Report: Vale Of Towy MCC
By Team TMX on 3rd Feb 16
Vale of Towy considered themselves proud to be the chosen club to get the West South Wales Centre season rolling with one of their growingly popular easy trials, held at Glogue quarry, North Pembrokeshire
The club was delighted when 56 riders queued up to sign on the dotted line and be told that they faced a challenge of four laps of eight sections.
A slight change of format this year has seen the emphasis put on trying to attract newcomers into the sport.
With this in mind it was overwhelming to see nine youngsters all kitted up and ready to compete in the Small/Medium-wheels on a verity of machines made up of electric bikes, autos and a couple of bulletproof TY80s still showing up strong.
This class was run as a conducted trial and was ably marshalled by all the mums and dads, grans and granddads, friends and onlookers who turned it into a trial within a trial as they made their way on masse around the course, with each section given over to them in turn.
Harry Drewitt has worked hard in the last year and made it pay with a three-mark win over Iolo Philips, who got the better of his brother Dion, but they in turn were separated by Brianna King who made her father Gary drive all the way from Builth Wells so that she could claim the final spot on the podium.
Aberystwyth & DMCC youngster Tomos Jones was another rider who had to make a fair journey and finished just in front of local lad Celt Rees and Annie Evans.
David Pugh and Archie Fletcher, slotted in only a few marks further adrift, as all the youngsters seemed to enjoy the experience of riding in a full trial alongside the adults.
A new Beginners championship was introduced at the event aimed at new riders, or those who have never won anything at trials in the past.
With 16 entrants posting scores ranging from four to 75 predicting a winner was always going to be a bit of a lottery but Aron Davies hit the jackpot by finishing three marks ahead of Iwan Rees.
Finlay Kirkwood posted a score equal to Iwan as he returned to the sport after a silly mishap last summer, stay away from that sidecar cross Finlay.
Nathan Best seemed pleased with a punchcard that showed 10 marks, while Duncan Kirkwood just scraped home one mark in front of Stephen Shakesby now looking increasingly more assured on the Scorpa.
The rest of the field rode on the standard course, which in all honesty was laid out slightly easier than intended, but either way it was hardly going to trouble newly-crowned Kia Twin-shock champion David Carter who remained feet up all day on his impressive looking Air-cooled Gasser to outscore Steve James on his TYZ Yamaha in a combined air-cooled / pre 2000 class.
Things proved a little closer in the Pre-65 Twin-shocks where Fantic-mounted Darren Morgan had to wait for a furthest clean decision over Richard Davies out on his father Mike's immaculate Honda.
This pairing were closely followed home by Eirian Davies who used his nimble Drayton BSA Bantam to chalk up a narrow two-mark advantage over fellow engineer Anthony Macklen on his awesome 350 Ariel.
Any established rider on a modern bike was made more than welcome, but rode on a purely non award basis and this suited the remaining 22 entrant's just fine as they simply wanted in on the action.
Ceiran Jones made the youth class his own as he continues to learn how to master his craft.
Richard Nicholas came out top of the crop in the Adults as he also recorded a feet up ride to finish just ahead of the trio of Merthyr mainstay Dai Bedford, returning globetrotter Tom Woolford and hard-working club secretary Richard Edwards, who jumped at the opportunity of a last minute ride, after making sure that all official positions were covered.
Next man home was Marcus Stanton-Tyzack with a solid two-mark performance given that he rode the trial on a Gas Gas Pampera trail bike.
Results
Conducted course
Youth Small/Medium-wheel: Harry Drewitt 14 marks lost, Iolo Philips 17, Brianna King 18, Dion Philips 25, Tomos Jones 28, Celt Rees 32, Annie Evans 37, David Pugh 46, Archie Fletcher 69.
Easy course
Adult Beginner: Aron Davies 4, Iwan Rees 7, Finlay Kirkwood 7, Nathan Best 10, Duncan Kirkwood 15, Stephen Shakesby 16.
Standard course
A/C mono/ Pre 2000: David Carter clean, Steve James 9.
Pre 65 / Twin-shock: Eddie Woolford clean, Darren Morgan 2, Richard Davies 2, Eirian Davies 5, Anthony Macklen 7, Trevor Richards 8.
Adult Modern: Richard Nicholas clean, Dai Bedford 1, Tom Woolford 1, Richard Edwards 1, Marcus Stanton-Tyzack 2, Peter Jones 4.
Youth Modern: Ceiran Jones 7.
