MARTIN Crosswaite came out on top last Sunday in Ripon Motor Club's Derek Lickers Memorial and West Yorkshire group championship trial at Fellbeck, where farmer and landowner Norman Shepherd competed on his BSA Bantam and finished sixth in the clubman B class.

Ripon officials Judith Blythe and Heather Langstaff were almost overwhelmed when just under 100 competitors arrived at Kingstone Farm.

A star-studded contingent from Richmond Motor Club, plus Huddersfield, Sheffield and Hull residents, rode a four-lap, 10-section course alongside the main farm buildings. Two sections in the East Meadow climbed a narrow gully, riding directly into blinding sunshine. Despite the visibility problems for all classes, the penalties were surprisingly low in the two opening sections.

Sections three to six were across the meadow and marked to ride out of the sun, but the rocks played a major role. Only the top six experts managed to ride the third section without penalty.

Crosswaite won the trial on that section with a one and five score, exactly the same as third-placed Guy Kendrew, who lost two more marks at the fifth section, where Crosswaite excelled. Richard Sadler lost eight of his score on the same section.

James Stones and Rob Waite were also out for a victory, but 12 marks was a bridge too far for the Hurworth rider.

Stones had the satisfaction of matching Crosswaite and Kendrew on the section.

In the championship class course standings, Class A youth Keiran Child excelled to take an overall sixth place in such exalted company, followed by the ever-improving Joe Faunthorpe.

Clubman A fell to Vertigo jockey Nigel Crowther, while Michael Benn led the class on eight until the bogey fifth section. He was one better than Crowther, who matched Benn in the section.

Andy Brooksbank, Paul Sadler and Phil Hammond were the best of the clubman B runners on the rocky climb at section eight, where Rob Shepherd was observing. The single penalty from West Witton's Paul Sadler sealed the class result from Mark Timperley and Ian Myers.

The famed Holly Tree section was mild and Rachel Benn marked many clear rides. Crosswaite fired the Montesa 4RT up it with a vengeance, probably fuming after dropping a boot in the sixth stream section.

In the Class B youth trio, Harvey Taglione just held off Joe Child by a dab.

THE North Eastern Centre held their championship trial at West Hall Farm in Belford, Northumberland, last weekend, courtesy of the Tweed Valley Motor Club.

Gary Pears took the expert class win after a day-long tussle with Glen Quinn, with just eight marks separating them at the finish. The winning margin was largely achieved in the first two sections, where Pears pulled out a nine-mark advantage which Quinn was unable to haul back.

Marty Ball continued to hone his skills on this course and finished third.

On the clubman course, Scott Mayhew, on 23, edged out Martin Phillipson by two, while Richie Hawes came home in third place on 30. Again it was section one where the trial was won and lost, in this case Mayhew going clean while Phillipson dropped seven.

John Palmer could do no more than go clean on the easy course and ended up six marks fewer than Ian Cheetham, himself three penalties better off than Adrian Gallon.

Ella Hodgson kept up her winning streak on the conducted route, beating Alexander Baxter by one.

HARD to believe, but the official marking out the Pickering and District Motor Club's easy trial at Riseborough last Sunday had difficulty in getting the section mark flags into the rock-hard ground. A light hammer was needed to drive the wooden flag sticks through the surface.

The turnout was good for the end-of-season trial, with 38 competitors signing on to ride a mild but tricky 11 sections.

The grass became very slippery when light rain arrived just after the start.

The first three sections tracked the Beeching casualty – the disused railway line – while four to seven and the 11th section caught the east wind and the rain. Sections eight and nine were in among the grass and turned tricky when the rain arrived.

A few new faces dropped in, so perhaps Pickering are providing a type of event that will appeal to novice trials riders.

Results

Ripon MC Derek Lickers Memorial Trial/West Yorkshire Championship trial. – Championship course experts: 1 Martin Crosswaite (Montesa) 8; 2 Richard Sadler (Beta) 10; 3 Guy Kendrew (Beta) 11.

Inters: 1 Oliver Sharp (Gas Gas) 38; 2 Sam Johnson (Beta) 39; 3 Thomas Housecraft (Beta) 43.

Novices: 1 Joel Sadler (Beta) 43; 2 Bevan Blacker (Beta) 65; 3 Ben Ludgate (Gas Gas) 70.

Youth Class A: 1 Keiran Child (Beta) 21; 2 Joe Faunthorpe (Beta) 50; 3 William Tolson (Beta) 91.

Clubman A: 1 Nigel Crowther (Vertigo) 9; 2 Michael Benn (Gas Gas) 11; 3 James Noble (Gas Gas) 14.

Youth Class B: 1 Harvey Taglione (Beta) 67; 2 Joe Child (Beta) 68; 3 Andy Reynolds (Beta) 80.

Clubman B: 1 Paul Sadler (Beta) 1; 2 Mark Timperley (Beta) 3; 3 Ian Myers (Sherco) 5.

Youth Class C: 1 Elliott Laws (Beta) 38; 2 Bradley Green (Beta) 85; 3 Mason Carter (Beta) 139.

North East Centre ACU Championship Trial, Belford. – Expert course: 1 Gary Pears (Scorpa) 52; 2 Glen Quinn (Gas Gas) 60; 3 Matt Ball (Gas Gas) 99.

Clubman course: 1 Scott Mayhew (Beta) 22; 2 Martin Phillipson (Ossa) 25; 3 Richie Hawes (Yamaha) 30.

Easy course: 1 John Palmer (Triumph) 0; 2 Ian Cheetham (Dot) 6; 3 Adrian Gallon (Gas Gas) 9.

Conducted: 1 Ella Hodgson 10; 2 Alexander Baxter 11; 3 Josh Brown 13.

Pickering & District MC easy trial, Riseborough. – Mono adults: 1 Andy Thorpe (Beta) 10; 2 Edward Wainwright (Montesa) 18; 3 Rob Hunter (Sherco) 26; 4 Mark Snowball (Gas Gas) 26; 5 Chris Connor (Gas Gas) 28.

Twin Shocks: Arthur Wylie (Ossa) 69.

Youths: 1 Jack Darrell (Beta) 49; 2 Stephen Myers (Beta) 64.

Fixtures

Sunday: Yeadon-Guiseley MC Dave Curry Trophy Trial, Ramsgill, 11am.