Wonderful Weekend, Luv The Lads

WHEN there has been a big event – like last weekend’s Reeth Three Day Trial, it’s important to give the earliest possible coverage even though it means that it’s a touch late appearing on this website.

So, I’m a bit late but at least pretty early with the latest from Reeth.

As I’m sure you’ll find out from various sources, the Three Day was a monumental production by the Richmond Club over a weekend that suffered probably one of the worst spells of weather ever for July.

Analysing the event as a whole, Friday was nigh on perfect, the sections were spot on, the scores were certainly higher than expected but the trial went off without problem. It was dull and overcast and the ground underneath was horrendously wet but the course had ben plotted with lots of thought.

Then came Saturday!!

It’s not fair to point a finger at the hard working Saturday course plotters (there were three different teams over the three days), but from the very start, it was a real problem. The rain started early in the evening of Friday when everybody was in the marquee sampling the superb riders’ barbecue and in very little time, the alreay wet start field was a quagmire. But it rained throughout the night and the soaking wet moors could take no moor, which means it immediately runs off into the becks and early on Saturday morning the decision was made to delay the start by an hour.

The plan was to allow the rivers to drop a bit and for the officials to make some changes to the course. But it was expecting too much at too short notice, and though they did the best they could, the horrendously deep water made sections plotted for a drier day very difficult..

Suffice to say that huge amounts of water and a physically difficult course to ride, (because it wasn’t possible to ride up becks, the riders had to mandhandle bikes alongside the steeply sided bankings), made it a tough day.

Those were the problems for the riders but the prganisers had their own problems too. Early in the morning there was an accident on the approach to the eighth section in which a rider broke his leg. That necessitated the air ambulance being called out and then later in the morning, the helicopter was called again for a case of concussion when a rider crashed along one of the gravel tracks. And if that wasn’t enough, somebody else hurt their back.

The rivers didn’t seem to lower significantly through the day and towards the end of the day a river crossing was causing some problems. Time was pressing; the back markers were struggling to keep the stragglers moving, pick up the markers and look after the accident victims and the wise decision was made to bring the day to a halt at the lunch check. But inevitably loads of riders were way past the lunch stop, in fact some were within just two or three sections from the end of the day, whilst others were mid-way through the afternoon loops. Then it started to rain again, so purely for health and safety reasons, a wise decision was made to stop, gather everybody back and regroup for day three.

And day three was absolutely brilliant. Better weather, sections that had been eased significantly from last year, Sunday brought another fantastic Reeth Three Day to a close.

The Richmond Club always do a fantastic job. Fortunately I live withing easy commuting distance to their events and visit their trials at varying times through the year. No matter what trial they are putting on, no matter whether it’s the Boxing day trial, a normal club event, the Scott Trial or the Reeth Three Day, they have a great team of local enthusiasts who have the knowledge, ability – and fortunately the land – to promote superb events. Which is why the Three Day is always so popular and why riders go to extreme lengths to ensure they get their entries in on time.

Written on the signing off sheet was the note, “Wonderful Weekend, Luv The Lads.

An approprite comment for a superb Reeth Three Day.