Nothing but blue skies!
By TMX Archives on 28th May 08
THE only blue to be seen in scenic Coverdale in north west Yorkshire last weekend was the sky. Richmond's annual Blue Bar Trophy Trial, as in previous years, was a splendid two days of trials riding over two separate courses.
Local farmer Stephen Lambert marked out the courses, on his Cow Bike', the venerable TYZ Yamaha, and then competed, and cleared the courses after each day. The classes took in four Pre-65 categories plus three modern machine classes covering Over 40s, 50s and 60s and a Ladies section for Katy Sunter, Nicola Foote and Kathryn Wardle. The parc ferme was at Horsehouses, adjacent to Saturday's opener of three laps and 14 sections.
The Allotments, as last year, opened up the betting. Three long ravines and some cambered sections in the trees alongside the long grazing meadow did take marks. The ninth section at Hindlethwaite tested all classes. Neil Gaunt plumbed the depths with a stop, in section 11 on lap three, not permitted at the Blue Bar. Neil, Blue Bar Trophy winner last year, admitted I was not thinking, got the line wrong and stopped, to get the Ariel back on line. No argument about it, I stopped.
Scottish Pre-65 winner, Tony Calvert, fell foul of the ninth with a three-mark loss, which dropped him behind David Emmott by a dab at the end of the day. Only David Pye, riding his immaculate Fantic, mastered the Saturday course with a clean sheet while John Maxfield and Steven Maxwell locked in on two dabs. Oil Baron Richard Thorpe ran off with the Pre-65 Twin-shock class on his very original James.
Blue Bar Pre-65 Two Day Trial
Coverdale, Yorks (Richmond DMC)
Premier: Steven Maxwell (Triumph) 4.
Twin-shocks: David Pye (Fantic) 1, Mark Sunter (Honda) 2, Russ Rooksby (Fantic) 5.
Pre-65 Unit: Steven Maxwell (Triumph) 4, John Maxfield (Triumph) 6, David Watson (Royal Enfield) 8.
Pre-65 Pre-unit: Neil Gaunt (Ariel) 6, David Emmott (Triumph) 13, David Wear (Royal Enfield) 84.
Pre-65 Two-stroke: Richard Thorpe (James) 25, Harry Stanistreet (James) 80.
Ladies: Katy Sunter (JST Gas Gas) 7, Kathryn Wardle (TW Sherco) 19, Nicola Foote (Gas Gas) 37.
Over 40: David Braithwaite (Beta) 1, David Suttill (Honda) 2, Barry Roads (Beta) 3.
Over 50: Gordon Fennings (Sherco) 16, Steve Bradley (Beta) 24, Dave Gibson (Sherco) 31.
Over 60: Mick Whitlow (Beta) 10, David Carr (Beta) 17, Jim Jardine (Scorpa) 36.
For full report and pictures see T+MX NEWS, Friday, May 30, 2008
Premier class winner, Steven Maxwell, takes his Cub up a Coverdale stream.