Celebration

Dave Rowland National 40 Years

The first Dave Rowland Trophy trial was held in 1979, run by the enthusiastic Manchester 17 MCC in the middle of July. It still stands proud in the present day. Before we take a look at that very first event, we take a trip down memory lane to focus on a celebration of Dave Rowland himself, the man after whom the event is named.

Dave Rowland 1938-1995

Brought up in Chapel en le Frith in the Peak District, Dave Rowland’s first interest in motorcycles came in 1949 when he and his brother Roy travelled to the prestigious Manx GP on the Isle of Man to see Geoff Duke and later going to watch the trials ‘King’ of the time, Sammy Miller, compete in the Clayton Trial held in nearby Buxton. Presumably neither Miller nor Dave had any idea that in the not-toodistant future they would be close competitors!

Early Success

His early success would come in the Haslemere MCC’s 1960 Longmoor Cup Trial when Dave won the award for Best Army Rider, while in the South Eastern Centre Haslemere Cups Trial — his first civilian event — he took the Best Novice award on a 350cc AJS. That year also saw Dave finish a single mark behind the winner Barry Rodgers in the Loughborough Club’s Nemo Trophy Trial.

In 1961, still on the AJS, Dave was runner-up in a North Western Centre Trial alongside the ‘stars’ of the time Don Smith, Mick Andrews and Eric Adcock. He would soon be swapping to a 250cc BSA, on which he completed in the Joe Abbott Memorial Trial in the North Western Centre without losing a mark, taking another notable victory. In 1963 and with more victories under his belt he was invited to join the mighty BSA works team. With better support and factory-supplied machinery, he soon justified their faith in him by winning the many centre trials along with the national-status Red Rose, Clayton, Lomax and the Manx Two Day trials. His win in the Red Rose certainly made the other riders take note when he beat the ‘unbeatable’ Sammy Miller on the world-famous 500 Ariel GOV 132 by a single mark. The positions were reversed in that year’s Scott Time and Observation Trial, with Dave being pushed into the runner-up position by Miller; the Best 250cc class award win was some consolation for the BSA team though.

Other achievements in 1963 included winning the Army’s Northern and Southern Command Trials, fourth place in the Allan Jefferies Trial, fifth in the British Experts and a further fourth in the Scottish Six Days Trial as the Best Newcomer. The success continued in 1964 and 1965, taking many wins and Best 250cc class awards. He was also rewarded in 1965 with a Special First Class award in the SSDT.

An eye on the Scottish Six Days Trial

1966 would almost certainly have seen his most prestigious result to date until a turn of events changed the course of his career. Having already won the Ipswich Club’s Mardle National, taken third place in the Victory Trial and been runner-up to Mick Andrews in the Kickham, he and the 250cc BSA were well prepared for that year’s SSDT.

With his eyes on a victory and with a loss of no marks on the Thursday, which gave him Best

Performance award on that day, a potential win was on the cards. However, earlier that year, Dave and a friend had witnessed a fatal stabbing in Buxton while out having a meal. The Court proceedings were held the same week as the Scottish and Dave was summonsed to return home to appear as a witness. The SSDT Committee was willing to do everything they could to let Dave complete the trial, but the local Police removed his BSA from the Parc Ferme, effectively finishing the trial for him.

David versus Goliath — 1967 SSDT

After the problems at the 1966 SSDT, Dave Rowland could not believe what was about to come next year, just a few days before the 1967 SSDT. His results were still very good on the 250cc BSA which, in truth, needed replacing. When he went to the BSA Competition Department in Birmingham, he was under the impression, having spoken to factory personnel earlier in the year, that he was picking up a brand new 250cc factory-prepared four-stroke BSA for the six days trial. Instead, he was told there was no new machine and that they had nothing ready that he could ride in the event — he was furious! His only option for his ‘Scottish’ machine was the development machine of Brian Martin. It was a Bushman model BSA which, shall we say, needed some ‘fettling’; it was an incomplete machine in boxes in a corner of the Competition Department.

