Sheppard slaughters the Wolves
By TMX Archives on 26th Mar 09
SUNNY weather at Wolversleigh Farm, Sidbury, in East Devon, greeted 47 riders entered for the third round of the A and B Youth British championship. Riders had five and a half hours to complete 13 sections around a two and a half mile figure of eight circuit.
The A class started at section eight and Jack Sheppard was looking to keep his 100 per cent record. Sections eight to 13 were up a steep sided stoney gully, dry weather meant less water than previous years.
Sheppard made a steady start through these sections, losing a three on the final 13th section up the slippery steep rooted bank to add to the five marks he already lost to give him a score of eight. Richard Sadler and Josh Maude were on 17 marks at this point, but it was Jake Evans-Luter on 16 lying in second.
The A class then started a full lap, with sections one to seven on the other loop around the banks, roots and gullies of the wood. This side rode easier than sections eight to 13 and at the end of the full lap Sheppard had extended his lead and was on 15. Evans-Luter had a steady lap and was now on 28, but had been overtaken by Sadler on 26. Josh Brain had a good lap of 12, for a total of 30 to go into fourth spot at the half-way stage.
As the sun kept shining the route dried in places and lap scores came down. Nobody could live with Sheppard and he only added four more to his score to take the class win on 19, half of the runner-up score of 38, posted by Richard Sadler.
Josh Brain continued his charge to a creditable third place on 41, securing him third in the championship at present, with Jake Evans-Luter fourth, his best finish of the season.
Youth B class rode an easier route, but the competition was much closer as was the final result.
Going into the day, George Gosden and Chris Stay were tied at the top of the championship with Jack Welch just one point behind.
Gosden and Stay put down identical first lap scores of five to put themselves in pole position, closely followed by Rob Waite, Jack Howell and Jac Welch on six marks. So with all to play for. Which one of the above five riders would be leading after lap two?
Gosden put in a great lap of two to put him on seven, but Luke Walker after losing eight on his first lap went clean on lap two for the joint seond after two laps, with Chris Stay.
Gosden put in another lap of five to give him a finishing score of 12 marks, Walker lost six as did Chris Stay, so it was down to special test to see who would take second on the day, with a total of 14, and it was Walker, that clean second lap helping him to second place on most cleans, but it was Gosden's day leaving East Devon with the championship lead.
Many thanks to all who helped on the day – Rod and team, and all the observers.
BRITISH YOUTH A&B TRIALS CHAMPIONSHIP
Rd 3 – Wolversleigh Farm, Sidbury, Sidmouth, Devon (Otter Vale MCC)
YOUTH A: Jack Sheppard (Beta) 19 marks lost, Richard Sadler (Sherco) 38, Josh Brain (Gas Gas) 41, Jake Evans-Luter (Gas Gas) 59 (21x0), Josh Maude (Sherco) 59 (17x0), Chris Short (Gas Gas) 66, Keelan Hancock (Gas Gas) 88, Gwynedd Jones (Beta) 100, Chris Hunt (Gas Gas) 103 (9x0), William Brockbank (Sherco) 103 (7x0), Jacob Young Beta 118, Rob Margetts (Gas Gas) 120, Matthew Maynard (Sherco) 131, John Chilton (Beta) 132, Liam Bowler (Gas Gas) 140.
SERIES STANDINGS after 3 (of 8) rounds: 1 Sheppard 60 points, 2 Sadler 51, 3 Brain 40, 4 Maude 36, 5 Short 31, 6 Evans-Luter 26, 7 Brockbank 26, 8 Coles 20, 9 Maynard 17, 10 Hunt 14,...
YOUTH B: George Gosden (Gas Gas) 12 marks lost, Luke Walker (Sherco) 14 (32x0), Chris Stay (Gas Gas) 14 (29x0), Jack Welch (Gas Gas) 15 (30x0), Jack Howell (Beta) 15 (29x0), Tom Dexter (Gas Gas) 17, Bradley Cox (Gas Gas) 22, Rob Waite (Sherco) 32, Brad Bullock (Gas Gas) 37, Joe Clements (Gas Gas) 39, Jack Burch (Beta) 40, Connor Evans (Beta) 41, Jack Stones (Gas Gas) 45, Joel Edwards (Gas Gas) 46, Corey Dubik (Gas Gas) 51.
