The Millennium Ride
Monday 10th July 2000 to Sunday 16th July 2000
Funds raised: £65,000
Number of riders: 190
In what was surely the most ambitious event to date, the Ride party consisted of a record group of 190 cyclists. To mark the Millennium no less than three variants of the ride were planned. A two day and four day event as in previous years but also a five day which would involve an excursion to Gorron, Hayling's twin town. The Ride was accompanied by a Meridian TV crew. Reporter Richard Jones later expressed the view that Paris To Hayling Cyclists we were totally mad - harsh but fair comment!
Perhaps the most notable incident of the Ride was that of the mysterious dog. There are various versions of this story but according to Will Barnard it seems that scruffy looking mongrel picked some riders up some around Vernon and ran along side them for a distance which varies according to different accounts between 7 and 17 miles. At first they thought this was a big laugh but then became conscious stricken in case the poor little doggy couldn't find its way home. So they decided to take it back from whence it came. However it was only when they had gone some miles that they found out that the reason the dog had been apparently following them was because it was on its way home which lay in a village further down the bikes ride's route!
This was also the year that the Channel to Channel Ride started. The organisers did not know if there would support for a second Ride but this has proved a big hit every since. Indeed there are now several associated rides each summer.