LEYBURN joiner Richard Sadler won the Northern Experts Trial in Derbyshire last Sunday from Birstall instructor Dan Thorpe and Lincoln engineer Chris Alford.

Sadler, who competed on a new version of the Italian Beta machine, said before his victory: "I have not even ridden or practised on the new Beta."

Conditions at Wildboarclough, a hamlet five miles south of Buxton, were grim. Heavy rain brought swollen streams, but worse was the dense fog on the higher parts of the course. The visibility on the moors was down to 10 yards.

EBORACUM MC headed west to Moor Farm, at Ouseburn, where 37 riders contested the AJS Trophy Trial, the final pre-Christmas event on the club's calendar.

The venue provided, thanks to Louise and Simon Gill, a 10-section, four-lap event taking in the always soggy West Plantation before a quarter-mile return trip to the big wood, where five sections tracked the narrow stream.

By tradition, two sections were on the camel humps adjacent to the farm building, where concealed rocks and grass cambers took their toll.

The third section in West Plantation took marks off all bar clubman A runners Chris Laws and Matt Handley, while only winner Paul Pulman was clean in clubman B. Clubman A winner Neil Gaunt dropped a boot.

The five sections in the big wood were marked by the team of Simon Gill, John and Tom Stones, Olly Kendra and James Wainwright, so the section marking came from different riding classes.

Kendra was the top gun in the results as a leading East Yorkshire Centre rider and dropped his five penalties in the wood. The seventh and eighth traversed slippery hillside rocks where a mark could go in a flash. After the first lap, the mud carried onto the rocks produced an even more difficult surface. The 10th section featured a drop off the bank into the very narrow stream, but circling a tree in the approach line.

Once in the stream, it was a tight squeeze between rocks. The experts had a tree stump to deal with before the plunge off the grass bank, only to be confronted with an even more ambitious exit line.

The club's annual dinner and awards presentation takes place on December 2 at the New Earswick Folk Hall, York. The club website has all the information.

SEATON Delaval Motor Club held their Woods Trophy Trial last Sunday, when an excellent turnout of riders was greeted with horrendous weather.

Two laps of 15 sections at Ward's Hill, near Rothbury, in Northumberland, tested all competitors. After heavy overnight rain, some sections had to be altered before the start and as the rain continued a couple became unrideable as water levels rose dramatically.

Roger Williams took his Montesa round the expert course for nine penalties, an excellent performance which put him well clear of Anthony and Ian Stephen, who took second and third places ahead of Glen Quinn.

Williams was consistently better than the opposition on all but one section, the stream at number 10, where he dropped one, while Anthony Stephen kept his feet up on both laps.

On the clubman route, Eddie Aitkin thought he had blown his chances with a couple of fives in the bomb hole, only to find out later that Trevor Willans missed out on the win after riding past the second quarry group, assuming that area was only for the conducted course riders.

Craig and Phil Scott (no relation) took second and third places, just ahead of Roddy Baker, who was riding with a cracked knee cap, sustained four weeks earlier.

Apart from a slack dab in section one, Neil Hebdon was in fine form on the easy course, his total of 19 putting him six clear of John Grey, who was going well aboard his Fantic until a five on the climb out of section six and four in section 14 spoilt his day.

Ella Hodgson had a four-mark win over Josh Brown on the well-supported conducted course, both just edging out Alyssa Baxter.

Results

Eboracum MC AJS Trophy Trial, Moor Farm, Ouseburn. – Experts: 1 Olly Kendra (Sherco) 5; 2 Stephen Suddes (Gas Gas) 15. Inters: 1 Jonathan Frost 30; 2 James Wainwright 48 (all Beta).

Clubman A: 1 Neil Gaunt 2; 2 Chris Laws 4; 3 Matt Handley 7 (all Beta).

Clubman B: 1 Paul Pulman (Scorpa) 0; 2 Andy Lewis (SWM) 4; 3 Andrew Coulson (Yamaha) 5.

Clubman B over-50s: 1 Jonathan Lapin 1; 2 Paul Nelson 1; 3 Michael Benson 7 (all Beta).

Youth Class B: Elliott Laws (Beta) 40.

Youth Class C: Sam Wilson (Gas Gas) 124.

Seaton Delaval & District MC Woods Trophy Trial, Ward's Hill, Rothbury. – Expert course: 1 Roger Williams (Montesa) 9; 2 Anthony Stephen (Gas Gas) 29; 3 Ian Stephen (Sherco) 37.

Clubman course: 1 Eddie Aitkin (Gas Gas) 28; 2 Craig Scott (Gas Gas) 35; 3 Phil Scott (Beta) 40.

Easy course: 1 Neil Hebdon (Ossa) 19; 2 John Grey (Fantic) 25; 3 Rob Lowery (Sherco) 28.

Conducted course: 1 Ella Hodgson (Oset) 7; 2 Josh Brown (Oset) 11; 3 Alyssa Baxter (Gas Gas) 13.

Manchester 17 MCC National Northern Experts Trial, Wildboarclough. – Experts: 1 Richard Sadler (Beta) 16; 2 Dan Thorpe (Gas Gas) 17; 3 Chris Alford (Gas Gas) 19; 4 Craig Robinson (Gas Gas) 37; 5 Chris Pearson (Sherco) 38; 6 Richard Timperly (Beta) 38.

Green course: 1 Darren Wasley (Gas Gas) 17; 2 Keiran Hankin (Sherco) 21; 3 Julian Ingham (Beta) 22.

Clubman A: 1 Steven Gerrard (Beta) 28; 2 Mike Leddy (Beta) 29; 3 Mark Timperley (Beta) 39.

Fixtures

Sunday: Weardale MC Macmillan Cancer Support charity trial, Eastgate Quarry, Eastgate, 10am; Richmond MC Eric Ridley Trial, Marske, 10.30am; Pickering & District MC Motocross, Haygate Lane, Pickering, practice 10.15am, racing 11.15am.