Cooper, who clearly enjoyed the event, promised to return and defend his title in 2014.
At the finish line Cooper said that he enjoyed the variety of terrain, which included mud, rocks, fields, jeep track, single track and farm roads.
Nicola Giliomee (Knysna) won the 75km Ladies MTB race. Giliomee was followed by Thea-Mari van der Sandt (George), Elise Swanepoel (Mossel Bay) and Shirley Schmidt (Mossel Bay).
89 competitors participated in the event, which took place last Saturday on Retief Goosen's farm, Goose Wines, in the Langkloof Valley. Both the 35km and 75km mountain bike races included a 2km climb on the well-known Voortrekkerpas.
Daniel Hodgins (George) was the first rider to cross the line in the 35km race. Hodgins was followed by Jason Campbell (Knysna) and Ruan Matthee (George). The first lady to cross the line for the 35km MTB race was Caitlin De Wet (George), followed by Grete van Staden (Pretoria).
Only 12-years-old, Tristan Nortje had a great race and came in with the top 10 riders of the 35km.
The trail runners started at 08:05 in the opposite direction from the MTB riders. The runners got to run on single track, over rocks, through mud and in the forest. The first to cross the line were Anton Welsh (George) and Louis Lategan (Oudtshoorn) who ran the route together. Welsh enjoyed his first ever Trail Run and said that he cannot wait to come to the Wild Goose Run in December, where he wants to try the longer distance.
The first two ladies were Charné Du Preez (Hartbeespoort Dam) and Desiree Erasmus (Hartbeespoort Dam).
Hano and Sonja Otto of Tri Sport, organisers of the Wild Goose Events hope to have the 2nd Wild Goose Chase planned for November part of the mountain bike Marathon series. The next event on their calendar will be the TriSport Cross Duathlon on 30 June. For all results on the Wild Goose Chase MTB race and trail run please visit www.trisport.co.za.
Nicola Giliomee won the 7km ladies race.
