The high point of the club’s year came when they had two winning teams in the Yorkshire Clubs Team Trial.

John Hillam, from Gomersal, with Mirfield teenage cousins, Josh Maude and Jonathan Chambers, beat 27 teams to take the overall win.

Liversedge riders Steve Tattersfield, Stuart Oughton and Nigel Sharp, were the winning team in the Clubman Class.

Last Saturday saw Spen Valley members turn out for their traditional handicap trial in the woodland adjacent to the old railway line at Cliffe Lane, Cleckheaton.

Dave Loney reported

the course was very slippery but Hartshead rider Stuart Oughton took time studying the sections and it paid off with a win.

Hipperholme’s Roy Palmer and Nigel Sharp, of Hartshead, took the next two places.

The organisers set out 10 sections to be ridden four times with the handicap being that the winner is the lowest scoring rider on either the hard or clubman routes.

Unfortunately the courses were not evenly balanced and best expert Hillam, riding the hard route, lost twice as many marks as the winner.

Don Speight was observing section one, a crossing of the narrow stream followed by a return up the banking and over some exposed tree roots.

Stuart started badly with two dabs on his first visit, while Mirfield’s Jonathan Chambers, on the harder course stayed feet up.

Sections six to nine were a struggle for some riders, as the grip which had appeared to exist early on, disappeared after a few bikes had been through.

RESULTS

Overall: Stuart Oughton (Gas Gas) 24, Roy Palmer (Scorpa) 30, Nigel Sharp (Montesa) 34, Peter Field (Sherco) 36, Gary Bowerman (Gas Gas) 36, Steve Tattersfield (Gas Gas) 38.



Hard Course: 1st Expert: John Hillam (Gas Gas) 53, Jonathan Chambers (Gas Gas) 54.

1st Novice: Dean Bromley (Gas Gas) 85, Chris Hunt (Gas Gas) 91, Ben Oughton (Gas Gas) 141.

A Class: Tom Brown (Gas Gas) 61, Luke Oughton (Gas Gas) 70.

B Class: Matti Whelan (Gas Gas) 89.