youngsters from local primary schools showed their pedalling mettle at off-road cycling when Tavistock College hosted its first inter-schools contest for the sport.

Teams from Bere Alston, Lamerton, Mary Tavy and Brentor, Horrabridge Tavistock and Buckland Monachorum competed at the event on Tuesday.

It was organised by OCRA (Okehampton Community and Recreation Association) and cycling club Dartmoor Velo along with Tavistock College staff and students.

Team spirit was much in evidence at the event, with the children cheering on their teammates as the completed the three lap course. The children, from Years Five and Six, were competing in six rounds, matched with others of a similar speed in time trials held at their schools before the contest. There were no individual winners, and at the end the points up.

The winners were Mary Tavy and Brentor Primary School. They were presented with two trophies – one to keep and one to hand back to be awarded next year – by college principal Tristan Muller-Forster. He also announced that the contest would be held annually. In joint fourth place were Bere Alston, Lamerton and Tavistock, while in third place were Horrabridge and the team from St Andrew’s School in Buckland Monachorum came second. All the children were presented with a medal.

Mhairi McCall, from OCRA, which runs many inter-schools sports contests in the area, explained that the contest gave children who would all be coming to Tavistock College the chance to meet. ‘They are all cycling with their own ability and everyone counts in the results.’

Ian Blythe, general manager of OCRA, said the course aimed to give the youngsters a taste of the challenges of cross-country cycling. ‘We have a bit that is technical with zigzags because the stronger riders go through that quicker using their arms and at the bottom they have got a U-turn, so they have a slow corner they have got to go around, which encourages racing.’

Tavistock College PE teacher Neil Hocking, organiser, said he was very pleased by how the morning had gone. ‘This is the first event we have had for cross country cycling for many years and it is at least 15 years since we had an inter-schools contest. This is the first time we have we have worked with OCRA, Tavistock College and Dartmoor Velo.’

The off-road bikes used by the children for the event are on loan to Tavistock College from competitive cycling governing body British Cycling.

‘The plan is to take it further with the bikes and perhaps compete in other competitions with other schools,’ added Neil. ‘The fact that this is the first event we have held is really exicting. They [the children] really supported each other. I heard one of them saying he was feeling tired and the others motivated him to keep it up. The amount of teamwork and support among the kids is fantastic.’