Austermuhle's 'wright on!
By TMX Archives on 25th Jun 08
THE Wainwright Shield National trial on the moors above Marsett, Yorkshire, turned into a nightmare event for Wetherby Motor Club on Sunday afternoon when gale-force winds and torrential rain struck the eight mile all-moorland course and the sections in the streams and rivers were submerged by mud-ridden rising torrents.Observers were blown over and riders struggled over the bleak moorland. It was the Experts at the back of the 146 starters who caught the worst. Only 27 Hard course riders made the full lap while 97 Clubmen made the finish so almost a quarter of the entry did not manage the eight mile lap. Clerk of course Patrick Darbyshire decided that conditions were too severe for the observers to endure.
Ian Austermuhle won the shortened trial with ease while British Ladies trials champion Becky Cook rode the Expert course and finished a superb tenth in her build-up for Scarborough next Sunday. Emma Bristow also opted for the Hard route, on the wrong day, while local lass Katy Sunter played her cards right, joining the Clubmen!
It was bright when Richard Pickering kicked his Beta to life and headed for the openers near the river. Renee Smith and Margaret Spencer were down there and Margaret's loose scree climb caught James Noble for a dab. ‘'Bobble' was having his first ride for nine months after an Achilees heel tendon problem. Fellow Yeadon-Guiseley members Andrew Carter and Zac Sherwin also dabbed at the same spot.
There was no hint of what was coming over Bardale Moor. The climbing gully at the far end of Raydale Moor has decided the Wainwright winner for years, especially the stepped second sub ending over a huge step. It partly did a repeat on Sunday when North East Centre star John Crinson cleaned the group on his Scorpa while Ian Austermuhle and James Harland were the only riders to dab. Gav Lowther cleaned but dabbed the preceeding sectin where Sam Yeadon was observing. His mother Wendy was on the top sub where the serious action was happening and one of the happenings was Dan Thorpe dabbing twice after collecting a max from young Sam downstream.
Darren Wasley was Clubman favourite with Beta four-stroke mounted Scott Dommett. He was on a mission and cleaned all the Raydale Moor sectins for a dab, with a sensational ride on the last sub where Dane Smith was watching the ‘swimmers' of which Gary Younghusband was Olympic high-diver supreme. By this time the skies had darkened and the wind lifted to gale force. As farmer Malcolm Sunter commented, "Those becks will rise rapidly". And they did. Bardale Fell had by this time vanished in swirling rain and mist.
Sections 10 to 12 were down the valley in the trees, so they afforded some protection for the observers. The lap then climbed up onto Bardale Fell taking in Bardale Beck, then back towards Marsett. No rider cleaned those nine sections out on the moor at all. Sam Ludgate and Austy posted the best rides followed by Danny Gamble while wet weather king Dan Thorpe stopped twice to add to his Bardale Beck failure but he did clean the last two sections before the axe fell on the trial. He also was one of a quartet who cleaned the penultimate scetion - with Becky Cook, comeback-kid Bobble, and a clean-shaven Dan Farrer.
Without question Patrick Darbyshire made the right decision on Sunday as conditions were just to risky.
WAINWRIGHT SHIELD NATIONAL TRIAL
Marsett, Yorkshire (Wetherby Motor Club)
Experts: Ian Austermuhle (Beta) 12 marks lost, Sam Ludgate (Beta) 25, 3 Danny Gamble (Beta) 27.
First Class Awards: John Crinson (Scorpa) 30, Dan Thorpe (Gas Gas) 31, John Sunter (Montesa) 36, James Noble (Gas Gas) 40.
Second Class Awards: James Harland (Montesa) 41, Dan Farrer (Gas Gas) 42, Becky Cook (Gas Gas) 44.
Clubmen: Darren Wasley (Gas Gas) 8, Stuart Hall (Sherco) 13, John Holdsworth (Sherco) 15.
First Class Awards: Trevor Willans (Montesa) 16, Mark Barrow (Scorpa) 17, Andy Longden (Gas Gas) 17, Ian Hopley (Gas Gas) 17, Scott Dommett (Beta) 18, Alan Mudd (Gas Gas) 18, Michael Jackson (Beta) 19, Tony Wilson (Gas Gas) 20, Neil Wright (Gas Gas) 20, Paul Jackson (Montesa) 20, Gary Bingley (Gas Gas) 22, Simon Levett (Montesa) 23, Mark Lodge (Sherco) 24, Darren Mitchell (Sherco) 24.
Second Class Awards: Phil Scott (Montesa) 26, Chris Manby (Scorpa) 26, Simon Williamson (Gas Gas) 26, Rowan Puttock (Montesa) 27, David Braithwaite (Beta) Ian Rutter (Gas Gas) 27, Joel Sadler (Acklam Beta) 28, Darren Holmes (Beta) 28, Antony Brockbank (Sherco) 29, Paul Dennis (Gas Gas) 29, Mark Chippendale (Montesa) 30, Leigh Smith (Sherco) 30 Dave Knaggs (Gas Gas) 30.