NORTHALLERTON DMC finally struck lucky on Sunday for their annual Clubman trial at Girsby, near Yarm.

After a string of cancellations due to bad weather, the sun finally put a smile on clerk of course Nigel Rooksby’s face as he plotted four laps of ten sections along the banks of the River Tees.

Local lad Dan Ferguson managed to roll out of bed for this one, rub the sleep from his eyes to ride it unpenalised, leaving Middlesbrough man Colin Chapman to regret his one dab over the angled tree exit of section two. The stylish Shane Monkman, now finding the form and consistency he showed almost a couple of years ago, finished third after the awkward downhill drop of Geoff Simpson’s caught him for two marks and then threw another slack one away on the hill climb.

Clubman B class proved tight, but Melton’s finest and youngest of the ‘Summer Wine’ trio Tim Marrison continued his run of good form to pip James Barker for the win by one mark.

Marrison lost all his marks on the drop in and tight turn over rocks of section eight observed Best on this one.

On just three marks lost were Barker, Mark Meynell and Bob Pickersgill. In fact, Pickersgill was on for the class win until misreading the relatively easy hill climb and lost ten marks.

Youth competitor Nikita Smith continues to impress and but for a failure when she went for a trip over the handlebars as she hopped the little Gasser over the awkwardly-angled tree of section two, her score was up with the experienced riders.

SHIBDEN international trials ride Jack Challoner won the Horsforth club’s old-established Basic Memorial Trial on Sunday at Blubberhouses and his victory gained him the Watsons Cairns Trophy.

Three weeks after his appendix removal operation and Richard Sadler posted another Class A Youth victory, and the 16-year-old West Witton apprentice joiner was fourth overall.

Healaugh expert John Sunter claimed 11th place which did not get near uncle Philip Alderson’s top six result.

Richmond’s Will Reynolds posted a strong 13th in exalted company.

WHAT a result. Sam Haslam and Ross Danby enter the lion’s den and win the jackpot. For two of the JST Gas Gas team members to ride the annual Bemrose Trophy Trial, at High Edge, finish a convincing first and second, and eclipse local aces Craig Robinson, Dan Thorpe, and John Shirt has thankfully brought sanity back into traditional British trialling.

MORE than 100 competitors wheeled out old British trials motorcycles at the Yorkshire Classic club’s annual Open Captain’s Trial at Wainstalls, Halifax , on Sunday. Class winners included father and son duo Peter and Neil Gaunt and Scottish Pre-65 winner Tony Calvert. All three riders live in Harrogate.

THE Youth Championship series is way down in Sidbury and Chudleigh, near Plymouth, this weekend, so that means a long haul for the Yorkshire competitors.

The parents of Richard Sadler, Matt Maynard, Jack Stones, Jack and Dan Peace, Joe Clements, Zac Collinson, Michael Todd and Sam Johnson face a 600-mile round trip.

Also in Class A, Joe Jennings, Sam Boocock, Sam Yeadon, and Jack Howell are featured. Class B Yorkies include Joe Clements, Jack Price, Rob Waite and Matthew Ackerley.

Richard Sadler is on a roll having won two Youth classes in as many weeks. The fact that he missed the opening round was negated last week when Chris Short broke his hand at the Scarborough national trial so the Kent boy is out for some weeks. Chris won Scarborough and took the 20 points for the victory.