Northallerton DMC Chequers motorcycle trial, Osmotherley, Sunday

EARLY sunshine greeted the 112 entrants for Northallerton DMC's Chequers trial on Sunday, but heavy snowfall brought in on an Arctic wind changed conditions dramatically.

Held high on the moor above Osmotherley, Richmond rider, Richard Sadler rode through sun, blizzards, and sun again and just managed to hang on for the win, with Malton's Ian Austermuhle and Whitby's Andy Chilton battling for second place, Austy scraping in by one point.

The two-lap, 18-section course, all-natural terrain, tested the best, especially in such tough and cold conditions.

Clerk of Course Nigel Rooksby and Dave Bell had no option but to cut the length of the trial by half a lap, as observers would have frozen as hard as the rocks surrounding them if they had let it go to the finish.

Carlton' finest Matt Maynard clinched the Intermediate class but only on most cleans rule from Tom Fraser, and Thirsk's Nigel Todd, making a return to the trials scene, was a clear winner in the Clubman B class. 

Results

Expert: Richard Sadler (Vertigo) 2, Ian Austermuhle (Beta) 5, Andy Chilton (Scorpa) 6.

Intermediate: Matt Maynard (Sherco) 11mc, Tom Fraser (Vertigo) 11, Chris Barnfather (TRS) 17. Clubman A: Roger Williams (Beta) 7, Darren Gill (Vertigo) 9, Paul Nicholson (Montesa) 13. Clubman B: Nigel Todd (Beta) 12, Andrew Dale (Montesa) 18, Colin Bailey (Montesa) 19.