the Harnkegger games

By Ponso Pondhopper   Before he went off to Erebor, my good friend Hanfur, the dwarf, told me to look up a friend of his, a Kandral Strongbeard, who lives up at Thorin's Hall. Well, as luck would have it, this fine dwarf popped into the Green Dragon t'other Friday to listen to the music and have a few good hobbit ales. Now we got talking about this and that, the details of which I won't bore you with, but involve the providing of fish for the dwarves. The important thing is—and this is really exciting news, which is why I'm sharing it with you—that the dwarves want us to join them in organising three days of competitions that they call the Harnkegger Games, to mark the end of the summer.

Now the dates are fixed at 27-29 August and the games will be held at various locations in Ered Luin and the Shire. Here are a few of the details as I am sure some of us hobbits would like to take part and show the dwarfies what we hobbits are made of! There are also some tasty prizes to be won!

Now, next Tuesday (27) there will the opening of the games up at Thorin's Hall with a fast pony race around Frerin's Court, whatever that is. The opening ceremony starts at seven thirty (2:30 PM Server time) and the winner of the race will get two gold pieces plus a couple of fine ponies (a Perlino and a Cremello) plus a voucher for 500 tasty pies! (TP). Second place gets one gold and the two ponies, the third gets 500 silver and one of the ponies. All three will get a raffle ticket, but more about that later.

After this, at eight thirty, there will be a longer race, all the way to the bounds of the Shire, with the same prizes! The Shire Angling Club will be organising a Fishing Competition after the race, with two gold pieces for the winner two ponies, a fisher's backpack and a thousand tasty pies! Similar prizes for the next two winners and a consolation prize of a fine crafted fishing rod for the next ten winners. The day will end with music, food, drink and, of course, fireworks!

Ah the raffle? Well, raffle tickets will be given out to all who win prizes and a grand raffle will be held on Saturday 31 August at the Open day of the Shire Museum of Hunting and Fishing (2 Chalk Road Harville). Didn't I mention that? Well, we are having another open day, this time on the theme of 'Fishing Holes of Middle Earth' There will be an illustrated talk, a Crazy Catfish Catch competition, followed by a bakeout, when we will turn all the catfish caught into supper! As usual music and fireworks and a Grand Raffle for all who attend (plus the Harnkegger winners) with an amazing prize, which is so amazing I haven't thought of it yet!

That's such a lot of exciting news, I may have to go lie down now.

Ponso Pondhopper,

President,

Shire Angling Club

2 Chalk Road, Harville.