THE tenth Simon Green Mechanical Engineering championship trial last Sunday at the Parkwood Offroad Estate in Tong was an ordeal that will live in the competitors and observers' memories for a considerable period.

It was raining all day with a chilling wind, making for vile riding conditions.

The 64 competitors on the main course rode 10 sections, dropping down via the ravine to the stream at the north boundary.

The water levels were average on the opening laps but the persistent rainfall did make navigation risky.

The sixth and seventh sections cost overall winner Chris Hunt two penalties, while Richard Mellon stopped on lap three and that loss dropped him down the order.

Sam Boocock was in with a chance but section two caught the Sherco rider for two penalties, though he remained the top inter-class winner.

The sting was in the tail. Section eight alongside the fishing lake was tough, with a steep rock strewn descent then three different climbs up and out.

In Clubman B, Howard Gulley excelled on his TRS machine. One penalty in section four won him the day over Stewart Oughton and Tom Green.

Only Oughton got round on a single figure score out of 30 starters.

That was rewarded with an Over-50s class victory, but Clubman B was a different story.

Jason Lee, Stephen Ellis and Paul Hobson set the benchmark over Ged Fallon, who failed the eighth climb, as did many others.

Bradford schoolboy Charlie Petty came fifth overall, which was a cracking result for the youngster, as it was for David Brogden, who got his Bantam home in sixth place.

Team Eagleton ran the Small Wheels, where just three riders contested the six-section four-lap course just below the top boundary wall.

Alana Eagleton, Tate Croft and Alfie Dykes won their respective classes.

Earlier this month, the trials action in North Yorkshire centred on Fir Tree Farm, just a mile south of the village of Grewelthorpe, where 62 competitors enjoyed a compact twelve section course.

This took in the deep wooded valley, where the narrow stream formed part of the three-lap route.

The route also took in the steep bankings overlooking the lake, where the small wheelers usually compete.

Only three contested the small, where Max Lumley and Evie-Rae Edmundson were the victors.

Boroughbridge Gas Gas rider Bevan Blacker just topped the hard course class by a single penalty from Scotton teenager Elliott Laws, who incurred penalties in the opening section, where his Vertigo machine struggled.

Paul Jackson also maintained his high standards to win the 50/50 course class, again by a single penalty from Jordan Fox.

The winning margins persisted with Chris Laws, also Vertigo mounted, who won the Club class by a single penalty. The organisers staged the trial under strict Covid and Tier rules.

In other news, Leyburn joiner Richard Sadler has ended his long association with Gas Gas trials machines to ride Vertigo with the support of Silsden legend Dougie Lampkin, who has worked on the development of the machine from day one.

Sadler's name heads many trials results. Notable are second place in the Scott Trial, eighth in the Scottish Six Days Trial and second in the Trial Two British Championship series.

At local level his winning record is outstanding. His aim next year is to win the Scottish Six Days Trial, which is a tough event, as well as selected British Championship trials plus the Scott Trial.

The Vertigo machine has taken trialling to a new level in technical innovations thanks to the expertise of Lampkin, so Sadler has the best machine on the market.

Richard Timperley, of Camio Moto, set up the Vertigo deal.

Some more headline news is that multi-champion James Dabill is calling time on his trial activities.

The 34-year-old former Cookridge resident, now living in the Sheffield area, has won the Scottish Six Days Trial and the Scott Trial.

He has a record number of top 10 finishes in the F.I.M. World Championship series and was a former World Junior Champion.

Denby Dale national trials star Jack Price has also announced that he is dropping out of world and national trials at the age of just 23.

Dabill and Price are probably the top two British trials rider at the time of their departure. Their popularity abroad and at home is legendary.

Finally, the start of last month should have seen the running of the 32nd Bob Owen Memorial Trial at Parkwood Offroad Centre, who have allowed use of this venue since the inaugural event in November 1988, but sadly it was cancelled due to the national lockdown at the time.

In the past, Horsforth & DMC Ltd have overcome many problems to run this, their annual charity trial, and in the process have donated over £70,000 from the entry fees and donations.