A REVIVED cycle event that returned to North Yorkshire after more than 20 years has been put firmly back on the biking calendar.

The Boltby Bash mountain bike challenge returned to High Paradise Farm, Boltby, near Thirsk, on Saturday, May 21 and Sunday, May 22, and saw hundreds of cyclists attend for tough climbs, steep descents, and muddy conditions.

Ginny Skilbeck, who owns the tearooms at High Paradise Farm, remembers making and selling her first cakes at one of the early events aged four - 23 years ago.

She said: "The Bash was one of the earliest mountain bike events on the annual calendar and was first introduced by Neil Burton and Martin Winstone, who ran it for six years from 1989.

"It was known for its dramatic, rugged terrain, mud and hard uphill pulls. Its new format as an Enduro and Sportive event has been made possible by the hard work of Pete Wilkin who cleared and opened up routes over private land."

Mr Wilkin added: "There were some terrific downhill sections falling off the edge of the Hambleton Hills on moorland and field tracks to the valleys below.

"Two hundred and thirty completed the course on Sunday, with many more entering on Saturday for the ‘ave a bash’ day. Plans are already in place for next year so watch out for the dates."

Ginny and Judith Skilbeck would like to thank the event organisers, marshals, landowners and the main sponsors, Pace Cycles for their support, and Rita Winstone from the original team for attending to present a prize in memory of her late husband Martin.

Mrs Winstone said her husband would have been proud to have been part of the new event and to have seen the Bash’s reawakening.