Yeadon-Guiseley Motor Club, Cobb & Jagger Trophy Trial, Keighley Gate, Sunday

BIRSTALL motor cycle instructor Dan Thorpe gave his younger rivals a lesson in trials riding at muddy Keighley Gate on Sunday where the Yeadon-Guiseley club staged the annual Cobb and Jagger Trophy Trial over a three lap woodland course.

Richard Sadler and James Stones challenged to finish second and third. Stones was making his debut on a brand new 300cc Beta machine.

Just one penalty separated the Richmond club’s front runners.

Sadler’s teenage protégé Ryan Brown matched class winner Charlie Smith on the Class B youth course and only lot out ona tie breakerThe event was also the opening trial in the 2017 Yorkshire trials championship series and it attracted a massive entry of one hundred and twenty two contenders ranging from experts down to six year old youngsters on electric powered machines.

Eccleshill teenager Keiran Child won the youth category on the championship where Silsden’s Harry Lampkin ruled the novice class and Guiseley air conditioning engineer Danny Cockshott won the inter class. Mirfield cobbler Andrew Jackson headed Clubman from Chesterfield British Ladies Championship contender Jess Bown.

Shipley rider Paul Gravestock returned to trialling after a shoulder operation and dominated Clubman B by beating Stanningley’s Howard Gulley and Pudsey’s Mark Chippendale. William Sagar, Imogen Laws and Jimmy Crabtree won their classes in the Small Wheels categories.

Guisborough & D.M.C. February Trial, Slapewath, Sunday

Simon Kershaw rode to a relatively straight forward win on Sunday at Guisborough clubs February Trial held at their practice ground, Slapewath, near Guisborough. He was the only expert ranked competitor. 

The weather was kind to Clerk of course Gary Ferguson, and to the seventy entrants, a slight frost easing, leaving conditions slippery and tricky.

Scarborough property developer Kershaw, always a consistent rider, only made one real mistake, taking a yellow flag on the third hazard home on six marks lost.

The top three Intermediate riders all experienced, but Stephen Suddes put a fantastic ride together cleaning every lap. Simon Winfield and Steven Hind struggled to match him.

A good battle between Alan Carr and Mike Noble in Class A, both in top notch form at present, each rode the difficult third section well with a loss of five, but it was third place man Ray Foulkes who starred on this section.

Noble actually let the win slip away first lap, a scrappy three on the awkward root exit of section five high up at the top of the course earned him second place.

Too tight to call in Clubman B with Roger Winspear, Rick Jackson and Enduro man Gary Brown keeping their heads to remain clean. Andrew Dale lost out, stalling on the tight turn of seven, his only marks, and Paul Pulman and Henry Suddes losing five on the eighth to drop them down the order.

Harrison Skelton and Matilda Arbon resumed their fight for supremacy in D class and this week it was Skelton`s turn to take the win with Mason Vasey in third.

Consett & D.M.C. North East Centre Championship, Rogerley Quarry, Stanhope, Sunday

The first round of the 2017 North East Centre Trials Championship was held last weekend, when the Consett and District Motor Club put on their meeting at Rogerley Quarry above Stanhope in the Wear Valley.

Eighty five riders made the start, with over half going for the Easy Course.

On the Clubman Route, Colin Ward and James Harland took their respective air cooled mono and Pre-65 mounts round for just the one mark and could not be split as they had both dropped their mark in the same section on the same lap.

Peter McIntyre and Ian Cheetham made light work of the Easy Course, both faultess, while Stephen Turnbull and Mark Hardy could have joined them but for a single penalty each.

Weekend Fixture List Sunday

Stratford on Avon M.C. Colmore cup Trial /S3 Parts Championship, Upper Quarton, 9.00 am.

Bradford D.M.C. Timperley Cup Trial, Lead Mines, Yarnbury, 10.30 am.

Castleside M.C. Trial, (no advance details) Northallerton D.M.C. Chequers Trial, Osmotherley, 10.30 am.