THE annual Cogden Hall Trials Training School attracted its highest ever number of pupils at Laurence Allison's Grinton farm on Wednesday and Thursday last week.

More than 70 boys and girls applied for a place with Sandra Fowler and Vicky Andrew, who organised the event. The numbers were so high that ten separate groups were tutored by Katy Sunter, Dan Thorpe, Richard Sadler, Matt Maynard, Richard Sadler, Ian Austermuhle, Billy Bolt, Jack and James Stones and John Sunter.

Parents also joined the groups to take on the role of minder, or catcher.

Cogden Hall offers two streams up to half a mile in length, two acres of steep, rock-strewn, dense woodland and vast open areas of limestone rocks.

Each group was tutored by the nine expert riders in a changing sequence, while the national and international class tutors explained techniques. At the end of the second day, each youngster was presented with a certificate of merit and an action photograph.

Wallsend's world-ranked star Billy Bolt is a former pupil of the school and took time out to assist with tuition and take part in the awards function.

THE weather played a wicked hand at remote Low Skelding on Saturday afternoon as 115 Acklams Beta Championship contenders lined up to ride the sixth event in Ripon Motor Club's summer series.

As the dark clouds drifted over from Pateley Bridge and the rain arrived, organiser Keith Blythe deemed that three laps on the main course instead of the customary four circuits would be a wise move. That was the signal for the sun to appear, but the decision had been made.

On the main course, Bevan Blacker excelled over Rob Bratley and Aldis Blacker. Paul Sadler lost the over-40s when he failed the fourth section on lap one, leaving Peter Brown with a steady ride to take the class. Graham Clarkson won the green novice class by a tie-breaker from Tony Calvert, while Oliver Richardson used all his Cogden Hall training knowledge to win the youth green course class from Sam Charlton.

The clay-based deep ditch that opened the main course account demanded close study to opt for a line, but the section did grab many penalties.

The small wheels classes brought success for Bradley Green, Imogen Laws and Charlie Greenwood. A notable newcomer was four-year-old Riley Plumpton, who rode his tiny Oset home to third place in class E.

The final round of the Acklams Beta Championship will take place at Prospect Farm, Haverah Park, Harrogate, on Saturday, September 13, starting at 2pm and 3.30pm.

The next major trial will be the Artie Ratcliffe Vase novice trial at Mill House Farm, Winksley, on Sunday, August 30. Start time is 11am.

SUMMERBRIDGE electrical engineer Danny Gamble just pipped Embsay's Aran Drachenberg for the expert on Sunday at Brimham Rocks, where the Yeadon-Guiseley club staged their seventh championship trial. Rawdon's Sam Beecroft-Penny snatched the third expert prize.

Sixty-three riders competed over a four-lap, ten-section course, while a record 27 youngsters rode a separate eight-section, three-lap route. Class winners were Silsden's Myles Hutchinson on the hard course, Gantham's Toby Shaw on the middle route and Catterick's Imogen Laws on the improvers sections. On the main course, Ossett novice Thomas Housecroft was fourth, ahead of Eccleshill teenager Keiran Child, who was best class A youth competitor. Clubman B was won by Stephen Bennett from Keighley youth Jacob Snowdon and Mirfield's Andrew Jackson. Baildon's Clive Armistead headed Andy Howe and Mark Chippendale in the clubman B class.

EMMA Bristow clinched the British Ladies Trials Championship on the Isle of Man by winning both trials over the weekend ahead of Becky Cook and Donna Fox.

Hurworth's Beth Waite took the Class A Youth class from Barnsley's Megan Savage and Silsden's Gabby Whitham, while Skeeby teenager Niamh Richardson won the Class A Inter title.

Results

Ripon Motor Club, 6th Acklams Beta Summer Series trial, Low Skelding. – Hard course, Novices: 1 Bevan Blacker 19; 2 Rob Bratley 35; 3 Aldis Blacker 37 (all Beta). Over 40s: 1 Peter Brown 19; 2 Paul Sadler 25; 3 Chris Laws 31 (all Beta). Youths: 1 Richard Weatherill 39; 2 Freddie Wills 44; 3 Robin Brown 53 (all Beta).