SERIES STANDINGS after 3 (of 8) rounds: 1 Gosden 51 points, 2 Stay 46, 3 Walker 43, 4 Welch 43, 5 Dexter 38, 6 Howell 36, 7 Edwards 21, 8 Waite 20, 9 Cox 19, 10 Dubik 13,...
NEXT ROUND: May 3 – Bracken Rocks, Holloway, nr Matlock (East Midland RA).
JACK Price, Jack Peace and Zac Collinson got off to a good start in the National C and D class Youth Trial Championships, staged by the West of England club, in Spring-like conditions at Hedge Barton, on the outskirts of Widecombe-in-the-Moor, Devon, on Saturday.
Staged over three laps of a dozen not too difficult sections, Price had a dab halfway in his first lap before keeping his feet firmly on the rests throughout his two remaining circuits.
Runner-up, Dan Peace, matched Price's performance on his opening lap, and he was also clean on lap two, but a two-mark debit on his last lap cost him three possible points in the title chase. With laps of three, three and one, Billy Bolt was the only other rider to finish in single figures.
Cornwall Centre challenger, Toby Martin, led the Big-wheel D class event on the opening lap with a debit of four to Jack Peace's seven, but the latter had a better second lap, which cost him just one mark as apposed to Martyn who added six to his tally. At that stage, Peace led 8-10 but Martyn pulled a mark back in the closing stages of the final lap. The other two finishers were nowhere in the picture.
With a five-mark debit, Zac Collinson was top performer in the Small-wheel section, but second place was in doubt until half way through the final lap when Ben Teasdale gained the advantage over John Faunthorpe.
BRITISH YOUTH C&D TRIALS CHAMPIONSHIP
Rd 1 – Hedge Barton, nr Widdecombe, Dartmoor (West of England MC)
YOUTH C: Jack Price (Beta) 1 mark lost, Dan Peace (Beta) 3, Billy Bolt (Beta) 7, Thomas Minta (Beta) 14, Liam Owens (Beta) 16, Sam Yeomans (Beta) 17, Michael Todd (Beta) 18, James Hayhurst (Sherco) 24, Matt Whelan (Beta) 29, Thomas Hooper (Beta) 34, Dominic Freaks (Beta) 55, David Woodward (Beta) 71, Daniel Pollard (Beta) 94, Alex Lawer (Gas Gas) 112 (fc), Fred Bailey (Beta) 112.
SERIES STANDINGS after 1 (of 6) rounds: 1 Price 20, 2 Peace 17, 3 Bolt 15, 4 Minta 13, 5 Owens 11, 6 Yeomans 10, 7 Todd 9, 8 Hayhurst 8, 9 Whelan 7, 10 Hooper 6,...
YOUTH D MEDIUM: Toby Martyn (Beta) 11 (31x0) marks lost, Jack Peace (Beta) 11 (30x0), Adam Kelly (Beta) 101, Harry Colman (Beta) 119.
SERIES STANDINGS after 1 (of 6) rounds: 1 Martyn 20 points, 2 Peace 17, 3 Kelly 15,...
YOUTH D SMALL: Zac Collinson (Gas Gas) 5 marks lost, Benjamin Teasdale (Gas Gas) 10, Joe Faunthorpe (Gas Gas) 12, Billy Green (Gas Gas) 34, Aidan Bowker (Yamaha TY80) 48, Danial Roberts (Gas Gas) 125.
SERIES STANDINGS after 1 (of 6) rounds: 1 Collinson 20, 2 Teasdale 17, 3 Faunthorpe 15, 4 Green 13, 5 Bowker 11, 6 Roberts 10,...
NEXT ROUND: Apr 11 – Womerton Farm, All Stretton (South Shropshire MC).
Jack Sheppard kept his 100 per cent winning record in the British Youth A&B Champs.