Fun in the Boxing Day mud – pictures now in the Gallery
Fun in the mud, may well be headline to this trial report when the article finally makes it onto the internet, for it was mud that was the prime ingredient together with typical Cumbria rocks in the soil that the 53 riders in the Barrow Club’s Boxing Day Fun Trial had to contend with over the four laps of ten sections at The Old Railway Line, Torver.
Set out by Peter Blowers and Ryan Tippett, they put on a great trial over the previous three weekends, planning new or at least varied sections at this venue which has hosted everything from club trials, to a Trial GB round back in 2022, and which is also used for paint balling and field archery when the bikes are absent.
Wilf Shuttleworth
There was a Green course (hardish), a Clubman course and a Black route planned to suit all abilities and it was Wilf Shuttleworth who topped the main Green course with a very good ride to lose only six marks and put Centre Champion Tom Swindlehurst on notice that Shutty could well be a threat to his title through 2025. Swinny was twice Shutty’s score and it was EM mounted Joel Gowan who finished third a further two marks adrift.
Without a “hard” course as such, more riders were encouraged to tackle the Green course than is the norm with 21 riders giving it a go. Some found it all a bit beyond their normal Clubman abilities but undoubtedly many enjoyed the extra test of the harder sections, all slippery but none dangerous,
Aaron Athersmith, (lead picture) Andrew Southward and Angus Jenkinson were the best three on the Clubman route with scores of 19, 25 and 25 respectively. For Athersmith it was a return to the sport having been dormant for a number of years, so a new 4RT and a rekindling of ability produced the best result possible whilst Andrew Southward was still bouncing after winning the Bootle club championship for the year with one of the club’s smart winner’s trophies in his hands a few days previously. Gus Jenks, the Centre Chairman reckoned he had been “done” a mark on section nine where he waved a leg but never touched the ground even though the eagle-eyed observer reckoned he had.
Cruising on a Bantam pre 65 style machine brought success for Neil Buckley on the Black route which had been eased from last year and despite reckoning the course was hard on the first lap, realised that he was out of touch rather than the course, knuckled down and claimed a sought after win.
Results in full from the link on the Home page and with ace cameraman Eric Kitchen back in action, now fully recovered from his tumble at home, Kitch pics will be available very soon in the gallery.