WHY NO YELLOW BREECHES? (and other stuff)

(Photo - Bina Briggs) click on image to view full size version

The first time I had any contact with Yellow Breeches Racing is was in summer 2005 when club member Albert Greene was then proposing to ride that year's Three Peaks Cyclo Cross. Through a series of events (that escape me now) Albert made contact with me by email from the 'States.

Not then knowing the derivation of the name (see entry below) and making all sorts of assumptions, I have to confess to being rather disappointed when I first met Albert on the morning of the 2005 'Peaks to see that his racing shorts weren't yellow - and in fact carried only a modest amount of the colour.

Yellow Breeches = Yellow Racing shorts - simply too obvious perhaps? - and aesthetically a reason not to do it?

The picture above shows our first meeting in 2005. L to R: Albert Greene - YBR, the author, Geoff Booker - Oxonian CC.

TRIVIA NOTE/S: Albert Greene was the first person to ride both the Three Peaks Cyclo-Cross and the Iron Cross, and has ridden every edition of the latter.

The list of people who have ridden both races has now expanded to six* (listing below is in date / alphabetical order):

Albert Greene (USA) - Yellow Breeches Racing (2005)
Ian Briggs (UK) - Capital Bicycle Racing Club (2006 & 2007)

Gary Hill (UK) - Capital Bicycle Racing Club (2006)

Stuart Bowers (UK) - Cycle Sport Magazine (2007)

Rob Jebb (UK) - Wheelbase (2007)

Andy Peace (UK) - SIS (2007)

*If I am mistaken and there are actually more names to go on this list, please contact me and I'll be happy to make corrections.

This list will expand by at least one in 2008 as my CBRC clubmate Chris McBurnie will be flying across for the 'Peaks next month - along with, we know, a number of other Stateside racers.

Chris has already finished the Iron Cross (2007) and so automatically will go on the list above.