Huddersfield teenager William Tolson added the John Bolton Trophy to his mounting collection of awards when he won the annual John Bolton Trophy trial on the sunny slopes of Post Hill on Sunday afternoon. Will rode the trial without his father Chris who was also 'enjoying' the weather on a business trip to Italy.
On the subject of jetsetters Moortown young lady Carli Sherwin also jetted in, from Bahrain, where she lives and works. Miss Sherwin last sat on her 250 cc Beta three years ago, let alone ride a motorcycle. She decided to ride the easy course and lost one mark on the fourth section and another on the demanding final thirteenth section. Those two penalties won her the class from Sam Sagar who dropped marks in sections seven and eight.
Chris Manby gave up his ride to observe the eighth section. Likewise Mark Chippendale, Greg Kershaw, Paul Ingleby. A shortage of observers and riders on the day. Last year the same trial attracted over eighty competitors.
The course featured thirteen sections in the dense woodlands with only the legendary hillclimb track in sunlight plus the two stream sections where the event started. The quarry right on the skyline was tricky. Sue Driffield was on the ninth where the hard route twisted up a gully over rocks. The easy runners missed the gully. Mark Chippendale was just over the ridge sunbathing and totting up the scores. Peter Walton was observing the thirteenth which twisted and turned on the steep grassy slope with a finale navigating a tree which seem to clip right elbows.
In terms of awards Olivia Brooksbank took a break from school studies to win the Plastics Trophy. A rapidly growing Henry Stephenson was placed fifth overall and that secured the Liversedge youth the P.W. Cork Shield while Class C and the Clark Spark Plug Trophy went to William Sagar. Cracking trial, shame about the low entry.