ACU Western Trials Championship 2022

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ACU Western celebrated a return of its annual trials championship with a presentation ceremony following the final ACU Western Youth Development Squad coaching session of 2022.

Following a two year Covid-enforced break, the championship returned in 2022, and winners and runners-up received their awards at St Briavels Pavilion, following a coaching session at an excellent new venue nearby on Saturday, December 17.

Going in to the final round run by Cheltenham Home Guard MCC, 12 time champion and YDS founder Simon Welch and two time winner and ACU Wessex trials champion Kurt Brain, were 6 points apart, both within reach of the win and Simon took the win and a 13th title over the course of a hard-fought and sporting contest.

The Club/Expert class was a two horse race with Richard Jenkins just ahead of Rich Knott after a tightly-contested championship challenge. Club class winner Rob Faulkner headed a very experienced chasing pack, and Ben Falconer took the Sports Plus title. One of the most well-supported classes was the Over 50s on the Sports Plus route, with evergreen David Morris a clear winner. Rob Cobley from just over the border in south Wales won the Sports title.

The Youth Championship classes which ran at the same rounds saw clear winners in Freddy Mitson (A) and Aaron Watson (C), while a season-long battle between Jamie Laverton and Fred Bishop saw Jamie take the title in class B.

Five rounds were run at separate events for the conducted classes, and ACU British Championship C Class runner-up Edwyn James took the C Class honours ahead of a talented chasing pack. D Class winner Ellyn Welch was a convincing winner, however the E class challenge went down to the wire with Oliver Hinckley just nudging ahead of Eddy Tillings.

A testament to the aim of the ACU Western Youth Development Squad was that some 30 riders scored points in the youth classes, and 11 more current or former members scored points in the Club/Expert and Expert classes.

Congratulations to all the winners, and thank you to all the riders who took part so sportingly and turned out in force at every round.

Thank you to Trials Recorder John Luff and ACU Western website assistant editor Colin Jones for administering the championship, to Vice Chair and Treasurer Tom Welch for arranging the trophies, and the clubs, observers and landowners who supported it - full results can be viewed at the 2022 championship page

The first round of the 2023 championship will be run by Gloucester and Cotswold MC on January 15 - all the dates can be seen at the 2023 championship page

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All shots by Ben Bishop

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