Three clubs in the YCF – Beverley, Driffield and York – were represented at the annual Intra-Fed Challenge, named in honour of Ted Flexman and now affectionately referred to as the Intra-Ted Challenge!
The day followed its customary format; a round of AC doubles before lunch, followed by two rounds of GC doubles, then a round of 1-ball after the cake break.
Teams were the Rockets (in red) and the Mallards (in blue), channeling York’s railway connections. Pairings were drawn by lot for each round, so there was much variety and mixing of playing partnerships.
Team Mallards held a narrow lead at lunchtime, 2 games to 1. Then the Rockets scored a second win as Cathie and Lionel pipped Chris and Fiona on GC golden hoop. But the Mallards notched up another 5 wins in the other GC games. The score stood at 7-2. Could the Rockets peg back the Mallards by winning all six of the 1-ball games? It was a tall order… The final game of Alison vs Richard (Charity 1-ball northern champion for 2026) was a gem. The spectators were enthralled as Alison ran four hoops with a two ball break, closing down Richard’s lead. Excellent hitting in and a missed peg-out kept the drama going. At the third attempt Richard pegged out his ball, winning 13-11. Applause for both players filled the York air.
The day concluded with an individual challenge. Tertiary colours were employed as each of the twelve competitors shot a ball from a lawn corner to the peg. Nick from Driffield had the distinction of being closest to the peg with his black ball, and won the prize for individual merit and skill. Chocolate was involved!
Overall team winners were the Mallards (Steve, Malcolm, Fiona, Chris, Richard and Debbie) with a convincing win, 11 games to 4. Their prizes were mocktails – we’ll raise a glass to Ted, a croquet friend we all miss.
