia U’s (EDH, UVI) exceptional 8m 59s proved just too strong for MSH, despite a typically gritty and committed run from Ellie L-L (MSH, LVI). Even with an excellent run from Amaya N (LVI), Moser’s saw their hopes of a top three finish fade as Iris D (G, UVI) – running 8m 39s and building on her housemate Eva H’s (UVI) quick 4^th leg  – brought Grove up into 3^rd.

The three fastest on the day were:

Junior girls: Georgia G (MSH) 1^st; Amelia B (MSH) 2^nd; Bethan R (EDH) 3^rd.

Senior girls: Iris D (G) 1^st; Sophia U (EDH) 2^nd; Sophia Coulson (MSH) 3^rd.

Junior boys: Zac W (PH) 1^st; Johnnie T (Ch) 2^nd; Al W (Rb) 3^rd.

Senior boys’: William S (R) 1^st; Kristian T (I) 2^nd; Jack K (PH) 3^rd.

The 2023 running of the Steeplechases made for a fitting end to the Hunt’s year. Both boys’ and girls’ races were won in dramatic fashion, with titles in the balance right up to the closing metres. The atmosphere of lively support and healthy rivalry was a testament to the quality of racing and level of commitment on show - well done to everyone who competed!

Frank Tickner

Master i/c RSSH