Simon Green Engineers Championship course provides a true test

THE rough bomb hole pitted, sometime quarried Galloway Pastures more or less resembles the Somme on a bad day. The craters are of questionable content and the murky waters threatening however the Horsforth Motor Club’s ninth Simon Green Auto Engineers sponsored championship was a true test for 61 competitors, from over 50s to tiny tots on petrol and electric powered machines. The youngsters, all ten of them, competed over a modest but damp separate course of six sections where Koby Smith, William Blackwell and Jacob Smith won their respective classes, Three girls, all regular small wheelers, tested the boys. Alanna Eagleton journeyed from the Huddersfield outback while Evie-Rae Edmundson and Tia-Rose Wood contested the two easier classes. Only seven riders contested the hard route.

Sam Boocock completed the ten section on a mere two penalties to head over 50s class winner Steve Fowler and Anthony Ayrton. The trio signed off on single figure scores. Boocock dropped his two penalties in sections five and ten. Leeds teenager Arran Sherwin crashed down section five from top to bottom and also was battered by his Beta machine. A little respite was required.

Recently retired Ripon’s Paul Jackson has been threatening the Clubman A ranks on his crisp 250 TL Honda four stroke and on Sunday the ‘Terrible Twins’ aka Robert Hardisty and Phillip Hammond were cut to size and swept away as befits a sawmill owner and a chimney sweep. To be fair though Paul only got the nod on farthest clean. The Class B score line was great with Simon Cassidy winning on a score of six dabs from over 50s supremo Steve Wicks and Class B boy Jack Pullan. The course planners excelled on Sunday considering the torrential rain falling on Nidderdale on Thursday to Saturday.

Results.

Hard course: Inters: 1 Sam Boocock (Sherco) 2, 2 Anthony Ayrton (TRS) 9.

Novices: 1 Adam Thornton (Vertigo) 28, 2 Jake Weatherill (Sherco) 75. Youth Class A: Harry McLoughlin (Beta) 5. Youth Class B: Arran Sherwin (Beta) 107.

Clubman A: Novices: 1 Phillip Hammond (Sherco) 1, 2 Richard Pearson

(Vertigo) 6, 3 Robert Berry (Vertigo) 9. Over 50’s: 1 Paul Jackson (Honda) 1, 2 Rob Hardisty (Sherco) 3 Neil Gaunt (Vertigo) 8. Youth Class A: Lucy Ayrton (TRS) 26, Youth Class B: 1 Joshua Pearson (Vertigo) 19, 2 Harrison Lightfoot (Beta) 28. Youth Class C: Jimmy Crabtree (Beta) 45. Clubman B.

Novices: 1 Simon Cassidy (Montesa) 6, 2 Sam Bailey (Vertigo) 16, 3 John Hindle (Beta) 29. Over 50’s: 1 Steve Wicks (Sherco) 8, 2 Jason Lee (Scorpa) 12, 3 Mark Grant (Beta) 14. Pre-65: 1 David Brogden (BSA) 14. Youth Class

B: 1 Jack Pullan (Sherco) 12, 2 Flynn Collins (Beta) 43, 3 Alfie Carney

(Beta) 44. Youth Class C: Bobby Crabtree (Beta) 18. Small Wheels. Red route:

1 Koby Smith (Beta) 4, 3 Alanna Eagleton (Oset) 58. Yellow route: 1 William Blackwell (Oset) 17, 2 Charles W Jennings (Oset) 49, 3 Evie -Rae Edmundson

(Oset) 58. White route: 1 Jacob Smith (Beta) 5, 2 Ellis Mitchell (Oset) 12,

3 Tia-Rose Wood (Oset) 23.

Pickering & D.M.C. trial, Riseborough, Sunday.

A BRIGHT, chilly morning saw 25 riders turn out for the trial at Riseborough on Sunday, including international MotoX rider, Ryan Voase on his first trials venture. The first four sections saw the riders tackle a mixture of winding routes through trees with some climbs, cambers and tight turns thrown in for good measure. The second group of four sections were laid out on the steep banking between fields and tested the riders with a combination of tight and off camber turns followed by steep climbs and drops over tree roots. The next two sections were in the farthest field over rough pasture and combined a number of tight turns between unforgiving thorn bushes and crumbling banks. The final section was one used before but has become more interesting since the landowner very conveniently moved his fence back ten metres which allowed the use of a route between trees, up an uneven gully finishing with a tight turn out over tree roots.

As can be seen by the scores, the trial turned out much easier than expected due to the drying conditions. Four riders rode round without losing any marks – Jake Snowball, Andy Thorpe, Adam Robinson, and soon to be dad again, Henry Richardson, although several more could have joined this group but for small lapses in concentration despite the course being easy. Mention should also be made of the sole youth rider, Reece Woodmansey who is growing in confidence and continues to improve steadily at every trial and recorded a score of four on the main route.

Results.

Main class: 1 = Andy Thorpe (Beta) 0/Jake Snowball (Scorpa) 0, Andy Robinson (Beta) 0/ H Richardson (Beta) 0, 5 = Dave Almack (Beta) 1/Mark Snowball (Gas Gas) 1. Twin Shock: Bill Gamble (Yamaha) 20. Youth: Reece Woodmansey (Scorpa) 4.

Spen Valley Motor Cycle Club. RAS Sport Trial, Parkwood Offroad Centre, Tong, Sunday.

The Spen Valley Motor Cycle Club staged a round of the RAS Championship series on Sunday at the Parkwood Offroad Centre where 72 competitors assembled to ride a four-lap ten-section trial course. All Covid-19 rules were enforced to the letter. The competitors were assembled in groups of seven and dispatched to different sections on the route. The initial action kicked off alongside the angling lake with two mighty rock climbs which stopped some but not others.

One section featured a vertical rock pinnacle which outright winner Charlie dispatched with ease. The Inters and easy contenders drove in the rock strewn ditch which halted sidecar contenders Gracie-Mae and Nigel Scott as well as Anna and Chris Newsham. Scotty more or less carried his Beta outfit up sans daughter. Both completed the course on reasonable penalties.

Helen Greaves was sunbathing at the summit of section three which dived into the vast ravine and up a vertical banking that served to propel them right across and up the fast flowing stream. The streams down in the valley, several of them, provided good well proven hazards. Sections five, six and seven tested the main class. The inter and easy routes were right on the button. Paul Kettlewell and Mark Lodge winning their classes on low scores. Charlie Smith excelled to beat John Hillam and Elliot Laws while Will Tolson had one of those days to forget.

Weekend Fixture List.

Saturday:

Ripon Motor Club, Youth trial, Clockensyke Farm, Dacre, midday.

Sunday:

Ripon Motor Club, Adult trial, Clockensyke Farm, Dacre, 10.30am

Darlington Motor Club, Trial, Bridge End, Arkengarthdale, 11am.