Wyegate Trial 26th March 2006 Report

Don't forget there are more shots on the other wyegate pages.
(EDP Photos now available of All riders)
All images by Jackie or Viv Jones. Click to see a bigger shot. (Full size - upto A3 - images emailed to you are available for a charity donation.)

Back to Main Wyegate Page

A CLASSY ride earned Gordon Brown victory in the 23rd annual Wyegate Long Distance Trial.

Only three dabs were recorded on the Ross rider's scoresheet which put enough daylight between him and nearest challengers Frank Luther, Sam King and Steve Venn.

Luther managed no worse than a brace of twos, while King and Venn lost a maximum five and a three respectively on French Lane's second section.

But those slip-ups cost them as Brown's exceptional ride over the 25 Wye Valley sections left no room to catch up.

The entry of 100 riders enjoyed one of the most memorable Wyegate trials, with overnight rain providing a firm but fair challenge until mid-afternoon when a downpour threw the result in to doubt.

Only Brown and the mercurial Yoshi Adams cleaned the section where the rain caught up with the majority of the entry, at Wyegate Hill.

Keith Wells' five at Wyegate Hill put him out of contention for the overall win, to leave him on eight marks.

Then the rain transformed French Lane 2's steep climb up to a rock step from a formality to the trial's gamebreaker and most riders struggled here. Of those challenging for the win, only Brown, Luther and Wells managed cleans. Kevin Lennox, David Hayward and Yoshi Adams conquered it too but had left themselves too much to do after losing marks earlier in the trial.

For most of the entry however, the emphasis was on enjoyment in one of the country's finest long distance trials.

With a radically different route to last year, West Glos & Dean Forest MCC visited old favourites not seen for several years, including Coed Llifos, Remmer's Gully, and Tony's Wood, where natural hazards provided true classic trials sections.

Perhaps the greatest challenge of all, Pant Glas's intimidating rock steps, struck fear in to many but certainly not Chris Brown, who recorded a dab and a clean – on a bike with no rear suspension. Deservedly he took the best rigid award on his Matchless 350.

Other riders who overcame the handicap of riding less suitable machinery were John Cart who took his Cheney ISDT Triumph round for 14 marks and KTM 520-mounted Lennox whose score of 16 beat last year's open capacity trailbike winner Paul Cox by one mark.

Thanks to all landowners and observers for their help in making the trial such a success.

Award Winners below: (Full Results here.)

• Wyegate Cup: Gordon Brown 3 (Honda 230)
• Best 250 trailbike: Frank Luther 6 (Honda 230)
• Bush Shield (best pre-65): Sam King 6 (BSA 330)
• Haines and Co Trophy (best trailbike): Steve Venn 6 (Pampera 250)
• Eddleston-Dike Trophy (best over 45): Keith Wells 8 (Honda 200)
• Best 251 to 450 trailbike: Ben Falconer 10 (Pampera 320)
• Best over 450 trailbike: Kevin Lennox 16
• Best pre-65 (sprung): John Cart 14
• Best rigid: Chris Brown 42
• First class awards: Dave Eeles 10 (Honda 230), Mike Husband 16 (Pampera 280), David Hayward 17 (Honda 200), Ian Wathen 17 (Yamaha 125), Paul Cox 17 (Honda 650), Steven Fellows 18 (Swanley-Honda 200), Andrew Leahy 20 (Yamaha 225), Yoshi Adams 21 (Pampera 250), Nibbs Adams 26 (Honda 400)
• John Price Cup (best working club member): Neil Hannam 21 (Honda 250)
• Best female: Glenda Smith 86 (Honda 230)
• Team award: Cheltenham Home Guard A - Wells, Venn amd Eeles 24