His four-stroke BSA was literally worn out, so he had no option; it was just a few days before the Scottish. He loaded the ‘Thing’, as it would come to be known, along with some parts into his car and returned home and on to Cartwright’s Motorcycles in Stockport. Here, their mechanic and friend, Bob Lydiatt, assisted him with turning it into a machine ready for six days of action in Scotland. He arrived at the event with the ‘Thing’ and, more determined than ever, decided to take the smile off some of his rivals’ faces. Riding almost literally out of his skin, Dave worked wonders on the ‘Thing’.

Never out of the top three all week, despite a late challenge from Dennis Jones, he finished second and took the Best Up To 200cc cup. The establishment at BSA was, shall we say, shocked; the smile on Dave’s face at the finish said it all!

1967 Scottish Six Days Trial

SPECIAL FIRST CLASS AWARDS: 1: Sammy Miller (Bultaco) 18; 2: Dave Rowlands (BSA) 34;

3: Dennis Jones (Greeves) 40; 4: Bill Wilkinson (Greeves) 41; 5: Gordon Farley (Triumph) 42; 6: Don Smith (Greeves) 50; 7: Jim Sandiford (Greeves) 50; 8: Arthur Lampkin (BSA) 51; 9: Ray Sayer (Triumph) 52; 10: Rob Edwards (Cotton) 53; 11: Scott Ellis (BSA) 60; 12: Derek Adsett (Greeves) 62; 13: Paul England (Triumph) 66; 14: Mick Wilkinson (Greeves) 66; 15: Roy Peplow (Triumph) 69.

Despite this and wins in the Allan Jefferies and the Mitchell trials, second place to Mick Andrews in the Bemrose on the tie-breaker and taking the Cheshire Centre Trials Championship, the once-mighty BSA dropped their support for trials in this year. As a result, he purchased a 250 Bultaco.

Changing times

Dave continued competing in selected national events, first on the Bultaco and then with one of the early Ossa machines from Eric Housley Motorcycles the importer in 1968. In the SSDT Special First Class awards came in 1968 on the Ossa and 1969 and 1970 on a Bultaco with importer support.

In late 1970, it was confirmed he had multiple sclerosis. Despite this, after a brief spell on a Montesa, he moved to the world of sidecar trials in 1971 on a 1958 BSA Goldstar outfit with Kenny Eyre in the sidecar, taking a third position in the Northern Experts Trial. However, it is perhaps Ray Armstrong that most people would know best as Dave’s passenger, the pair achieving Best Sidecar in the Winsford Club’s 1972 Benoit Shield at Oulton Park and a First Class Sidecar Award in the 1972 Vic Brittain National Trial. Is it a coincidence that Scott Rowland went on to take the British Sidecar Trials Championship three times? Dave had always been an inspiration to Scott.

Giving Back

Dave was also an active ‘grafter’ behind the scenes after his condition left him unable to compete. A former Manchester 17 President, he represented the club at the Centre Board and was the instigator of both the club’s John Hartle Memorial Trial, remembering this great road racer who was also from Chapel en le Frith, and of the Inter Centre Sidecar Team Trial.

When he resigned from the ACU Trials Committee in 1977, he was one of the youngest and most respected of its members. Finding mobility increasingly difficult, Dave gave up his crutches for a motorised wheelchair — fitted with a CB radio! Under the call sign ‘Beezer’ he was almost as well known around the local airwaves as he had been in the trials world.

The Dave Rowland National Trial

As a mark of the club’s respect and appreciation of Dave’s efforts and achievements on motorcycles and as an active club member, in 1979 the Hepworth Trophy Trial became the first Dave Rowland Trophy Trial, moving from Centre status to Regional Restricted and then to National. Since then it has been part of both the ACU British Solo Trials Championship and of the MCN/ACU

Clubmen’s Championship, before settling into the trials calendar as a popular clubmen’s National event, attracting entries from across the country. The actual D ave Rowland Trophy is the cylinder head off Dave’s old BSA C15 on which he competed in the Scottish. Dave passed away in April 1995, finally succumbing to multiple sclerosis which he first contracted in 1970.

