Robin Hood winner grabs the spoils
Yet another Northern Centre Championship round victory has fallen to Tom Swindlehurst, who has now won six of the seven rounds held so far in the 2025/2026 championship series which began in early November.
This time it was the Bassenthwaite Club’s Robin Hood trial at Glenridding alongside Ullswater in the Lake District, when he lost just five marks through the four laps of ten testing sections as this venue which is physically demanding riding the course. Richard Gaskell, getting in preparation to defend his S3 Parts Over 40 championship win of 2025, was in second place, 20 marks behind Swindlehurst with Steve Dixon in third and Joe Hiley fourth.
Steve Stamper has been out of action for a while but showed that he has lost none of his form with a narrow but no doubt pleasurable win in the Green course which only attracted six of the event’s 37 strong entry. He was two marks ahead of Matt Edmondson and eight ahead of Scottish visitor Ross McCulloch.
Section six and ten, six on the rock banks of the river and ten in one of the many streams flowing off the steep mountainside were both particularly challenging for the Clubman class riders. Class winner David Braithwaite was the only rider able to achieve four clean rides through both of these sections, but along with everybody else in the trial lost a packet of marks in section 9 where Jackson Edwards was the best with the loss of four in total. Anthony Hayhurst was second and Mark Barrow third, three riders currently dominating the clubman class in Northern events.
The scores in the clubmen varied from 13 to 147, yet for some big losses do not matter. Duncan Dunbar from the Galloway Club was enthusiastic at the finish for this tough, demanding trial, yet he lost a packet and was well down the results – so for some it’s not results that count, but the event quality.
Ian Abbot managed to snatch some pictures whilst observing, with full results and the pictures linked from thee home page.
And finally, here’s a plea. All you local trials riders are well aware that there are a few observers who are out regularly, come what may. Now the Westmorland Club have the Milnthorpe Trial on March 1 which is a round of the prestigious S3 Parts Championship and they need 30 observers that day. So this is the request; if you are not riding the trial, please offer to observe by phoning Mike Rapley on 07788 161929, who will willingly accept your offer of help that day.