Trials: making up the rules...
By TMX Archives on 1st Feb 07
This weekend the ACU T&E committee discuss the 2007 British Solo Trials Championships
THE ACU Trials and Enduro Committee is hosting a British Solo Trials Championship meeting on Saturday for Championship organisers to which Championship riders, the top six Expert riders and the importers have been invited to contribute. I hasten to add T+MX was also invited but unfortunately I was already committed to another event and am unable to attend. I would in fact have liked to have attended, not because I necessarily have anything new to bring to the table, but to see which way the wind is really blowing regarding the Championship.
Please indulge me while I offer a brief history lesson. Back in the 1980s to early 1990s, the British Trials Championship was contested over 10/12 rounds of the best National trials in the country, most held over single lap courses with 40 sections or so.
These were, in the main, hugely successful events with 100 plus entries with ALL riders competing over the same sections. It will surprise today's youngsters to learn that I used to ride the British Championship myself back in those days, mainly to impress on spectators - and there were many –- just how difficult the sections actually were, by fiving so many of them. I did my bit to show that the likes of Malcolm Rathmell, Martin Lampkin, John Reynolds, Steve Saunders, Tony Scarlett and John Lampkin really were pretty damn good!
Trials and Motocross News was also the sponsor of the Championship in those days as well and we supplied the riding number bibs which I personally used to take to events - and collect afterwards, when they were covered in sch*t.
To cut the story mercifully short, you could say that the Championship was almost too successful for its own good as the huge numbers of trucks following the trials, often down narrow country lanes, was causing considerable problems for the organisers. The change in observing rules from the old no-stop to the stop-allowed method of observing also caused several clerks of courses to go berserk and ruin what had previously been cracking trials.
So the ACU took the decision to take the British Championship off-road, and to use a World Championship type format with multi-lap trials over a short course with only a dozen or so sections. The idea was that it would appeal to spectators who could park-up and find all sections within easy reach. There would also be things like a trade village and other spectator-friendly attractions.
I don't blame the ACU in the slightest for trying, it was a bold move and they gave it their best shot. But in reality, without detracting from any of the organisers, only the Yeadon Guiseley event at Addingham Moorside approaches the original ideal with large spectator numbers.
We are now down to a handful of events which attract - with few exceptions - very few spectators and surely the question that needs asking most is, ''Who exactly are we running the British Championship for?''
The logical answer is surely - for the riders. And if this is taken as a gimme, then surely that answers one of the main questions to be addressed at the meeting, ''What observing rules should be used in 2007?'' Whether you care or not (and I do) if Alexz Wigg, Sam Haslam, Ross Danby and co are going to have a genuine chance at International success then in my opinion these few events in the calendar (eight scheduled for 2007) should be run under World Championship rules - whatever they are.
I really don't see how accepting the World Champs rules for the British Champs - which is of course sponsored by Colin Appleyard, to whom we owe a debt of thanks - affects any other trials in the country. It is a fact that many, many riders are not actually interested in International trials. I often attend Wednesday evening trials run by Rappers' club, Lancs County, and the majority of lads present don't even care about what is going on in their own club championship, let alone the world series! They turn up simply to have a blast on their bikes and the fact is, the easier the sections are set the more the entries swell. There's at least one lesson in there somewhere.
I have every confidence that, given the format of the series as it stands, (a change in format WOULD make for a lively debate!) the T and E committee will come to the correct decision (whatever it is) as they have asked the right people to contribute. Those who are actually involved.