Tuesday May 11, 2010 at 9:26pm
HARD on the heels of the Scottish Six Days Trial is the third round of the ACU Events
sponsored British Trials Championships and we go from one end of the
country to the other.
This Saturday and Sunday we head down to Devon for the Anthony Rew
Trial with practise sessions on Day One between 3-5 pm and the event
proper staring at 10am Sunday.
The venue has changed back to Kelly Farm , Lustleigh this year. In 2009
the trial went to Ruby Rocks which although had great potential did not
quite have the same British Championship hazards as Kelly Farm with its
huge granite boulders.
In the Championship class there have been two straight wins so far for
James Dabill who has looked like a man who wants to remain number one
this season. Michael Brown has finished second to James on both
occasions and with a runner up placing at the SSDT he will be looking
for that elusive 2010 win. We should not dismiss the prospects of the
others in the class though. Shaun Morris was superb a month ago at the
Macdonald round and with not riding the Scottish he should be raring to
go. Ross Danby also went exceedingly well at the last round and he
seems to have more consistency this season. Following his great SSDT
win Alexz Wiggs confidence should also be sky high and let’s not forget
that Wiggy won this event last year.
The Expert A group has seen one win apiece for Ian Austermuhle and Gary
Macdonald this year and you would expect to see them both up at the
sharp end again this weekend. Also in contention should be Jack
Sheppard who is riding his 125 Top Trial Team Beta and Jonny Walker
both of whom are looking very determined this season.
No less than 30 riders have placed an entry in the Expert B’s and this
group is proving to be a superb and competitive class. Looking for a
prediction for the top three is fraught with danger but one man expected to
be there is Darren Brice. The Cumbrian just gets on with the job and is
so consistent. With two wins already to his credit this year you would
not back against a third. John Crinson will make the long journey down
from the North East and last year’s runner up in the championship now
looks well at home on the Beta. Add in Dan Farrer, Richard Timperly, a
strong Midlands contingent and quite a few others as well. The Expert B
group is every bit as interesting and open as the other classes and I
would not be surprised to see the Michelin sponsored Tyres end up with
riders here as they battle for supremacy.
To find the action at Kelly Farm you will find the event signposted
from the A382 Bovey Tracey to Moretonhampstead Road. If you are
travelling from the North keep on the M5 past Exeter pick up the A38 and then the A382. Look for the Bovey Tracey signs about 10 minutes later.