Strong field assembles to take on Scott Trial challenge

The famous trial is one of the toughest energy-sapping, bike-destroying cross-country events in Europe. There is hardly a yard of tarmac on the entire course, which runs beyond Arkengarthdale, Hurst and Grinton.

James Dabill, Dougie Lampkin and Skeeby’s Jonathan Richardson are all aiming to win again. Former world and British champion Lampkin is looking for an amazing fifth victory, while John Sunter will be trying to set the pace as he did last year.

The word from Healaugh is that Sunter has been undergoing punishing training and is set on blazing a time-beating trail on his Repsol Honda.

Four female riders will start the trial. World and British champion Emma Bristow has Kay Sunter, Vicky Peel and Chloe Richardson to contend with.

Michele Bosi travels from Italy and Grand Canaria resident Cristian Ruano also takes on the challenge.

Apart from more than 100 trials officials, Swaledale Mountain Rescue will be tracking all the riders with satellite and radio systems.

The detailed programme, all 88 pages, is available in shops in Richmond, Leyburn and Reeth, priced £5. All proceeds from the Scott Trial are donated to national and local charities.

The rewards for the riders are the coveted trophies. Not a penny features in the awards, just trophies.

The start time is 9am, with riders leaving every 20 seconds. Feldom Range is on the road from Richmond to Marske. Spectator car parks are opposite the competitor paddock.

PORT Mulgrave's Jack Howell proved in unbeatable form last Sunday to win Middlesbrough DMC's trial at Manor House Farm, Ruswarp, by 14 marks from Simon Kershaw, from Scarborough.

Glorious weather helped a smaller-than-usual entry and the long, rocky river bed produced great competition, having had the slime scrubbed off the week before with the East Yorks Two-Day Trial running there.

THE Stanley Motor Club were at Bedburn recently, with just under 40 riders turning out for a Saturday afternoon event around the course above Wolsingham.

On the expert route, two B class riders led the way, with Jack Biggins coming out on top ahead of Scott Aitkin, who was followed home by Louis Grey. Paul Westgarth had just the one in the first section, giving him the clubman win over Martin Phillipson and Josh Fenton, who held off Steve Biggins via the tie decider.

John Grey went clean on the easy course.

THERE was an excellent turnout for the South Shields Club’s Frank Goodall Trophy Trial at Rookhope, in County Durham, last Sunday.

The event attracted 71 starters for the four-lap, ten-section event, which turned out to be much easier than anticipated on all three courses.

Out on a 2016 Sherco, John Crinson continued where he left off the previous week with another faultless ride on the expert route giving him a four-mark cushion over Colin Ward.

Carl Shaw was another to go clean, this time on the clubman route, and was warmly congratulated on the win by Eddie Aitkin, who lasted until three sections from the finish before parting with his only mark of the day. His son Scott was next with six, including a three on his last visit to section one, where the loose rocks caught out a number of riders out as they left the stream.

On the easy course, John Pattison took his Matchfield Special round without loss.

YORKSHIRE Centre trials champion Sam Yeadon and top centre novice Thomas Housecroft braved the chills of Upper Nidderdale last Sunday to set out the Dave Curry Trials course at West House Farm.

Paul Dennis defied all the their plans by riding the entire course without penalty, while Neil Gaunt lost a mark in the waterfall at the 11th section.

The two architects of the trial rode round non-competitively. Housecroft got round on two, while Yeadon was on an unlucky 13.

Bradley Green, Conrad Andrew and Jonathan Fannon all won their small wheels classes.

WELSH trials champion Iwan Roberts rode his Beta UK machine to overall victory in the Lakes Two-Day Trial, beating Londoner Alexz Wigg and Ashby de la Zouch teenager Luke Walker.

Leyburn's Richard Sadler was placed fourth, ahead of Sam Haslam and James Fry.

Weekend Results

Middlesbrough & DMC Trial, Ruswarp. – Expert: 1 Jack Howell (Beta) 20. Intermediates: 1 Mark Harrison (Gas Gas) 38; 2 Dan Ferguson (Beta) 41. Clubman A: 1 Colin Bailey (Beta) 17; 2 Phil Perry (Gas Gas) 19; 3 Mark Coulson (Gas Gas) 29. Clubman B: 1 Paul Nelson (Beta) 18; 2 Paul Pulman (Scorpa) 19.

Stanley MC Trial, Bedburn. – Expert course: 1 Jack Biggins (Beta) 5; 2 Scott Aitkin (Sherco) 30; 3 Louis Grey (Sherco) 36. Clubman course: 1 Paul Westgarth (Gas Gas) 1; 2 Martin Phillipson (Ossa) 5; 3 Josh Fenton (Sherco) 11. Easy course: 1 John Grey (Fantic) 0; 2 Paul Myerscough (Beta) 1; 3 Steve Vitty (Gas Gas) 1.

South Shields MC Trial, Rookhope. – Expert course: 1 John Crinson (Sherco) 0; 2 Colin Ward (Beta) 4; 3 Gary Pears (Scorpa) 9. Clubman course: 1 Carl Shaw (Sherco) 0; 2 Eddie Aitkin (Sherco) 1; 3 Scott Aitkin (Sherco) 6. Easy course: =1 John Pattinson (Matchfield) and Brian Johnson (Sherco) 0; 3 Kevin Edmundson (Triumph) 1.

Yeadon-Guiseley MC, Dave Curry Trophy Trial, Ramsgill. – Novices: 1 Paul Dennis (Beta) 0; 2 Neil Gaunt (Beta) 1; 3 Oliver Sharp (Gas Gas) 2; 4 Andrew Jackson (Scorpa) 2; 5 Sam Jennings (Montesa) 4; 6 Howard Gulley (Gas Gas) 5. Youth Class A: 1 Jack Harker (Sherco) 4; 2 Stephen Brown (Sherco) 149. Youth Class B: 1 Gabby Whitham (Jotagas) 67; 2 Olivia Brooksbank (Sherco) 152; 3 Adam Brown (Sherco) 180. Youth Class C: 1 Elliott Laws (Gas Gas) 137. Small wheels hard course: 1 Bradley Green 38; 2 Monte Andrew 54 (both Beta). Middle course: 1 Conrad Andrew (Beta) 9; 2 Jacob Reeday (Oset) 12; 3 William Sagar (Oset) 28. Improvers course: 1 Jonathan Fannon (Oset) 19; 2 Jack Firth (Beta) 20; 3 Summer Brooksbank (Oset) 26.

Fixtures

Saturday, Oct 17: Richmond MC, The Scott Trial, Feldom Range, 9am.

Sunday, Oct 18: Pickering MC, motocross, Haygate Lane, Pickering, 11am; Horsforth & DMC sixth Simon Green Trophy Trial, Greenhow, 11am.