Chair champs
By TMX Archives on 23rd Nov 07
LEE Granby has the right pedigree. His father, Phil, was a top-ranked sidecar passenger and is still active as an official and observer in East Midland and Yorkshire Centre trials.
It comes as no surprise then, that his 35-year-oldson Lee, from Bradwell, near Hope, has won the ACU Masters class of theBritish Sidecar Trials Championship with 16-year-old Amelia Bill'Haigh as passenger.
A second place finish at the Peak Trial inNovember clinched the title, by four points, ahead of Glynn Hawkins andTim Sparkes, as the latter crew won the series class finale. Always afull, in your face, competitor, Lee gave 2007 his full attention buthis partnership with child-care student Amelia brought about asteadying influence. And few can figure that out.
After 17-years on three-wheels, Lee changed hisstyle for the better. And he is now looking at moving up to theChampionship class next year with a new 300 JST Gas Gas and a BruceRushton chair grafted to it.
Bill', Amelia's nationally known nickname, willbe 17 in January, and also has a gold standard history. Her father,Ali, rides an ex-Robin Luscombe Montesa 4RT with 19-year-old daughter,Rosie. The biking Haigh family live near Daventry.
Rosie at present is on duty with the RoyalElectrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) on a local posting theFalklands. Hence her absence from her father's sidecar at the PeakTrial. There is another Haigh sister in Georgina who also rides horses, that is aged 13.
Time will tell, there could be a third sister on the biking scene, one day.
The British Championship result was gained withsupport from John Shirt, Ali Haigh, Factory Kev' Hipwell and theever-present Phil Granby.
What will 2008 yield for the Derbyshire action man?