Youths on trial!
By TMX Archives on 6th Feb 08
MRS Sherco scored a double-top on Sunday at Low North Park when 16-year-old Jonathan Richardson and 14-year-old Richard Sadler demonstrated the full benefits of the Sherco Academy training programme.
A&B
Not only was the might of Sherco in full attendance but also British champion, Graham Jarvis, who did the full three laps checking out Richardson at every section, and running between sections to keep track of the youngster. No wonder Grimbo wins!
If Saturday was a cliff-hanger as far as the weather, Sunday was like a cool spring day. The sections were good if not a little on the muddy and heavy side but the efforts of Pat Galway, gaffer on the day, and Dave Wilkinson, clerk of the course the previous day, the final result was truly amazing.
The scores in both classes were just about right but maybe the Youth A riders had to get stuck in and really perform.
However, the top 12 in Youth A kept their scores under the ton and 25 Youth B also handed in their punch cards under the magic 100. Pat Galway had his ambitions centred on two laps and 20 sections but a lack of observers was the stumbling block so the course was knocked back to a three-lap affair with 15 sections ranging up the moor and down as far as the Bailey Bridge with a muddy finale in Middle Gully.
Youth A started at section one, and Richardson cleaned the first three hazards. They did appear mild but only Richardson and Jonny Walker managed to clean all three on each visit. Ben Morphett was caught on the tight rocky twists at the third on lap three where injured Josh Sprintall and Will Reynolds also maxed out. Morphett is riding way out of his class even now. The Herne Bay rider was just 15 on January 6, so he rode all 2007 in Youth A and he will do it all again this year.
All was quiet at the 'Experts Gully', for good reason. The handlebar width gap was slippery but the right turn up the muddy five-foot banking proved to be a stopper – for most. Just one rider graced the summit – Richardson. He had watched Morphett, Jonny Walker, Jack Sheppard, Andy Chilton and Isle of Man runner Josh Brain hit the bank and stop or, in the case of Brain, travel back down at speed.
Richardson (and Jarvis) weighted up this section for about 20-minutes before Jonathan lit the blue touch paper. That Sherco was going up – and it did – for a fairly mild three dabs. He did again next time round, but not on his third attempt. Only six riders reached the ends cards here, including Brain, Josh Stephens, Morphett, 'Rico', Jack Sheppard and Walker.
BRITISH YOUTH A&B TRIALS CHAMPS
Rd 1 – Low North Park, Harwood Dale
(Scarborough & DMC)
Youth A: Jonathan Richardson (MRS Sherco) 31 marks lost, Ben Morphett (JST Gas Gas) 41, Jonny Walker (MRS Sherco) 42, Jack Sheppard (Beta-UK) 44, Andy Chilton (FeetUp Sherco) 54, Josh Maude (MRS Sherco) 58, Ricky Wiggins (RCM Gas Gas) 61, Jack Spencer (Beta) 64, Josh Stephens (MRS Sherco) 75, William Reynolds (Gas Gas) 93 (20x0), Josh Brain (Azzy Paints Sherco) 93 (15x0), Josh Sprintall (Beta-UK) 96, Tyler Stephenson (Gas Gas) 100, Joanne Coles (MRS Sherco) 104, Stephen Larkin (Beta) 110.
SERIES STANDINGS after 1 (of 8) rounds: 1 Richardson 20 points, 2 Morphett 17, 3 Walker 15, 4 Sheppard 13, 5 Chilton 11, 6 Maude 10, 7 Wiggins 9, 8 Spencer 8, 9 Stephens 7, 10 Reynolds 6,...
Youth B: Richard Sadler (MRS Sherco) 12 marks lost, Jack Howell (Beta-UK) 19, Chris Short (Stevens Gas Gas) 34, Keelan Hancock (Gas Gas) 39, Luke Walker (MRS Sherco) 43, Jake Evans-Luter (Beta-UK) 45, Alistair Bedford (JC Beta) 46, Jack Welch (Sherco) 53, Chris Stay (JST Gas Gas) 65, George Gosden (JST Gas Gas) 67, John Chilton (Beta) 73 (21x0), Joel Edwards (AB Gas Gas) 73 (20x0), Ben Heane (BVM Beta) 76, Matthew Maynard (Sherco) 77, Jordy Hayes (Beta-UK) 78.
SERIES STANDINGS after 1 (of 8) rounds: 1 Sadler 20 points, 2 Howell 17, 3 Short 15, 4 Hancock 13, 5 Walker 11, 6 Evans-Luter 10, 7 Bedford 9, 8 Welch 8, 9 Stay 7, 10 Gosden 6,...
NEXT ROUND: Feb 17 – Dob Park, nr Otley (Yeadon Guiseley & DMCC).
C&D
FOR Pat Galway and Dave Wilkinson their nightmare weekend kicked in at 2pm on Friday afternoon when the skies darkened over Scarborough and the local club was hit when four inches of snow blanketed Low North Park late on Friday afternoon. Then a frost arrived!
That put Scarborough in a theoretical no-win situation with 40 youngsters already en route from various parts of the British Isles to the venue for the opening round of the ACU National Youth C and D Trials Championship. Too late to cancel. Too bad to run?
The joint clerks of the course were faced with two ice and snow bound roads into the camp, which is at the bottom of two hills. As a bonus the 12-sections were coated with ice. In hyperthermic conditions the organisers treated every section with rock salt to disperse the frost. And it worked.
Alright, there were some heavy scorelines in Youth D Small-wheel, where Joe Hiley reigned supreme from local lad Ben Teasdale and Devonian Jonty Tupman. There were four newcomers in the class but class favourite Joe Dawson did not make the trip fom Fife for obvious reason, the roads in his region were horrendous.
Current Small-wheel champion, Jack Peace, was the lad for Medium-wheel and he duly departed on his Beta UK 50, cleaning the rocks andslippery bank side at sections one and two. Small-wheelers, Hiley and Teasdale, also cleaned both sections.
The original plan was three laps at the east end and a dozen sections and Dave Wilkinson stuck with his game plan.
The water was up at 'Rivers Meet' but the rooted banks provided the third hazard, where Jack Peace dabbed on his first lap, then Mike Kendra posted the only clean on lap two. Aiden Bowker got the best score with a good ride for two dabs on the final circuit.
For full report and pictures see T+MX NEWS, Friday, February 8, 2008