It's thrice as Brice!
By TMX Archives on 30th Jul 10
What a cliff hanger result! Three days of trials tension as Birkett Scorpa rider Darren Brice took on the undisputed king' of British nationals - Dan Thorpe - and won!
The Richmond club's White Bros Reeth Three Day again provided the best of British scenery, almost the best weather possible, and a special social aspect. Add in the local teenager Richard Sadler, riding his first Three Day event, and the Arkengarthdale girls were happy. His supporters would have been even more delighted if he had not incurred a five mark penalty at Bypass on Sunday afternoon.
Dan Thorpe was happy on Friday night with an event - leading two marks, especially when presented with a £100 cheque plus a pair of Michelin X'Lites but the following day, a five out on the moors in section 37 removed both the smile, and the yellow number plate.
James Fry rode a strong first day with four dabs, two of which went in Clapgate Wood where Caz and Chris Alford observed the rock strewn passage around a huge oak tree. Brice, Sadler, Chris Pearson and Thorpe managed to clean the section which ended up an angled, slabbed climb which caught James for a dab. Girlfriend Emma Bristow actually had the better attack line to the ends cards.
Emma Bristow
Ken Wallis was in the stream below Rotten Wood where the Clubman route featured several very slippery flat slabs that caught many riders. At the end of the first day, in blazing sunshine, and 36 sections, Dan Thorpe held sway on two, then Brice on three while Sadler and Fry homed in on four. Nick Shield held the ace card in the huge Clubman class, 216 competed including 16 backmarkers, with Paul Dennis, Adrian Harrison and Stuart Hall in attendance then Eddie Aitken and his friend Roger Williams who had a ‘practice five' in the last sub in Roan.
Saturday dawned cooler but with even more slippery sections. It was just like a Scott Trial without time as familiar section names cropped up. Punchard was grippy to the extreme while the long sapping Whaw Bridge stream bed was like ice, even after 430 wheels had pounded the rock base. Bridge End was not any better. Saturday was a day of reckoning, and adding. No mathematics though for Brice and Sadler who cleaned 40 sections leaving Fry to to dab in the 29th section. From section 24 the entire moorland area was no-go so section names and area information was not given out at all, to anyone. That five for Dan T put him on a six after a dab in Blueberry Hill plus his Friday score of two dabs so the chance was still with Thorpey.
With a sharp westerly hammering over the Pennine Hills on Sunday morning and overcast conditions the chances of rain affecting Andy Brown's south west offering of 35 sections could have been critical. It did rain, after the Gunnerside lunch halt. Both Brice and Sadler dropped marks in Botchergill and Potting. Brice footed 11 and 14 after Sadler failed Barf where Thorpe took a dab. Dan got into gear and cleaned every section but hashed the final sub at Low Houses - so Sunday settled the issue.
And as for the Clubmen, Nick Shield had the secret weapon as back-up, his wife Diane! Eddie Aitken and a very sharp Roger Williams, on a pristine Yamaha TY 250 recovered to claim the rest of the podium positions from ace sausage maker Paul Dennis and Paul R Sadler on his ‘bought for the event' 4RT Montesa who edged out on-form Stuart Blythe and Adrian Harrison.
Verdict, a Reeth Three Day cracker with a full Friday night buffet laid on by Lisa Porter and her Swaledale Caterers team to which all riders, officials, farmers, land owners and local dignitaries were invited. The future of the trial rest with the latter.
White Bros Reeth three day Grinton, near Reeth
Hard course:
Expert: Darren Brice (Birkett Scorpa) 10 marks lost, Dan Thorpe (JST Gas Gas) 14, James Fry (MRS Sherco) 16, Chris Pearson (MRS Sherco) 23, Philip Alderson (Gas Gas) 28, Danny Gamble (Beta) 31, John Sunter (Montesa) 33, Richard Gaskell (Scorpa) 37, Thomas Hick (Beta) 42, 10 Phil Disney (Appleyard Beta) 46.
Inter: Will Reynolds (Gas Gas) 53, Graham Tales (Beta) 59, Emma Bristow (JST Gas Gas) 60, Ben Robinson (Beta) 68, Gavin Black (Gas Gas) 72, Gary Harlowe (Beta) 73, Guy Chandler (Beta) 118, Adam Milner (Beta) 80, Gavin Lowther (Gas Gas) 82, Andrew G Brown (Sherco) 85,
Novice: Richard Sadler (MRS Sherco) 13, Russ Rooksby (Gas Gas) 53, Anthony Cooper (Gas Gas) 66, William Brockbank (D3 Sherco) 74, Adam Hague 97, Jonathan White (White Bros Gas Gas) 107, Ben Oughton (Gas Gas) 128, John Wallis (Sherco) 130, Simon Williamson (Gas Gas) 134, Russell Cannell (Beta) 136.
Clubmen: Stuart Blythe (Beta) 27, Adrian Harrison (Beta) 31, Mark Doughty 36, Ian Braithwaite (Gas Gas) 36, Michael Benn (Gas Gas) 36, Stuart Hall (Beta) 37, Thomas Fraser (Sherco) 40, Phil Scott (Beta) 44, Ian Rutter Gas Gas) 49, David Moffatt (Montesa) 55.
Over 40: Nick Shield (Trials Mag Gas Gas) 10, Eddie Aitken (EA Montesa) 14, Roger Williams (Yamaha) 18, Paul Dennis (Gas Gas) 20. Paul R Sadler (Montesa) 25, Colin Bailey (Gas Gas) 36, James Percival (Montesa) 36, Bruce Storr (Montesa) 39, Stuart Woodfield (Beta) 41, David Braithwaite (Beta) 47.
Over 50: Dave Knaggs (Gas Gas) 39, Barry Roads (Beta) 56, Derek White (Gas Gas) 59, Kevin Chapman (Gas Gas) 62, Anthony Brockbank (Sherco) 65, Dave Thorpe (Gas Gas) 81, Mark Summer (Beta) 83, Terry Raw ( Gas Gas) 86, Andrew Chandler (Beta) 98, Graham Atkinson (Gas Gas) 124.