AFTER his stint at Richmond Motor Club's annual two-day youth trials training at Grinton, James Stones opted for a change of scenery last Sunday.

And where better than the annual Steve Walker Memorial Trial at lofty Skyrakes Farm, high above Gargrave, where the weather and trials course was exactly right for the last day in July.

Stones turned in a 10-penalty score that won him the hard course class and the Steve Walker Trophy, leaving Sean Doyle and Burley's Louis Haley to pick up the pieces.

Haley nailed third overall, just beating Hartshead inter graded Oliver Sharp.

West Leeds club member Paul Kettlewell just headed Nigel Crowther and Burnley motorcycle dealer Martin Sandiford on the 50/50 course. Crowther was running at the back of the field after taking an observer, his son, to one of the distant sections.

Mirfield rider Andrew Jackson was on track for third place, but failed the rock step at the final section. That error dropped him from third to to fourth.

Howard Gulley edged the clubman class victory from timber retailer Rob Hardisty after the latter dropped two penalties on sections five and 10 on lap one, while Mark Chippendale stopped on the 10th. He would have won the class in the event of a tie-breaker, with Gulley having ridden more sections without penalty.

WEARDALE and District Motor Club were out at East Harthope last Sunday, when 50 riders enjoyed four laps of 10 sections.

On the expert course, Carl Shaw fared best with a score of 43, most of which went in the first three sections, and was followed by Stephen Bennett.

The green course took marks and it was a close finish, with Richard Hawes just getting ahead of Jason Scott by one. Again the first three sections took the bulk of the marks.

Trevor Willans made his trip up the valley worthwhile with a very comfortable win on the clubman route, taking his Honda twin shock round for 27, half the marks of runner-up Martin Phillipson, with Kian Dawson completing the top three.

On the easy course, only five marks covered the first five riders, but 18 was enough for Carl Peart to take the win by two clear marks after Ian Hedley had blown his chances by taking a five on the penultimate section.

JAMES Dabill extended his lead in the British Trials Championship last Saturday at West Horsley, where he won the seventh event in the series.

Denby Dale's world youth champion Jack Price finished a strong second ahead of Welsh champion Iwan Price and was just 35 points behind Dabill.

Birstall motorcycle instructor Dan Thorpe was second in the expert class behind new Gas Gas signing Tom Minta. Thorpe heads the title chase by a mere three points.

Bradford's Keiran Child was second to Jack Price in the youth category and is second in the standings.

At Burlton last Sunday, Dabill notched his seventh victory in the series, winning by a reduced margin of 21 penalties over Ipswich rider Jack Sheppard and Jack Price. The Denby Dale contender missed second place by one penalty and trails Dabill by 38 points.

Thorpe recorded another second place and is now level with winner Minta.

Child finished second to Jack Peace in the youth class and is clear of Tom Affleck in the standings.

The next event is at Guisborough on August 28.

AT the Isle of Man Youth B/C/D Championship last weekend, the winners on both days were Billy Green, Jack Dance, Harry Turner, Myles Hutchinson and George Hemingway.

North-East Centre contender William Dalton took fifth and eighth places in the class B age group. Bedlington's Bobby Young was placed seventh and ninth in class C.

Results

West Leeds Motor Club Steve Walker Memorial Trial, Skyrakes Farm, Skipton. – Steve Walker course, experts: 1 James Stones (MRS Sherco) 10; 2 Sean Doyle (Scorpa) 18; 3 Paul Sullivan (Sherco) 41.

Inters: 1 Oliver Sharp (Gas Gas) 29; 2 Tom Rushton (Montesa) 45; 3 Danny Cockshott (Vertigo) 73.

Novices: 1 Louis Haley (Montesa) 26 (Sam Ludgate Trophy); 2 Ben Goddard (Sherco) 42; 3 Sam Jennings (Montesa) 42.

Youth Class A: Joe Faunthorpe (Beta) 50.

50/50 course, novices: 1 Paul Kettlewell (Sherco) 7; 2 Nigel Crowther (Vertigo) 11; 3 Martin Sandiford (TRS) 16.

Youth Class B: Josh Chew (Beta) 56.

Clubman course: 1 Howard Gulley (TRS) 5; 2 Rob Hardisty (Sherco) 6; 3 Mark Chippendale (Gas Gas) 8.

Youth Class B: Harry McLoughlin (Beta) 108.

Youth Class C: Arran Sherwin (Beta) 178.

Weardale & District MC trial, East Harthope. – Expert course: 1 Carl Shaw 43; 2 Stephen Bennett 53; 3 Sam Dalton 56.

Green route: 1 Richard Hawes 31; 2 Jason Scott 32; 3 David Humble 47.

Clubman route: 1 Trevor Willans 27; 2 Martin Phillipson 53; 3 Kian Dawson 68.

Easy route: 1 Carl Peart 18; 2 Ian Hedley 20; 3 Gary Daykin 21.

Fixtures

Tomorrow and Sunday: Scarborough & District MC two-day youth trial, Low North Park, Harwood Dale, 10am; North-East Centre ACU Acklams Beta British Ladies' and Girls' Trials Championship, Longframlington, 10.30am.

Sunday: Richmond MC clubmen and youth easy trial, Town Foot Farm, Carlton, 10.30am; Yeadon-Guiseley MC sixth club trial, Brimham Rocks, 11am; Pickering & District MC motorcycle grass track; Spen Valley MC fourth RAS Championship trial, Saddleworth Moor, noon.