LOCAL rider Steven Hind kept his cool on a blistering hot day to win the Dales Trophy Trial last weekend.

The popular young rider from Commondale put together a superb ride to hold off the challenges of the talented Tom Hick and the experienced Ian Hopley.

With a new start area just outside Glaisdale, there was nothing much to bother the front-runners in the clubman class. The leaders at the first card hand-over at Mountain Ash Farm were Mark Smith on four in clubman A and Richard Kirkbride in clubman B on eight.

For the experts, the action had already started as sections two and four at Thornhill Farm took marks off the entire entry apart from Russ Watson, who recorded the only clean on the twisty, rocky gully of section two.

On the first card hand-over at the top of the dale, Hind was on eight along with last year's runner-up David Pye. Hick and Scarborough rider Gary Collinson were ready and waiting for any slip up on 11 each, with two very hard groups of sections to come.

The huge rocks at the top of the moor above Glaisdale saw the front-runners come out equal before the drop into Hard Hill Gill to tackle the slippery rocks saw Hick edge closer to leader Hind and Hopley move into third.

With Ellers Farm to come, the result was still open. Section 34, observed by Guisborough club regular Andy Metcalfe, was a series of rock steps culminating in a huge, angled step on the steep bank side. Hick went through with a spectacular clean, amazingly keeping his balance on the very pinnacle of the last step. Hind knew what he had to do and almost matched him, needing just a steadying dab at the very top.

On to Head House and the final three sections. The last one, a straight blast up a graded hill climb watched by a sizeable crowd, saw almost every rider enjoy a final flourish to a great event.

Derek White clinched the inter award with an excellent ride on his first card of 17 compared with Ian Ford's loss of 33, but Ford put things together on his second card, losing just 28.

Smith never relinquished his lead in clubman A, though Dave Wilkinson and Phil Manton pushed hard with better second card scores. Wilkinson and Manton finished joint second, Wilkinson taking it on most cleans.

Kirkbride also did enough on his first card and hung on to his position at the front of clubman B, losing only a one as he failed right at the top of the graded hill.

His nearest challenger, a tiring Jim Jardine on his little four stroke, managed a creditable two.

All in all, an excellent day's sport in superb weather, with thanks going to landowners and all supporters.

Results. - Premier: S Hind 19. Best inter: D White 42. First class: T Hick 24; I Hopley 26. Best c/man A: M B Smith 22. First class: D Wilkinson 24 m/c; P Manton 24; C Banks 27. Best c/man B: R Kirkbride 23. First class: J Jardine 28 m/c; S Gill 28; A Milburn 29.