Southern Experts Trial, December 14 2008
Welcome to the Southern Experts Trial page. Run by Stroud Valley MC and Sunbeam MCC, the day was a great success. Results, pictures, news and videos will appear here as they come in...
Provisional Results. Congratulations to Ross Danby, who headed Sam Haslam, Alexz Wigg, Simon Welch and Sam Connor. Ben Bramwell won the clubman route. (Apologies to Sam Connor and Simon Welch, who were down as first class award winners on the results for about 20 minutes - Alexz Wigg's first class was missed on the first set of results).
Snippets
Assistant Clerk of Course, Mark Thornhill said the day went really well for the Stroud Valley MC and all the hard work has paid off. He said the the club would like to say a big thankyou to Theresa Talbot for doing the results with the help of younger son Gareth, as well as all the observers who pitched in, and of course the landowners, including Golden Valley Classic MCC.
Observers came from all over the Western Centre and beyond and did a great job. Most probably wanted to see how top line riders fared in our back yard but the addition of an observers draw for £50 to spend in BVM or tickets to the Indoor World Trial at Sheffield were a welcome boost. Anyway, the winner was Mark Talbot, who now has the choice.
There's plenty of superb pictures of the day's action on the web now - Steve Workman's great pix, more from Stroud Valley MC and some spectacular R2W images. And some basic video will be posted throughout the week. First up, Simon Welch saving a mark, Colin Crease on section 14, Alexz Wigg makes light of section 4, as does Ross Danby. Henry Bendall's grip disappears on section 14.
It was great to see Western Centre riders having a crack, mainly on the Expert route despite it being probably a little above what some are used to - we've got some real hard men in this centre!
Henry and Joe Bendall reckoned it was a great event, as did Leo Rochfort, who stuck at the task admirably.
Matthew Welch and Barry Husband still had smiles on their faces, in the face of adversity too. Scott Thompson gave it everything, while John Luff was a happy man at the end, after having done more than just survive. Anyone who sees Craig Talbot's bike at the end will appreciate what a tough event this was.
Big hand to Simon Welch though, who bested Alexz Wigg on lap two, and finished on the same marks as Sam Connor in 4th. He only dropped two fives, on lap three, and rescued the lap for 26.
And we have a press report, which will be appearing in The Citizen and the Gloucestershire Echo on Wednesday, December 17, with more great pictures. TMX covered the event, as did Trial Magazine. Sadly the picture special from section 4 in the area's local weekly paper, Stroud Life, on Monday, December 22, doesn't look like it will materialise, but we will run the pictures on this website soon.
Before the event...
Mark Thornhill says the organisation of this year's Southern Experts being run by Stroud Valley MC is well underway, with several visits to the Nympsfield venue by a strong working party cutting out new and exciting sections for the top boys and some new bits for the easier route (which is to be set out no harder than the normal Western Centre Champs standard route).
The trial is set to be laid out over two farms and bordering onto the AMCA land kindly lent to the club, so there is going to be a good ride round.
But Mark tells us: "At the moment we are falling down by not having enough observers coming forward to help with such a prestigious event. This is the first time for years that such an event has been put on in the centre so let's all pull together and lend a hand.
"An observer draw will take place and the prize is a choice of a £50 voucher to spend at BVM or two tickets to the 2009 first round of the Sheffield Indoor Trial World Championship Round - what prizes!"
Anyone up for observing, please contact Mike Thornhill on 07972 140131, ASAP.
[on 10Nov2008]Thanks to all those who volunteered to observe on the day. Mark T says they have all the observers they need now, which is great news. Fingers crossed for the observers draw then. Entries are coming in to joint organisers Sunbeam MC now too, with Alexz Wigg set to ride.
[on 17Nov2008]
The date for official entries has passed and the almost 50 riders who have entered already will see their names in the official colour programme, sponsored by JC Printing. More info on the Stroud Valley MC website.
[on 07Dec2008]
Some 61 riders are on the official entry list and Mark Thornhill tells us the sections are all cut out and ready to be marked out - there are going to be 15 sections over 3 laps. The club is pleased to say there is a bigger entry than for this event than last year and many top boys will be there to entertain the spectators. Fingers crossed for good weather. There will be a full colour programme, a catering van and toilets on site. Roll on the weekend!
[on 08Dec2008]