British Championship
This year’s ACU British Youth Trials Championship, sponsored by Belle Trailers, has seen a strong group of riders across the five classes supporting the series. As for the Dance family, it was a winning double act, as the two brothers took the top spots in the A Class with Jack and in the D Class Medium Wheel class with Max. The B Class story was about two riders, with Buxton’s Harry Turner the eventual winner in front of Harry Hemingway. Upholding Hemingway family honours though was the younger brother George, who took the top spot in the C Class Standard Wheel with one round remaining. In the C Class Medium Wheel Elliot Smith remained as strong as ever and, making it a good day for the electric OSET machines, Mason Crawford kept his cool in the D Class Small Wheel to take the win in the championship from Jacob Wilson. All the action unfolded in the sunshine at the final round at the Bracken Rocks venue in Derbyshire as the experienced Mansfield Maun club tested the riders over three laps of 12 hazards A Class
Disappointingly, only two riders entered the final round of the sevenround series: the eventual championship winner Jack Dance and his closest rival for the title Reece Gazzard. It was surprisingly Dance who looked the more nervous, as two five-mark penalties on his opening lap showed, to the single mark of Gazzard. Try as he might Dance could not pull back the marks on Gazzard, who did all he could to fight for the tilte knowing it would need a retirement from his rival to take the 2019 crown. As the championship points show, the four wins to Dance against the three wins from Gazzard tells its own story of just how closely these two are matched.
RESULTS: 1: Reece Gazzard (BMS Scorpa) 12; 2: Jack Dance (JST Gas Gas UK) 18. FINAL CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS: 1: Jack Dance (JST Gas Gas UK) 131; 2: Reece Gazzard (BMS Scorpa) 128; 3: Cameron Brice (Beta) 76; 4: Harvey Taglione (Gas Gas) 71; 5: Frankie Rhodes (Beta) 63; 6: Ross Galloway (2T Off-Road TRS) 54; 7: Malcolm Summers (Scorpa) 30; Alice Minta (BMS Scorpa) 18.
B Class
Going into the final round it was a nervous Harry Turner who, despite holding the championship lead, wanted that final victory of the year. Having lost two British championships at the final round in previous years at this venue he did not start well as he closed his opening lap tying with two other riders: Harry Hemingway and, showing really good form, Jaime Galloway, all on six marks each. On the second lap Hemingway put in a feet-up ride parting with no marks as Turner dropped two and Galloway seven.
On the final lap, and with the nerves out of the window, Harry Turner kept his calm to take a single-mark win, his sixth of the seven rounds, over Hemingway, with Galloway very happy to make the podium in third after the long journey from Scotland. With very close riding between Harry Turner and Harry Hemingway it will be worth keeping an eye on these two as they progress through the final phase of the schoolboy classes in their riding careers.
RESULTS: 1: Harry Turner (Gas Gas) 10; 2: Harry Hemingway (BetaUK) 11; 3: Jaime Galloway (2T Off-Road TRS) 17; 4: Ashton Brightmore (JST Gas Gas UK) 22; 5: Harry Bowyer (Gas Gas) 25; 6: Tom Shepherd (Gas Gas) 39; 7: Joe Snelling (Beta) 39; 8: Alfie Lampkin (Vertigo) 50; 9: Owen Chestnut (Knight Gas Gas) 51; 10: Kaytlyn Adshead (Beta) 110; 11: Max Agar (Beta) 114; 12: Jake Jones (Beta) 141; 13: Reece Legg (Beta) 144.
FINAL CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS: 1: Harry Turner (Gas Gas) 137; 2: Harry Hemingway (Beta-UK) 122; 3: Ashton Brightmore (JST Gas Gas UK) 96; 4: Harry Bowyer (Gas Gas) 84; 5: Jaime Galloway (2T Off-Road TRS) 77; 6: Owen Chestnut (Knight Gas Gas) 73; 7: Oliver Smith (Scorpa) 56; 8: George Clarke (BVM Sherco) 52; 9: Joe Snelling (Beta) 48; 10: Tomos Price (Gas Gas) 38; 11: Tom Shepherd (Gas Gas) 23; 12: Max Agar (Beta) 21; 13: Kaytlyn Adshead (Beta) 17; 14: Corrie Peters 16; 15: Jay Piper 14.
C Class Standard Wheel
Upholding the family honours, George Hemingway was a clear winner and opted out of the final championship round to ride on the harder B Class route. Having won six rounds from six starts in the championship it was quite fitting that his nearest challenger Euan Sim took the final round win. Between them Sim and Jasper Fox have had their own battle for the runner-up spot all season, with Harrison Skelton always waiting to join in the fight.
In a show of class Euan Sim stayed feet-up on his opening lap as Fox parted with two, but the fight for the victory was by no means over. Staying strong Sim parted with one more as the challenge from Fox was stopped by a five-mark loss on the second lap. The drama was far from over though as it was the turn of Sim to take a five on the final lap, but he had done enough to secure the victory and the second place in the championship.
RESULTS: 1: Euan Sim (Beta) 7; 2: Jasper Fox (Beta) 9; 3: Harrison Skelton (Andy Metcalfe Beta) 12; 4: Stefan Mewett-Richardson (Beta) 18; 5: Ross Allen (Beta) 22; 6: Charlie Ashwood (Beta) 97.
