Surprise winners at the double
AS I sit at my computer on this drizzly Monday afternoon, watching Mrs R bringing in her washing, I thought it’s time for a bit of mid-summer reflections at a time when news is on the short side.
Entries for Northern Centre trials are definitely on the thin side at the moment; few clubs manage to attract more than 40 entries and with the Grant trial coming up this weekend (Sunday, July 28) Westmorland are definitely hoping that at least 50 riders will make the effort to attend this trial which restarts the Northern Centre Championship, particularly as Bootle have called off the Presidents which was due to follow on August 4.
The Grant, at Tommy Road, Wharton Fell near Kirkby Stephen is a really good trial and deserves your support so see if you can make the 10.30 start which will be flagged from the Tebay to Kirkby Stephen road. Three laps of about 14 sections will be the offering, so plenty to get your teeth into.
Tom Swindlehurst at Lagnaha in the SSDT
Whilst in a reflective mode, and sorry for being a bit late, how good was it to see that Tom Swindlehurst won the Expert class of the Manx Two Day Trial for the second consecutive time having previously been in the reckoning to win the clubman category a few years back, lost due to a technical infringement.
Talking of riders scoring classy wins, Harry Turner (Lead picture at Gorton in the SSDT) was the unexpected and very much the surprise winner of the Reeth Three Day Trial last weekend beating the likes of Richard Sadler, the Peace brothers, Harry Hemingway, Dan Thorpe, Guy Kendrew, etc, etc, and it would be fair to say, Harry who??
Still a teenager, Harry Turner has been concentrating riding in the World Championship, and began by forgoing the Trial 3 class, deciding to ride, virtually from the start Trial 2 on the basis that it was a more difficult series and if he was to progress and learn, that was arguably the series to contest.
Whilst the Buxton rider is yet to make a real breakthrough on the world stage, his efforts are definitely proving to be worth doing as he took a fine 13th in the Scottish to be the second best first timer, beaten only by best newcomer Toby Martyn in the category and this weekend’s win was undoubtedly his best ride yet and will certainly have opened most riders’ eyes to a competitor who has plenty more to give.