THE Horsforth club staged yet another Bob Owen Memorial Trial on Saturday at the Parkwood Offroad Centre at Tong where 132 competitors enjoyed three testing laps of the dense woodlands.
Twelve sections tested all competitors with a choice of routes that were on the soft side after heavy rain mid-week. Only five youngsters contested the small wheels category where Austin Abdale and Alfie Dykes were supreme.
Bradford young lady Emily Petty rode well while her big brother Charlie rode Clubman B. The hard course was just that, slippery in places. Bradford's Charlie Smith and Falcon front runner Will Tolson headed twenty four hard course contestants along with Danny Cockshott and on-form Richard Mellon.
The outcome was decided on the angled rock step at the top of the eleventh section. Only Mellon and Tolson nailed it until novice and winner Jordan Potter cleaned it twice and dabbed on lap one. Mellon was the only double clean.
Charlie Smith was tipped to win but his one two and three score killed his chances. The top youth was Charlie Cripps, son of the living legend Andy and showing the moves of his father. Clubman A was low scoring with John Bannister posting two penalties which were on the lakeside rock escarpment where the final four section were plotted. Those nigh vertical rocks were treacherous when wet and muddy. Nick Eagleton planed a boot in the final section on his second lap and gave the Falcon front runner the Clubman B victory over Thomas Green and Matthew Morrell. The leading pair rode twin shock Hondas which seemed to be the right machine for the conditions under the wheels. Martin Fairburn released the results early- as usual! The course marking team were Rick Mellon, Jake Walker, Jeff Prior, Kevin Alderson and Graham Wilson. The Horsforth club thank observers Joe McLoughlin, Mick Shorrock, Richard Patterson Emilie and Chris Bancroft, Steve Hirst, Wendy Sherwin, Graham Smith, Margaret Spencer, Brian Ayrton, Nigel Greenwood, Margaret Carter and Helen Greaves.
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