FORTY-THREE teams competed at the 58th VFBV District 16 Championships hosted by the Ararat Fire Brigade at Alexandra Oval last Sunday.
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It was a very successful day with good weather, a great running track, new facilities and the hospitality provided by the Ararat Brigade appreciated by all competitors and spectators.
The effort and time put in by the members and their families was a credit to the brigade.
District 16 brigades that competed were Ararat, Amphitheatre, Beaufort, Beazley's Bridge, Crossroads, Langi Kal Kal, Skipton, Slaty Creek, St Arnaud, Stuart Mill and Willaura. Visiting brigades from Leopold, Sedgwick and Dunolly were also welcomed.
The Willaura Brigade, which had 10 teams competing in both senior and junior categories, won their respective discipline awards.
Winner of the TE Whitfield Shield and CFA Cup for overall seniors aggregate was Beazley's Brigade A (84 points), from Willaura A (54).
Willaura D with 52 points took out the Williamson Ford Trophy (ladies' aggregate), while Willuara A on 66 points was the Kirkpatrick Perpetual Shield and CFA Cup (juniors 11-15) recipient.
Eight new records were set on day including by the Stuart Mill A junior 11-13 years in the low down pump with 20.28 seconds and the Beazley's Bridge A senior team in the tanker hose reel and ladder which is now competed to honour the memory of the late Des Brennan in a time of 43.91 seconds.
Willaura A 11-15 years took honours in the wet hose and ladder which also honours the late Win Morris, one of District 16's great committee members for many years while Willaura B in the junior 11-13 years wet hose and ladder event were fastest with a time of 22.79 seconds.
Slaty Creek A in the junior 11-13 years tanker, priming and pumping event set the standard with a time of 29.34 seconds, while Willaura C for the senior event, hydrant and tanker, was dominant with a time of 26.18 seconds.
Rounding out the record breaking runs were Willaura A in the 11-15 years hydrant and tanker with a time of 25.85 and Stuart Mill A 11-13 years also in the same event.
The competitors, officials and supporters were welcomed to the Ararat Rural City by mayor Paul Hooper prior to opening of the championships along with the Member for Ripon, Louise Staley and the Shadow Minister for Emergency Services, Brad Battin.
Special mention was made to those who filled the roles of judges, track make up, recorders and announcers, because without the volunteers championships wouldn't take place.
District 16 Staff and its DMO were also acknowledged for giving so much support to the District 16 championship committee that helps to make the day run so well.
Major sponsors of the championships were WFI, Hotondo Homes and Bendigo Bank, Pyrenees Advocate and Pyrenees Printing.
The championships were a historic day, with the event being the first time that the canteen facilities at the new Alexandra Oval complex were in use, with all involved commenting how smoothly things ran.
Local brigades will now turn their attention to competing at the State Championships at St Arnaud this weekend, while the District 16 Committee is now looking forward to 2016 and hopes to see even more brigades competing at next year's event.
