I see from the trials calendar supplied from the ACU for next year that the ACU Clubman’s Championship is now called the S3 Parts championship having been known for the past umpteen years as the Novogar series.
The sponsor of course remains the same, John Shirt’s Gas Gas/ Trials and Enduro parts emporium at Harpur Hill near Buxton and it’s good to see the Shirts putting a bit back into the sport via this popular national series which is effectively one step down from the main British Championship. John also reports very well on his rider’s results on this website most weeks.
As a journalist I’ve always got on well with the Shirt family; in fact one of the first ever bike tests I did more than 30 years ago was on a Yamaha Majesty which we rode at Robinsons Rocks and Hawks Nest, venues still used frequently for our sport.
Whilst I may well be teaching my grandmother to suck eggs, there’s probably many folks out there who DON’T know what Majesty stands for. The bike, still a popular machine in the twin-shock scene, came about through a collaboration between the legendary Mick Andrews and John Shirt, hence the name M ick A ndrews, J ohn E dward S hirt and T rials Y amaha – sorry if you already knew that. In its day it was a cracking machine and was ridden to many national wins by a whole variety of 'eighties stars.
Trials in the Buxton area are generally pretty good and are organised by first rate clubs whose organisation is impeccable. Trials like the Bemrose, Dave Rowland, John Macdonald, Hipwell, Fisher Trophy and the Northern Experts may well use the same land in one (fairly large) area, but nevertheless, they all seem to vary it and get them right, and last Saturday’s Northern Experts was another prime example of a cracking trial.
There’s a whole wealth of top class riding talent who have found in these clubman nationals, events that suit a wide range of abilities. Whilst it is not possible to mention them all, trials like the Bemrose, Rowland, Wainwright, Cleveland, Colonial, Lakes and many others, have set a standard that suits a wide range of abilities. Few can manage British Championship events and whilst the Novogar series (now S3) suits some riders, they are too difficult for many others, but in the trials mentioned above, the standard is spot on.
Let me put it this way, I am now getting a bit long in the tooth to tackle some events, but I can still manage trials like these, and whilst I shall never make the top ten, my average placing being at around two thirds the way down the results list, still gives me some satisfaction as I know it does others of my age group.
Equally, those out there finishing in the top ten may well occasionally say the trial has been too easy for them, but they still keep going back to them as they have found a niche that suits them. Not that well explained I admit, but I trust you get my thoughts.
So, long may these trials continue. I know that getting them right, with enough observers and folks to set out the sections is difficult to achieve, but it is well appreciated, and on behalf of the many who enjoy them, we say thanks to those who put the time and effort into these trials.