THERE was medals all round for the three schools who sent competitors to the British Schools Score Orienteering Champion-ships held at Lever Park, near Manchester on Saturday.

Score orienteering is the most challenging form of the sport requiring competitors to plot their own course round as many control points as possible in a given time limit.

Rosemary Hartmann, aged nine, of the Wyche Primary School, Malvern Wells, made a stunning debut as a Year 5 Girl winning her class with 15 controls, two more than anyone else despite coming in 11 minutes early.

Her sister Heather, 11, appearing for the first time for The Chase, Malvern, gained the bronze medal in the Girls' Year 7 class - also with 15 controls but finishing some 12 minutes early causing her parents to wonder where she might have finished if she had had the nerve to stay out a little longer.

Regular competitor Robert Farrington, 13, a pupil at John Masefield School, retained his unbeaten record by winning the Year 9 Boys' competition.

Daniel Hartmann, also Year 9 of The Chase lost a medal place when he stayed out a minute over time and finished fifth out of 39 runners while Carl Jenkins of John Masefield finished 29 out of 63 in the highly competitive Year10/11 class.

All of the youngsters will be attempting to get on the podium at the British Schools Cross Country Orienteering Champion-ships to be held in the Forest of Dean next month.

Anyone who would like to try this adventure sport is welcome to take part in an event starting from the West of England car park (below the Worcestershire Beacon on the West Malvern Road) between 10.30am and 12.30pm on Sunday, October 27 where there will be courses suitable for all ages and abilities and plenty of help on hand.