LYMAN — With mud flying and the crowd cheering, all-terrain vehicle riders competed against each other Saturday at the ATV Jamboree.
The event, put on by the Ossipee Mountain ATVers club, was located at the MX207 racetrack on Route 202 in Lyman. This is the second year in a row the club has put on the jamboree, said club member David Gardner.
“It’s a good all-around way to start spring out,” said President Todd Abbott.
The event drew more than 50 riders, from adolescents to adults, and a large crowd of spectators who lined up to watch.
Contestants could compete in three competitions: Sand drag, double-eight barrel racing, and the big crowd pleaser ”“ the mud runs. For the mud runs, event organizers constructed a mud pit, and riders were challenged to drive through it. Some made it through, but some didn’t and had to be towed out.
Winners were chosen in each category for three kinds of vehicles ”“ two-wheel drive, four-wheel drive and side by side.
Around 10:30 a.m., riders lined up on their machines, ready to go for the first competition.
Abbott went over the general rules at the beginning of the event, and Gardner served as emcee.
“I hope everyone is ready to get muddy,” said Gardner.
That was no problem for Josh Leighton of Gorham.
“I love the mud,” he said.
An avid four wheeler, he said he enjoyed competing in the jamboree, and noted that there aren’t a lot of similar events around.
“It’s a chance to get in front of a crowd and show off,” he said.
Leighton said he was impressed with the trails the club maintains and the community service it does, and he intends to join.
The jamboree, said Gardner, promotes fun and safety and raises money for the club. The event also brings people together and builds camaraderie. Some people even come from out of state to attend, said Gardner.
The club was holding raffles and participants could check out products from different vendors.
Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife safety instructor John Bell was on hand to tell people of his next ATV safety class, to be held June 3 at the group’s clubhouse at 278 Old Alfred Road in Waterboro.
The Ossipee Mountain ATVers maintains more than 35 miles of trails in Waterboro. For more information, visit www.omatvers.com.
— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, Ext. 325 or egotthelf@journaltribune.com.
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