Chris Koch held his nerve to win the National OK Supreme Long Distance Trail Bike Championship Trial on Sunday, staged by the Stratford-Upon-Avon Club high on the Cotswold Hills.
Feet up through all 30 sections, Koch was a deserving winner of the 75 mile event, even posting the fastest special test time of the day on his AJP Ultrapasser 200.
Michael Hughes was runner up in the championship route on his Gas Gas Pampera, one of four riders to loose one mark, he got the nod by virtue of the furthest clean from Rob Faulkner on his trusty DT175.
Stratford club rider Alan Newman dropped one mark in the tight rocky turns of section 14 in Saintbury Quarry, but Henry Bendall was punished severely by casting away a simple dab at the opening section in an otherwise faultless day to finish back in fifth place.
With the forecast heavy rain holding off, the sections were in perfect condition for the trail bikes. Former winner Paul Sargant only lost marks on the wooded banks in Dovedale at section 25, finishing on just two marks lost for the day.
In the easier trail bike class, Beta Alp mounted Steve Peak held onto top spot, despite one failure in Dovedale Woods, losing eight marks in total.
In recent years, entrants in the over 350 class have dropped off, but Ian Tranter coaxed his Honda XR400 round to take a deserved win. Special mention of the day must go to John Kenny who hauled his KTM690 round the whole course, complete with Dakar style fairing. At the end he was pleased to have even notched up two clean rides on the giant orange machine.
John Adams was best twinshock rider, dropping 11 marks on his little Honda TL125.
The Richard Morris team award was won by the 'Once Weres' of Michael Hughes, Henry and Alf Bendall.
A big thanks to the 17 land owners who give permissions to run this event and to the large band of Observers who turned out, despite the terrible weather forecast.
Report by Pete Barnett.
Results.
OK Supreme LDT
15th September
Shipston-on-Stour
OK Supreme Trophy: C.Koch (AJP) no marks lost.
Runner up: M.Hughes (Gas Gas) 1 (Furthest clean)
Third: R.Faulkner (Yamaha) 1
Fourth: A.Newman (Beta) 1
Up to 350 class.
First: S.Peak (Beta) 8
Runner up: M.Stanton-Tyzack (Gas Gas) 10
Third: G.Archer (Beta) 14
Fourth: R.Olivant (Honda) 16
Over 350 class.
First: I.Tranter (Honda) 93
Second: J.Kenny (KTM) 122
Twin Shock.
First: J.Adams (Honda) 11
Second: S.Shadbolt (Fantic) 15