Dazzling Dan
By Barry Robinson on 30th Nov 07
DAN Thorpe headed north from Derbyshire to remote Holgate for Sunday's annual Eric Ridley Trophy Trial but the Sheffield rider was confronted by Ben Hemingway, Phil Alderson, Boyd Webster and Aran Drachenberg, all intent on winning the Richmond Motor Club's prized trophy.
Conditions on what was part of the Scott Trial course were ideal. A dry12-section course up the valley above Orgate Falls, with two streamsections, tested 125-riders.
The last three sections on the course east of Moresdale Beck and out onthe moors more-or-less decided the winner. Alan and Leslie Richardsondid the honours by plotting a course that suited all ten classes. Onlysix Experts competed and eventually Hemingway got his Repsol Betafour-stroke into second place leaving Webster and Drachenberg to battlefor the podium only to find veteran Alderson had stolen the award withthe best ride on section ten. Phillip has now joined the four-strokeranks for Sherco and quite frankly for a 42-year-old he is riding thefour popper like a two-stroke, but apparently easier.
Skipton's Rob Barber missed the Clubman victory by a single mark fromAdrian Thwaite. Kathryn Wardle stepped back into trialling after a yearout driving in car events but the former national female youth championsoon demonstrated that she meant business with a very strong thirdplace finish in the Clubman class.
The action started on the slippery opening climb which did not troublethe experts on lap one. Richard Suffell blasted the gully on his 4RTbut Mark Willis, Glen Quinn and Paul Dennis all footed. Jon Richardsonwas getting to grips with the new MRS Sherco in his debut ride andstormed the first eight sections up the valley for a dab which he tookin the beck at Hell Holes. Yes, the Scott nightmare section.
Strange but the water at the second really rattled a few riders. Therouting for all classes travelled upstream in murky water, of unknowndepth and contents. The Hard and Greens headed for a three-foot rock,got the angle wrong, slid off to the right, and wiped out the endscards that nestled right under the undercut face. The Easy routetracked towards the opposite banking. Some individuals thought theywere in a power boat race, and some fell over, and that water was cold,very cold!
Matthew Peacock looked and plumbed the depths with his size tens andconcluded that speed was out and getting the line over the rock was theploy. No problem, the easiest clean on lap one. Thwaite, Barber andJohn Walker all dabbed to get it right then Miss Wardle cruised up themiddle of the torrent as if it was dry. There was a steep loose exitclimb that faced the hard course runners at the third. The Easy routewas the same but straight up a sheep track after the initial boggystart alongside the wall. That Hard route exit turned nasty as the mudcarried on to it. Alderson and Mark Sunter lost grip and stopped on lapone. Add Jonny and Derek White, Glen Quinn, Anthony Tempest, PaulDennis and Kev Chapman to the failure list.
See T+MX News, Friday, November 30, 2007 for full report and pictures.