THE air in Swaledale on Saturday for Richmond MC’s meeting at Marske certainly fired up the women’s and girls in the fifth and penultimate round of the ACU national trials championship, or was it the fact that some of the sections will be used in the Scott Trial next month.

Emma Bristow, Victoria Payne, Catherine Alford, Louise Alford, Izzy Saunders and Beth Waite are mathematically home and dry but the Auto Cycle Union, in Rugby, has to rubber-stamp the results after this Sunday’s Stevenston finale at Totherick Quarry, in Ayrshire. By all accounts all are heading to Scotland for round six.

At the sharp end of the championship, Emma Bristow won her fifth trial in series but Becky Cook had a day to forget. Both had a first-lap “downer” up the wall side at section four where Jess Bown and Jotogas-mounted Danielle Whitham eclipsed big names with a dab apiece.

Consider, though, that Jess broke her left wrist four weeks prior to Sunday.

Nikita Smith got near on a two, while Joanne Coles nonstarted.

With three wins and five podium finishes, Caz Alford was up for the women’s inter class and title. The title part is well on track but neither Caz, nor Robyn Alderson, Lucy Smith or Charley Kimber could find any answer to Manx rider Saskia Baxter, who lapped the entire course and handed in her punch card before many had managed two laps.

Robyn was close but a seven score on lap two ruined her chances. Louise Alford is also right on course for the Youth Inter B title. Woking’s Millie Ray trails her by 17 points, so it all hangs on what Millie achieves at Sevenston.

Beth Waite scored her fifth victory in Class B over Hillsborough member Megan Savage and Niamh Richardson.

The Hurworth girl is out of reach of any of her rivals. Her worst loss was a stop in section three on lap one.

Richmond girl Olivia Pearson won the newcomers from Francesca Tattersall, while Izzy Saunders leads the title chase comfortably. Leyburn’s Emily Anderson rode the entire trial in second gear after gear shaft problems on her Sherco but won her class.

After the national women’s championship trial, Richmond staged the GE Brown Trophy Trial at Low Row that attracted 170 riders on Sunday.

Andrew Brown handled the trials course, utilising the well known deep gullies.

The first of the 24 sections was more or less adjoining the start then it’s a short ride to Low Houses and up the long, deep gully. It was a case of softly softly for Ian Austermuhle, who fived the last section on the last lap to allow Guy Kendrew and Richard Sadler and course architect Dan Thorpe to close up to make the results easier.