Trials and tribulations
By TMX Archives on 25th Jul 07
THE Reeth Three Day Trial was, through the hard work of the Richmond club members, once again, a superb long-weekend in the saddle for the mighty entry of 200-plus contenders. It wasn't an easy three days for the organisers by any stretch of the imagination though.
The key factor on Saturday, apart from theatrocious weather, was the serious accident that befell Wakefield'sGraham Routledge who suffered a serious leg fracture on the remotemoors near Booze and Graham had to be airlifted to the James CookHospital at Middlesbrough.
Within minutes of this incident, competing ridersspotted a trials machine apparently abandoned on the moors and stoppedto check out the bike only to find an unconscious Tim Foulds in a deepditch behind the machine. The Halifax rider had canoned into a wallhead-first and was knocked put.
The Richmond club always has a strategy forinstant medical assistance and within minutes the air ambulance wasback to collect Tim and check out his injuries. Thankfully he returnedto Grinton and the parc ferme later in the day and reported neckligament injuries, but nothing more serious.
Just to round off the medical mayhem, Horsforthrider Jack Raynor gashed his hand at work and did not start the event,then his mother Christina slipped in Grinton Ghyll and damaged hershoulder. Christina went home to Horsforth with her left arm in a sling.
There was much fun to be had amongst the varioustrials gangs' circulating the moors with Dan and Ben Hemmo, JimLampkin, Boyd Webster and Aran Drachenberg urging one another intotrouble while Roger 'George Clooney' Williams, Eddy Aitken, Glen Quinnand co also took some watching.
Ilkley painter and decorator Graham Tales had evendone a couple of hours work before heading for the trial on Fridaymorning, stripping a room ready for decorating but didn't think he'dmake it back to paper and paint after tea!