Richmond Motor Club, Dick Horner Trophy Trial, Wensley, Sunday

THE hill mist lifted as Steve Lambert and his team of flag planters added the finishing touches to the splendid Dick Horner Memorial Trial course on Sunday morning at Wensley and by the time Event Secretary Sandra Fowler and result expert Chris Wallis were ready for action the sun was beaming down.

That signalled a total of one hundred and thirty one competitors to appear for the annual Clubman event. No experts were involved at all. The field homed in from the North East Centre, the Northern Centre and the North West Centre. In total a dozen classes were in action. Of that number Ted Harston had fourteen Small Wheelers in his charge who had their own twelve section three lap course in the lower meadow of the Metcalfe estate. The girls and boys were splashing about in the shallow stream and attacking the woodland climbs. No round a tree exercise. All rode a full twelve section three lap trial of which only five relied on battery power. Class D was a battle between on=form boys Josh Dent and Bailey Huntbach. The latter has been well into his results but Master Dent is rapidly emerging as a Billy Bolt replica. The Carlton boy does not hang about at all. In the main classes.

The main course took in the extremes of Tulliscote Farm and the distant Shawl Woods. Thanks go to Metcalfe Farms and Peter Simpson & Sons for allowing so much acreage for the event. Finghall contender Robert Weatherill was a country mile ahead of Fantic mounted Roger Williams who had Tom Needham and Paul Dennis right on his case. The top youth on the same section route was Andrew Reynolds who contained a charging Josh Brown. Young Josh gave section four the full treatment on lap one after watching Reynolds stop but the latter had it sorted on the second and third laps. Stephen Cornforth parted with the three dabs, one on in the gully at the third and the other two in Shawl Wood where the trees shrouded the bright sunshine. The thirty five Clubmen, and ladies, ran with twenty seven Over 40's and Twin Shocks.

Clubman Stephen Cornforth got his Vertigo home first with a margin of three dabs over Paul Astwood while Leigh Smith had the same advantage over Simon Williamson. The main course hosted all the Youth classes where Sam Russell and Callum Fowler were supreme along with Conrad Andrew and Sam Armstrong.

Pre-65 winner Tony Calvert also rode the same full course. Richmond now rest until March 24 and the Andrew Allison Memorial Trial at Marske.

FIXTURES

Sunday

Spen Valley M.C.C. West Yorkshire Championship trial, Addingham Moorside, 11.00am.

Thirsk M.C. Trial, Long Plain Farm, Hambleton, 11.00 am.