Ladies hit the Rocks
By TMX Archives on 26th Feb 09
JUST about all the top level ACU Ladies Trials Championship title holders sampled a hard day of training in the winter sunshine at Bracken Rocks, Holloway, on Saturday, courtesy of Mansfield Maun MCC. A total of 28 championship contenders entered the annual pre-championship training day where Dan Thorpe, Richard Allen and assistants Robin Morewood, Neil Jones, Nick Sims and Mick Boam ensured an all-action, all ages, and sizes day.
The Rocks were slippery, as they usually are, and even with a suggestion of Spring sunshine blanketing north Derbyshire, the conditions hardly changed. Lynda and Terry Crabtree ran the show, probably still nursing some post-Isle of Man sidecar national aches and pains. However the assemblage certainly had a good day albeit without Ian Austermuhle who was unable to make the training session.
Becky Cook, Emma Bristow, Donna Fox, Hannah Styles, Joanne Coles, and Katy Sunter were the big guns plus Danielle Whitham and Nikita Smith running for Classes B and C as the title holders. Kate Hunter, Simone Wallis, and Beth Waite ventured down from East Yorkshire while Caz and Lou Alford rode for Navenby. South west country cousins Maisie and Victoria Payne made the long haul from Warmley near Bristol, courtesy of Maisie's father Terry who took a day off from farming. And it was good to note that Katy Bullock, Lucy Gregg, Niki Wraight, Francesca Kirtley-Paine, Vicky Ellis were intent on renewing their battle.
The newcomers included Jessica Fry, Sara Thompson, Gabby Whitham, Neve Clapton and Natalie Harris and Michelle Naufahu.
Mansfield assessed the skill factors, before the training could start, with some input from Vicky Ellis and Katy Sunter, so that Lynda and Terry could set a group total which ended up at five. Mick Boam worked hard with his five young chargers who really were the young set on the day. Mick ran just behind every rider, at every section.