RICHMOND Motor Club was one stride ahead of the weather on Sunday for its Hardstiles Trial near Marske, where dense hill fog shrouded Gerald Horn’s acres at dawn.

But, by mid-morning, the glorious wall-to-wall sunshine brightened up Swaledale for the organisers and competitors.

Richmond officials Nick Hunt and Stewart Lowther marked a three-lap, 12-section course for adults and youths, while beginners guru Ted Harston plotted a six-section course for his four-year-old chargers.

The Swaledale weather attracted 127 competitors in 11 different classes.

On the clubman route, Knaresborough builders' merchant Neil Gaunt shared top spot with Stephen Dennis, Paul Pattison, Samuel Sharp and Harry Wills.

The result was repeated in the over-40s, where Mark Constantine topped a quartet also including Chris Laws, Richard Bradley and Chris Thwaite. Constantine was having his first major trials outing since his rally car crash on Blackpool Promenade which inflicted serious spinal injuries.

TT ace Mick Grant won the twin shock class on his BSA Bantam. Grant, former speedway star Eric Boocock and brilliant trials machine constructor Peter Gaunt were just three big names on the entry list.

One young man from Bellerby, Josh Brown, will remember his very first trial for a very long time. He broke his Beta throttle cable in the very last section and dropped from second to third place in his first competition event.

SCARBOROUGH and District Motor Club held the Jason Kirkwood Memorial Trial at Low North Park last Saturday and Scarborough's Zac Collinson collected the trophy for his third place in the expert class and best youth rider.

It was beautiful weather for the 65-strong entry and three laps of ten sections laid on by Dave Chilton and his gang sorted the winners.

Matt Ackerley put a good ride together to top the hard course, heading Scarborough's Gary Collinson home by just one mark, while Gary's son Zac was pushing hard just seven down on his father.

Alan Carr, Richard Hildrick and Darren Johnson were topping the easy course on just one mark lost, but Colin Bailey nipped in again with a clean ride.

Whitby's Trevor Jones held off a strong challenge from Nicola Dixon, who was returning from injury, to win the very easy route by nine marks.

The Kirkwood family were all in attendance, with parents John and Carol observing and Steve doing battle on his Honda. All proceeds from the event went to the Cystic Fibrosis Charity.

THE Darlington and District Motor Club headed for The Woodyard at Reeth to stage its trial on Sunday and the forecast rain never arrived.

Clerk of course Neil McKenzie plotted a ten-section course taking in the deep gullies above the stone barn in the top meadow, the pick of which were three rocky ravines.

Expert winner Rob Waite dropped a single mark on the third climb on his final lap. Teenage Scott Trial finisher Thomas Coates managed four unpenalised rides in the group and that was it for him, a sort of foot down day for the youngster, but he did complete the course.

The sixth section was alongside the Arkle Beck, where the undercut on the big step provided a challenge. On the hard course, the class winners were well clear. Gary Thwaite topped the 14 greens with a cracking non-stop ride, Paul Sadler cleared every section to win the easy course, while Tony Calvert stopped in the third section on lap one. That penalty was enough to contain Andrew Kenyon.

TYNEMOUTH Motor Club held its third trial of the year on Sunday and, after the original venue at Canada Farm became waterlogged, John Herron came to the rescue, making his Hope Farm land at Long Framlington available for the day.

A total of 60 riders proceeded to enjoy a fabulous event of four laps of ten sections in excellent weather, but with the wet going adding a little spice to the rockery.

John Crinson was in fine form on the expert route, with a very miserly four marks lost, all in separate sections, putting him well clear of Phil Baxter and Gary Pears, who were left to battle it out for second place.

Eddie Aitkin was a comfortable winner on the clubman route, dropping just five marks, including two on the last section. Alistair Dalton finished his day on 11, but he would have been a lot closer had he not dropped six in the rock outcrop at section nine, where Scott Aitkin matched his dad’s ride of three cleans and a one to help him finish third, ahead of Paul Battensby.

On a tricky easy course, Garry Bloodworth didn’t mind losing a few extra marks, his 15 total setting the pace, with his rides in sections two and six giving him the edge over the opposition. Kevin Edmundson led the rest home on 21 and John King completed the top three on 28.

THE Pickering and District Motor Club motocross meeting at Haygate Lane, Pickering, was cancelled last Friday due to a waterlogged track. The November 15 meeting is still on the event list, subject to weather and track conditions. Pickering secretary David Brown said the club may run a final meeting on November 22, but again depending on track conditions.

THE Wetherby Motor Club reluctantly cancelled its Stan Cox Memorial Trial scheduled for last Sunday at the Pateley Bridge Bayliss Gap Farm trials venue.

