The annual 4 county meeting between Hertfordshire, hosts this year, Essex Middlesex and Bedfordshire Schools took place at Aldenham GC. Essex Schools arrived as the 2023 Champions and as the scores came in for more than an hour they were at the top of the table thanks to best individual score of the day - 40 pts from Captain Tate Daly. Bedfordshire trailed last with two low, eventual discard scores, keeping them in 4th place. However the last 4 Bedfordshire players all came through late on to turn the positions around and win the trophy for the first time since 2017. The team selected from the results of the Handicap and High Handicap Schools Championships held earlier in the summer had a strong contingent from Bedfordshire GC. They led the recovery with Sienna Williams (38) and Lily Johnston (39) and Captain Lucas Harley (39) securing the win in the last group. Earlier Lara Gauntlett (32) and Tom Greenwood (35), alongside Hayden Tallentire (The Millbrook GC) (35) started the recovery after Harry Laycock had registered 31 pts early on as the best counting score on the fast greens at Aldenham.
This made up for the narrowest of defeats in the previous three meetings where Essex took the trophy last year on a better discard score after both counties tied on 238. In 2021 and 2022 Middlesex had pipped Bedfordshire by a single point on both occasions. The title came back to Bedfordshire for the first time since 2017 in a keenly contested affair each year.
Final scores: Bedfordshire Schools 249 Essex Schools 234 Hertfordshire Schools 226 Middlesex Schools 219
(left to right) Tom Greenwood (Bedford School / Bedfordshire GC) ; Lily Johnston (Goldington Academy/ Bedfordshire GC)); Hayden Tallentire (Marston Vale Middle / The Millbrook GC); Lucas Harley (Bedford Modern – Capt / Bedfordshire GC)); Dave Sweetnam (Manager / Leighton Buzzard GC); Harry Laycock (Putteridge High / South Beds GC) ; Sienna Williams (Bedford Greenacre / Bedfordshire GC)) ; Lara Gauntlett (Bedford Modern / Bedfordshire GC)) ( also not in picture) Nathan Whitmore (Mark Rutherford / Beds & County GC) and Charlie Parker (Etonbury Academy / Letchworth GC)