FINAL CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS: 1: George Hemingway (Beta-UK) 140; 2: Jasper Fox (Beta) 130; 3: Euan Sim (Beta) 129; 4: Harrison Skelton (Andy Metcalfe Beta) 108; 5: Ross Allen (Beta) 64; 6: Stefan Mewett-Richardson (Beta) 62; 7: Charlie Astwood (Beta) 60; 8: William Sagar (Beta) 41; 9: Thomas Wright (Beta) 36; 10: Jack Challice (Beta) 31; 11: Freddie Stephenson 9; 12: Harry Cripps 8; 13: Summer Peters 8; 14: Euan Davies 8; 15: Harry Bayman 6.
C Class Medium Wheel
Two very talented young riders, Elliot Smith and Stanley Cubbon have both fought tooth and nail in this 2019 series. With six wins from the eight rounds Smith has had the upper hand but Cubbon has never given up the fight, taking the other two wins. Watching the determination from these two at the final round only highlights just how competitive the youth classes are. Both parted with a single five at some point over the three laps but they both recovered, showing some very calm and controlled riding despite their young ages.
With no chance of improving on his third position in the championship Joe Drysdale was another rider who rode out-of-class on a harder route. Third place on the day and fourth overall in the championship was just reward for Matilda Arbon, showing her rivals that motorcycle trials is not just a young man’s sport.
RESULTS: 1: Elliot Smith (OSET) 18; 2: Stanley Cubbon (Beta) 25; 3: Matilda Arbon (Beta) 33; 4: Harrison Lightfoot (Beta) 45; 5: Archie Bremner (OSET) 46; 6: Rhys Mosey (Beta) 93.
FINAL CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS: 1: Elliot Smith (OSET) 152; 2: Stanley Cubbon (Beta) 142; 3: Joe Drysdale (Beta) 105; 4: Matilda Arbon (Beta) 96; 5: Archie Bremner (Oset) 94; 6: Harrison Lightfoot (Beta) 89; 7: Rowan Dean 18; 8: Rhys Mosey (Beta) 10; 9: Mason Vasey 9.
D Class Medium Wheel
Quite rightly, the Dance family must be immensely proud of the fact that younger son Max backed up his elder brother Jack’s Youth British Champion title in the A Class with his D Class Medium Wheel title. With only one defeat at round six Max wanted to close the championship with another victory, but he was pushed all the way on the day by Connor Watson with Corey Shepherd just a handful of marks behind. After the close of the three laps of 12 hazards Max took the victory by a single mark, such was the rivalry between these two, and he was once again happy to take the top spot on the podium.
RESULTS: 1: Max Dance (Gas Gas) 35; 2: Connor Watson (Beta) 36; 3: Corey Shepherd (Beta) 45; 4: Zachary Sellers (Beta) 59; 5: Ruari Younie (Beta) 62.
FINAL CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS: 1: Max Dance (Gas Gas) 155; 2: Connor Watson (Beta) 137; 3: Ruari Younie (Beta) 118; 4: Corey Shepherd (Beta) 100; 5: Kai Fairhurst (Beta) 74; 6: Bailey Holmes 48; 7: Rhodri Tamplin (Beta) 46; 8: Zachary Sellers (Beta) 24; 9: William Sparkes 21.
D Class Small Wheel
With 17 point-scoring riders over the season’s nine rounds, as an introduction to the youth programme of trials, this class is working very well. It’s been a very up-and-down season as we arrived at the finale. Eventual championship winner Mason Crawford had three wins to his name and Jacob Wilson two, with Tom Gibbins and Bobby Crabtree on one each.
Under the sunshine at this demanding Bracken Rocks venue both Jacob Wilson and Mason Crawford dropped seven marks each on the opening lap with neither giving an inch! On the second lap Wilson made his push for the victory with a clean feet-up lap as Crawford parted with just four marks; it was still game on. On the final lap they once again matched each other on four marks each, giving the title to a much-relieved Mason Crawford as Bobby Crabtree and Tom Gibbins finished a close third and fourth.
Jacob Wilson can hold his head high with the runner-up position in the championship. He gave it his all at the final round by taking the win, you cannot ask any more than that.
As for Mason Crawford it was his greater consistency that made him the ‘King’ of the D Class Small Wheel championship in 2019.
RESULTS: 1: Jacob Wilson (OSET) 16; 2: Mason Crawford (OSET) 20; 3: Bobby Crabtree (OSET) 23; 4: Tom Gibbins (OSET) 26; 5: Edwyn James (OSET) 30; 6: Evan Arnold (OSET) 42; 7: Robbie Bremner (OSET) 46; 8: Fletcher Ely (OSET) 47; 9: Callum McKay (OSET) 47; 10: Joshua Witting (OSET) 56; 11: Zac Lund (Beta) 60; 12: Samuel Lefevre (OSET) 71; 13: Carter Cubbon (OSET) 90; 14: Jenson Fox (OSET) 107.
FINAL CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS: 1: Mason Crawford (OSET) 135; 2: Jacob Wilson (OSET) 133; 3: Tom Gibbins (OSET) 112; 4: Bobby Crabtree (OSET) 110; 5: Robbie Bremner (OSET) 98; 6: Edwyn James (OSET) 82; 7: Fletcher Ely (OSET) 74; 8: Samuel Lefevre (OSET) 53; 9: Dan Bruce (OSET) 47; 10: Joshua Witting (OSET) 42; 11: Carter Cubbon (OSET) 31; 12: Callum McKay (OSET) 30; 13: Jenson Fox (OSET) 26; 14: Evan Arnold (OSET) 24; 15: Zac Lund (Beta) 21.