50/50 course, Novices: 1 Graham Clarkson 23; 2 Tony Calvert (Montesa) 23; 3 Chris Thwaite (Sherco) 29. Youths: 1 Oliver Richardson (Beta) 36; 2 Sam Charlton (Beta) 45; 3 Ben Benson (Sherco) 46. Over 50s: 1 David Carr (Beta) 14; 2 Joe Alderson (Scorpa) 15; 3 Chris Dale (Montesa) 16.

Beginners: 1 Michael Yeadon (Gas Gas) 41; 2 Joe Snowball (Gas Gas) 45; 3 Tim Charlton (Sherco) 47. Youths easy course: 1 Elliott Laws 17; 2 Andrew Reynolds 25; 3 Callum Benson 57 (all Beta). Twin Shock: 1 Michael Platts (Honda) 5; 2 Paul Mugridge (Yamaha) 16; 3 Nigel Simpson (Ossa) 21. Non-competitive: 1 Bradley Green (Beta) 75; 2 Conrad Andrew (Sherco 92; 3 Monte Andrew (Beta) 103. Small wheels hard course: 1 Bradley Green (Beta) 33; 2 Monte Andrew (Beta) 38; 3 Conrad Andrew (Beta) 40. Small wheels easy course: 1 Imogen Laws (Gas Gas) 11; 2 Serle Blacker (Beta) 29; 3 Sam Chapman (Gas Gas) 30. Class E: 1 Charlie Greenwood (Beta) 14; 2 Charlie Astwood (Oset) 51; 3 Riley Plumpton (Oset) 64.

Yeadon-Guiseley Motor Club, 7th club championship trial, Brimham Rocks. – Hard course experts: 1 Danny Gamble (Sherco) 3; 2 Aran Drachenberg (Beta) 3; 3 Sam Beecroft-Penny (Sherco) 7. Inter: Danny Cockshott (Gas Gas) 20. Novices: 1 Thomas Housecroft (Beta) 8; 2 Oliver Sharp (Gas Gas) 12; 3 Louis Haley (Montesa) 14. Youth A: 1 Keiran Child (Beta) 9; 2 Joe Faunthorpe (Beta) 20. Clubman A: 1 Stephen Bennett (Beta) 3; 2 Andrew Jackson (Scorpa) 11; 3 Michael Benn (Gas Gas) 12. Youth Class A: Jack Harker (Sherco) 24. Youth Class B: 1 Jacob Snowdon (Beta) 6; 2 Aaron Carter (Beta) 37; 3 Edward Earle (Beta) 47. Clubman B: 1 Clive Armistead (Sherco) 10; 2 Karl Greaves (Montesa) 20; 3 Bohdan Kyrnyckyj (Gas Gas) 35. Over 40s: 1 Chris Manby (Gas Gas) 18; 2 Jason Dunning (Sherco) 52; 3 Nigel Ridley (Gas Gas) 59. Over 50s: 1 Andy Howe (Gas Gas) 13; 2 Mark Chippendale (Gas Gas) 15. Youth Class A: Charlie Danvers (Beta) 115. Youth Class B: Joe Child (Beta) 32. Youth Class C: 1 Harvey Taglione (Beta) 25; 2 Elliott Laws (Beta) 69; 3 Harry Hemingway (Beta) 87. Small wheels hard course: 1 Myles Hutchinson (Oset) 18; 2 George Hemingway (Oset) 20; 3 Morgan Shepherd (Mecatecno) 39. Middle course: 1 Toby Shaw (Oset) 3; 2 Bradley Green (Beta) 10; 3 Jasper Fox (Oset) 15. Improvers course: 1 Imogen Laws (Gas Gas) 7; 2 Taylor Crossland (Beta) 8; 3 Fraiser Lampkin (Beta) 9.

Fixtures

Saturday, August 8. – Wetherby DMC 5th Crooks Trophy trial, Clockensyke Farm, Dacre, 5.30pm.

Sunday, August 9. – Pickering DMC 6th easy trial, Cow House Bank, Helmsley, 11am.