Kendrew comes out on top in challenging Harold Graham Trophy trial

The club fought a running battle with strong winds that swept down Swaledale accompanied by rain showers.

Brendan Suffell and Gavin Lowther waded through the sections, planting flags above what became a raging torrent. The water levels rose rapidly in the Cogden Hall stream and the wind threatened to topple observers and competitors.

The strange feature of the weather was a temperature in the order of 12C, in direct contrast to the previous day.

Many riders were blown off course in the sections. Masham Sausages boss Paul Dennis was swept off line on his Beta in the middle of two sections, feet up of course. He still won the green course class, just, from Adrian Harrison.

The latter stopped in sections seven and nine, but was good in the deep, swirling water of the second section at the bottom of Grinton Ghyll, where Dennis footed on all three laps.

At the top of the tree, Guy Kendrew excelled over Richard Sadler and Ian Austermuhle.

Sadler was sharp all the way, but a stop in Cogden Wood on lap one gave Kendrew the break, especially after Austermuhle fived the fourth section up Cogden Ghyll.

Barry Watson, Richard Coates, Nathan Stones and Dave Nesham took the Grinton Wood sections and took the full force of the gale blowing down over Reeth.

The ninth was a tough nut to crack. It was very slippery, but Kendrew had it sorted and cleaned on all three laps. It was also where Sadler dropped his maximum. The best cleans were down to Phil Alderson, Russ Cannell, top inter Matt Maynard and, on the green route, Dennis.

Clubman winner Paul Sadler produced a 1-1-2, while class B runner Guy Stones did haul his Beta out first time round.

The sections did test the rest of the class. Tom and Luke Constantine managed to deal with the severity, as did Charlie Dent and Rob Weatherall on new 125 Beta machines.

The class C boys rode two laps, with brothers Dan and Ben Hodgson setting the standard, overseen by their father, Phil. Down in the low meadow, small wheels guru Ted Harston and his assistants – read parents – managed to control 26 boys and girls who rode a full nine-section, four-lap course on the banks of the stream.

There was a small percentage of aquatics, but the grassy banks were the main tests. In class BE, Ripon’s Harry Mugridge beat Monte Andrew, but only on most cleans. If Jack Dent had not stopped in section four on lap one, he would have taken the class.

Conrad Andrew, also Beta-mounted, won class DE. Charlie Astwood was the class act in the ED category, feeling for grip on the grassy sections and succeeding.

DESPITE weeks of rain, the Eboracum club managed to stage the Kay Trophy Trial at Moor Farm, Ouseburn, last Sunday, courtesy of Louise and Simon Gill.

Mr Gill even fired up his Montesa 4rt to take fifth place in the clubman B class.

In the expert class, Ollie Kendra was just a bridge too far for York's Tom Hick and Folifoot teenager Ben Goddard.

Mark Collinson plotted the ten-section, four-lap course.

The entry was good, with 92 competitors riding 11 classes.

Chris Stelling shaded Matt Sharp in clubman A, with Rob McNeil edging out Robert Hardisty and Phillip Hammond. Mark Hardy lost the clubman when he footed the last two sections in the East Wood.

The first seven sections were in the East Wood, where the narrow stream served well. The sting in the tail were the three sections in the West Plantation, which never seems to totally dry out regardless of weather conditions. Only Kendra got through clean on every lap.

Rod Drake rode his Beta on the white route and cleaned every section.

Results

Richmond Motor Club, Harold Graham Trophy Trial, Cogden Hall, Grinton. – Hard course experts: 1 Guy Kendrew 7; 2 Richard Sadler 9; 3 Ian Austermuhle 13 (all Beta).

Inters: 1 Matthew Maynard (Sherco) 53; 2 Mark Willis (Montesa) 67; 3 Russell Cannell (Beta) 71.

Novices: 1 Tom Alderson (Beta) 52; 2 Nathan Cannell (Gas Gas) 66; 3 Jack Harker (Beta) 81.

Green course: 1 Paul Dennis (Beta) 27; 2 Adrian Harrison (Sherco) 29; 3 Mick Sharp (Beta) 39.

Youth: 1 Tom Needham (Gas Gas) 51; 2 Matty Napper (Gas Gas) 85.

Clubmen: 1 Paul Sadler (Beta) 11; 2 Robyn Alderson (Gas Gas) 34; 3 Joe Simpson (Montesa) 50.

Over 40s: 1 William Wood 33; 2 Tony Wild 34; 3 Daniel Herriott 41 (all Beta).

Twin Shock: Mick Grant (BSA) 64.

Youth Class A: 1 Beth Waite (Beta) 49; 2 Sam Charlton (Beta) 74.

Youth Class B: 1 Guy Stones 51; 2 Tom Constantine 55; 3 Charlie Dent 59 (all Beta).

Youth Class C: 1 Dan Hodgson 69; 2 Ben Hodgson 78; 3 Martyn Pratt 102 (all Beta).

Small Wheels, Youth BE: 1 Harry Mugridge 13; 2 Monte Andrew 13; 3 Jack Dent 15 (all Beta).

Youth Class DE: 1 Conrad Andrew (Beta) 32; 2 Sam Armstrong (Beta) 53.

Youth Class ED: 1 Charlie Astwood (Gas Gas) 27; 2 Laurie Blades (Beta) 44; 3 Lily-Ann Thwaite (Oset) 66.

Youth EB: Barnaby Fothergill (Gas Gas) 36.

Eboracum MCC Kay Trophy Trial, Moor Farm, Ouseburn. – Experts: 1 Ollie Kendra (Sherco) 10; 2 Tom Hick (Beta) 30; 3 Ben Goddard (Sherco) 86.

Inters: 1 Shane Monkman (Beta) 68; 2 Jonathan Frost (Gas Gas) 91.

Clubman A: 1 Chris Stelling (Montesa) 21; 2 Matt Sharp (Beta) 27; 3 Rob McNeil (Beta) 31.

Clubman B: 1 Andrew Keel (Fantic) 3; 2 Mark Hardy (Beta) 5; 3 Andy Lewis (Ossa) 7.

Clubman B and Over-50: 1 Steve Jaques (Montesa) 15; 2 Dave Almack (Beta) 20; 3 Peter Coverdale (Gas Gas) 26.

Youth Class B: Alick Sharp (Beta) 176.

Youth Class B out of class: Callum Williamson (Scorpa) 47.

Youth Class C: Richard Pulman (Gas Gas) 39.

Youth Class D: Matilda Arbon (Mecatecno) 80.

Adult white route: 1 Rod Drake (Beta) 0; 2 Tom Stones (Beta) 5; 3 Adam Powis (Sherco) 12.

Youth white route: 1 John Jackson 15; 2 Adam Gee-Sharp 15; 3 Ryan Jackson 23 (all Beta).

Fixtures

Sunday. – Bedlington & District MC trial; Richmond & District MC Dick Horner Trophy Trial, Wensley, 10.30am; Thirsk & District MC East Yorks Centre championship trial, Long Plain Farm, Hambleton, 11am; Yeadon-Guiseley MC fifth club championship trial, Addingham Moorside, 11am.