DAVE ROWLAND TROPHY Winners 1979–2019

1979: Malcolm Rathmell (Montesa); 1980: Chris Clarke (Montesa); 1981: John Reynolds (Beamish Suzuki); 1982: John Reynolds (Montesa); 1983: Steve Saunders (Armstrong); 1984: Mick Andrews (Yamaha); 1985: Tony Scarlet (Yamaha); 1986: Mark Holland (Fantic); 1987: Steven Hole (Fantic); 1988: John Shirt Jnr (Honda); 1989: John Shirt Jnr (Gas Gas); 1990: Adam Norris (Yamaha); 1991: John Shirt Jnr (Gas Gas); 1992: Wayne Braybrook (Gas gas); 1993: Paul Rose (Yamaha); 1994: John Shirt Jnr (Gas Gas); 1995: Dougie Lampkin (Beta); 1996: Steve Colley (Gas Gas); 1997: Graham Tales (Gas Gas); 1998: Paul Rose (Gas Gas); 1999: Dan Thorpe (Gas Gas); 2000: Martin Crosswaite (Gas Gas); 2001: Cancelled — Foot and Mouth; 2002: David Bacon (Beta); 2003: Steve Saunders (Gas Gas); 2004: John Shirt Jnr (Gas Gas); 2005: Mike Roberts (Gas Gas); 2006: Chris Pearson (Sherco); 2007: Dan Thorpe (Gas Gas); 2008: Richard Timperley (Beta); 2009: Jonny Walker (Gas Gas); 2010: Sam Haslam (Gas Gas); 2011: Ross Danby (Gas Gas); 2012: Dan Farrar (Beta); 2013: Ross Danby (Jotagas); 2014: Dan Thorpe (Gas Gas); 2015: Richard Timperley (Beta); 2016: Richard Sadler (Beta); 2017: Dan Thorpe (Gas Gas); 2018: Richard Sadler (Beta); 2019: Richard Timperley (Gas Gas).

Dave Rowland working on his BSA at the 1966 SSDT watched by left to right: Stephanie Wood, John Roberts and Dave’s brother Roy.

Despite wins in the 1967 Allan Jefferies and Mitchell trials, 2nd place to Mick Andrews in the Bemrose on the tie-breaker and taking the Cheshire Centre Trials Championship, the once mighty BSA dropped their support for trials in this year and Dave was left without a machine.

1964: Dave was soon recognised by BSA, and works support was soon coming.

A keen enthusiastic crowd watch Dave and the 175cc BSA Bantam perform yet another miracle clean ride on his way to the runner-up position in the 1967 SSDT. Talk about stick two fingers up at BSA, Dave let his ability do the talking.

1967 SSDT with the ‘Thing’.

On his way to a treasured Scott Silver Spoon at the 1965 Time and Observation Trial.

Staged in the Derbyshire hills to the west of Buxton the Dave Rowland National Trial started at the Duron Brake Lining factory. Norman Eyre was a manager at the factory and secured the use of the start area, canteen and an office to run the event from.

Chris Clarke’s first national trial win was at the Dave Rowland in 1980 on the Montesa.

High above Kinlochleven in the 1968 SSDT on the Ossa watched by Mick Andrew’s father Tom, on the left.

With his good friend Martin Lampkin on the left, Malcolm Rathmell was the first winner of the Dave Rowland National in 1979.

It was still a Spanish trials machine at the 1969 SSDT as Dave received a parts and machine deal with the Bultaco importers.

Moving up to British Championship status for just one year, it was Tony Scarlett who won on the mono-shock Yamaha in 1985.

Malcolm Rathmell on his way to the first Dave Rowland win in 1979.

Yes, it’s your Classic Trial Magazine editor John Hulme (Gas Gas) in action. The Clubman class was introduced in 2002 when Toby Eyre was the winner. John won this class in 2006, 2007 and 2008 before the trials riding career was interrupted by magazine publishing.

1979: You can see just how steep the top hazard is at Hawks Nest as John Renold’s (Beamish Suzuki) heads to fourth position.

1979: The crowd strains to watch Tony Calvert (Bultaco) make his attempt on the very steep upper part of Hawks Nest.

1979: John Hulme watches on as Chris Clarke guides the Montesa down the slopes at Cheeks Hill.

1979: Mike Skinner (Montesa) attacks Hawks Nest at the bottom hazard.

1979: It’s all eyes on Martin Lampkin (Bultaco) at Hawks Nest.