ATH Prizes
There are two prizes presented each year, the Pablo Memorial Trophy and the Dave Harding Trophy. Additionally, at the setter’s discretion, a number of other prizes are presented, examples include:
- Best Newcomer Team
- The most beautifully crafted overall solution
- Most Bonkers Theory
- Best Hunt Story
- "No native speakers"
Originally all prizes were monetary and the prize money pool came from the Logica Sports and Social Club. Currently all funding for Pablo’s Armchair Treasure Hunt is provided by the Past Setters and there is no prize money pool. The discretionary prizes presented by the setters are therefore a recognition of hunting prowess (or not) and come with kudos rather than monetary value.
The Pablo Memorial Trophy
A Logica Armchair Treasure Hunt Trophy was created during the 2007 Hunt for presentation to the first team to reach the Treasure Box each year. One of the main purposes of the Trophy was to remember Pablo, who sadly passed away in October 2007 after a long battle with cancer, but not before he had set one last ATH!
The trophy itself is made up of two treasure boxes, one of which fits inside the other, with the whole mounted on a wooden plaque that includes an engraved Roll of Honour detailing all past winners. Pablo named his publishing empire 'Matryoshka' in reference to the Russian dolls, the inference being that there is something hidden inside. The plaque is entitled:
Logica Armchair Treasure Hunt
ROLL OF HONOUR
In Memory of Pablo
Consequently it is incumbent on each year's setter to ensure that the Trophy is retrieved from the previous winner around November time, and the name of the new winner is engraved ready for the annual Prize Giving post-Hunt ceremony.
The setters of ATH2022 kindly replaced the plaque with a plinth which added more space for engraving winning team names. The engraved side of the plinth is cleverly constructed so that it can be detached and transported to the engraver without the rest of the trophy.
The Dave Harding Trophy for Best Solution
This trophy is awarded each year for the best solution. It was engraved as the Dave Harding Trophy following his unexpected death in 2015. Dave was a long time enthusiast for the ATH as a member of the PATHfinders team and occasional setter. He was instrumental in getting PablosATH.com off the ground in 2014. He was particularly keen that there should be a trophy for the best solution and he selected this trophy that was presented for the first time to the ATH2014 winner. Dave will be missed by ATHers and hopefully he would approve of this "in memoriam". The names of past winners are engraved on the back.
It is incumbent on each year's setter to ensure that the Trophy is retrieved from the previous winner around November time, and the name of the new winner is engraved ready for the annual Prize Giving post-Hunt ceremony.