The heavily wooded area south of Pateley Bridge, venue of the acclaimed world championship trial in 1993, had been blanketed by torrential rain and dense fog for several days.

Club secretary Margaret Myers has had to cancel three trials planned for Bayliss Gap this year. The second trial did run, but at Toft Gate Farm. The club has no plans to seek an alternative date for the Stan Cox trial.

Weekend Results

Richmond MC, Hardstiles Trial, Marske. – Clubman course: =1 Neil Gaunt (Beta), Stephen Dennis (Montesa), Paul Pattison (Beta), Samuel Sharp (Gas Gas), Harry Wills (Montesa) 0.

Over 40s: =1 Mark Constantine (Beta), Chris Law (Beta), Richard Bradley (Gas Gas), Chris Thwaite (Sherco) 0.

Twin Shock: 1 Mick Grant (BSA) 2; 2 Ian Halle (Montesa) 6; 3 Ian Bowers (Montesa) 9.

Youth Class A: 1 Ben Simpson (Beta) 2; 2 JackWalker (Gas Gas) 5; 3 Beth Watling (Gas Gas) 5.

Youth Class B: =1 Tom Needham (Gas Gas), Guy Stones (Beta) 0; 3 Charlie Dent (Gas Gas) 1.

Youth Class C: 1 Luke Constantine 3; 2 Will Handley 6; 3 Elliott Laws 15 (all Beta).

Youth Class B easy: 1 Harry Mugridge (Gas Gas) 24; 2 Martyn Pratt (Beta) 29; 3 Josh Brown (Beta) 30.

Youth Class D easy: 1 Alfie Royle (Beta) 12; 2 Monte Andrew (Beta) 18; 3 Callum Fowler (Gas Gas) 19.

Small wheels Class E: 1 Ben Sunter 55; 2 Riley Plumpton 57; 3 George Thwaite 58 (all Oset). Class ED: 1 Laurie Blades (Beta) 10; 2 Lily-Ann Thwaite (Oset) 14; 3 Charlie Astwood (Gas Gas) 23.

Darlington & DMC Trial, The Woodyard, Reeth. – Hard course, Expert: Rob Waite (Beta) 40. Inters: 1 Mark Willis (Montesa) 56; 2 Alistair Dalton (Beta) 71. Novices: 1 Nathan Cannell (Gas Gas) 55; 2 Thomas Coates (Sherco) 98.

Green course: 1 Gary Thwaite (Sherco) 7; 2 Paul Dennis (Beta) 11; 3 Adrian Harrison (Sherco) 11.

Easy course: 1 Paul Sadler (Beta) 0; 2 Greg Williams (Montesa) 2; 3 Matthew Napper (Gas Gas)) 21.

Over 40s: 1 Tony Calvert (Montesa) 6; 2 Andrew Kenyon (Beta) 10; 3 Derek White (Gas Gas) 12.

Youth Class A: 1 Ben Simpson (Beta) 13; 2 Beth Waite (Beta) 15; 3 Richard Allen (Beta) 67.

Youth Class B: 1 Ollie Rickaby (Gas Gas) 36; 2 James Harrison (Gas Gas) 39; 3 Mathew Allum (Beta) 67.

Youth Class C: Tim Weatherall (Beta) 69.

Scarborough & DMC Jason Kirkwood Memorial Trial, Low North Park. – Jason Kirkwood Trophy: Zac Collinson (Gas Gas) 16.

Andy Noble Award: Trevor Jones (Villiers) 15.

President's Trophy: Elliot Woodall (Beta) 7.

Allan Rodda Award: Miller Temple (Yamaha) 71.

Tynemouth MC Trial, Long Framlington. – Expert course: 1 John Crinson (Sherco) 4; 2 Philip Baxter (Ossa) 75; 3 Gary Pears (Scorpa) 86.

Clubman course: 1 Eddie Aitkin(Sherco) 5; 2 Alistair Dalton (Beta) 11; 3 Scott Aitkin (Sherco) 19.

Easy course: 1 Garry Bloodworth (Beta) 15; 2 Kevin Edmundson (Bultaco) 21; 3 John King ( Sherco) 28.

Conducted course: 1 Ella Hodgson 20; 2 Alyssa Baxter 30; 3 Alexander Baxter 37.

Weekend Fixtures

Saturday. – Manchester 17 MCC Northern Experts Trial, Wildboarclough, 9am; Eboracum MC Open Centre Trial, adults and youths, Ouseburn; Horsforth DMC annual Bob Owen Charity Trial, Parkwood Offroad Centre, Tong, 11am.