A GROB 102 PILOT WAS UNABLE TO LOWER HIS LANDING GEAR AND SELECTED AN APPROPRIATE FIELD FOR A SAFE OFF-AIRPORT LANDING.

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I EXPERIENCED A GEAR LOCKUP IN A GROB 102 GLIDER WHILE SETTING UP TO ENTER A PATTERN FOR THE RWY AT ZZZ. I TOOK OFF AND RETRACTED THE GEAR AFTER RELEASING FROM THE TOW PLANE AT APPROX 2500 FT. I NOTICED NOTHING UNUSUAL. AFTER FLYING FOR APPROX 1 HR LCL TO ZZZ ARPT; I GOT AWOS WX RPTS FROM ZZZ. WINDS WERE APPROX 17 KTS AT 240 DEGS. AT 1500 FT IN PREPARATION FOR ENTERING A 45 DEG FOR L DOWNWIND FOR RWY XX; I COULD NOT MOVE THE GEAR LOWERING HANDLE FORWARD. I COULD ROTATE IT FROM THE LOCKED TO UNLOCKED POS; BUT NO AMOUNT OF FORCE WOULD MAKE IT BUDGE OR LOWER THE LNDG GEAR. I CONTACTED GLIDER GND AND LET THEM KNOW OF THE EMER AND ASKED FOR ADVICE WHETHER IT WAS PRACTICABLE TO LAND IN THE GRASS PARALLEL TO RWY XX. I THERMALED FOR AN ADDITIONAL 20 MINS NEAR THE ARPT AT 1500 FT WHILE THE GND CREW AND ARPT FACILITY MGR EXAMINED THE SURROUNDING FIELDS FOR THE BEST ALTERNATIVE SINCE THE FIELDS ADJACENT TO RWY XX APPEARED TO BE UNACCEPTABLE FOR A GEAR UP LNDG. WHILE THERMALING; I TRIED POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE G'S IN AN ATTEMPT TO CORRECT THE MALFUNCTION WITH NO SUCCESS. SEVERAL PLTS OFFERED ASSISTANCE. THE OPINION ON THE GND WAS THE BEST ALTERNATIVE WAS A RECENTLY CUT HAY FIELD NEARBY. I FLEW A L PATTERN AT APPROX 1000 FT XING PWR LINES AT ABOUT 600 FT AND 70 KTS. ONCE OVER THE FIELD; I SLOWED TO 60-65 KTS. I LEFT THE GEAR IN THE UNLOCKED POS CAUSING THE GEAR WARNING BUZZER TO NOT SOUND. I MADE A FULL SPOILER APCH LNDG WITH ABOUT A 10-20 DEG L XWIND LNDG PARALLEL TO THE ROWS OF STACKED HAY (UN-BAILED) IN THE FIELD. FLARE WAS MINIMAL AND ROLLOUT APPEARED TO BE LESS THAN 30 FT. ARPT MGRS WERE THERE TO ASSIST ME. THEY DROVE ME BACK TO THE ARPT WHERE I GOT MY PICKUP AND TOWED THE GLIDER'S TRAILER TO THE FIELD. THE GLIDER WAS LOADED INTO THE TRAILER WITHOUT INCIDENT. PLT WAS UNINJURED AND NO READILY APPARENT DAMAGE TO THE GLIDER WAS OBSERVED; BUT THIS AND THE CAUSE OF THE GEAR FAILURE REMAINS TO BE DETERMINED. ONCE ON THE GND AND THE FUSELAGE WAS IN THE CRADLE; THE GEAR DID LOWER PROPERLY.