The Southern Experts Trial
5/12/14
What a Trial, What a Venue
Congratulations to the Hook Wood trials team for organising and running a class event at the Old Lime
Quarry at Buriton, Near Petersfield on Sunday This venue has a history of major trials events over the
years including a World Championship trials round back in the late 80’s.
Apologies in advance if reading this report, that readers find it too focused on our Wessex riders, and the
Championship route, but as you all know, it is very difficult to watch all the action, all the time. This is
just a taster of what I saw on the day while doing my usual yomping around.
An early 5.30am start saw us get underway in the van under damp, then rainy conditions, when we
thought that a frost had been forecast. On arrival at the trial venue we instantly saw that we were in for a
tough day’s riding, as the deeply sided lime quarry with heavily wooded surrounding hillside was covered
in what can only be described as wet slippery slimey slush of mud and lime. This gave no firm footing
when walking and excellent tyre clogging characteristics for all the riders.
With signing on completed, the usual meet and greet session started, with a revue of what riders were
entered. A class field of Alex Wigg, Sam Conner, Sam Haslam, James Fry, Emma Bristow etc were
entered in the Championship class as well as a fully loaded support class. This boded well for a tussle and
top honours at the end of the day.
We parked next to Dean, Colin and Lee Hassall and we were flanked by Ben Skinner and Mr
Hooper with son Tom (out on his new 300 Sherco) and Joe Baker (having his last Jotagas ride) .Tom and
Pete Culliford. Simon Welch from the Western Centre had also made the trip down south.
Kurt Brain had previously made the decision to enter the Championship class prior to a bike brand
change on the run up to the event. Fred Adams had also been persuaded to join Kurt in this class in an
attempt to challenge themselves against some of the sections on the next level up.
The club had laid out 12 outstanding and difficult sections, in and around the quarry with 3 laps to
be completed in the 5 1/2 hour allocated time slot. The sections were certainly not for the faint hearted
and tested both rider skills and bravery levels to the max. We were informed that the sections would form
the basis of the British Championship trials round at this venue this coming 2015 season.
Section 1 - With all riders starting at the same section the inevitable queuing started even though riders
had all been given allocated start times. The section was a straightforward rise and descent of the quarry
banking on slippery loose rock and rumble which would catch out any rider which did not give it the
desired respect. With all our riders through clean it was on to the next.
Section 2 - “O my god” I thought. On the Championship route the riders had a small run at a bank which
dropped away slightly before a 4th gear blast up the 70feet quarry wall, the last 20feet of which was in
fact vertical, with stones protruding. Along the top of the quarry ledge, then a nasty diagonal slippery
descent, back into the quarry basement. A right turn to ride back up to the top and negotiate an undercut
ledge before plunging back down again and the end cards. Due to the severity of the first climb the riders
were finding it hard to gauge the correct speed to reach the top. Many riders went skyward out the top of
the quarry lip and were dropping marks to regain control. Kurt managed clean here after employing some
mx skills to the airtime gained during the ascents. Fred Adams had the 4 stroke Montesa full chat here
with the exhaust barking well and echoing around the quarry basin.
“Oh No” here comes a rain shower again!
Section 3 - At the edge of the quarry and up into the steeply sided surrounding woodland which offered
little if no grip.
The section was approached via a fast run up from the basement of the quarry, over slimy lime covered
stone surface into a very steep rubble bank from where riders plunged back down an off camber to the
base of the wood before negotiating various climbs and descents and a treacherous off camber between
two trees to the end cards. Our boys maxed out here but gave it a real go with Kurt getting to the last ten
feet before losing out.
Section 4 - A lengthy ride (and a decent yomp for me) out to a separate bowl of the quarry brought the
riders to a section which looked and proved to be pretty daunting. Here the section started off fairly tame
until a 180 deg right turn saw the riders faced by a climb out to the quarry top ledge, which may have
been some 60 to 70 feet high. The final portion of this climb was as close to vertical as it gets. The main
problem was to get up the climb without going vertically straight up and then result in crashing back
down again.
Fred Adams led the way and did exactly this. For fear of the bike not staying on top of the quarry plateau
he threw it forward, the result of which he was pushed backwards off the edge. His fall for 20feet and
tumbling for the remaining 40 or 50 feet had all onlookers fearing for his health. “Freddie the Eagle”
jumped to this feet a bit dazed, ego dented and pride wounded but in one piece. Thankfully Kurt cleaned
here which settled the nerves of the old bugger minding.
Section 5 - A testing graded hill climb that seemed never ending up through the very steep woodland.
This had all the riders crouched over the front of the bike and as far over the handlebars as possible. This
was the only way to prevent a loop out, or excessive wheelying.
Section 6 - Here was a section that was more what our Wessex boys were familiar with. From a logging
track up a steeply edged dirt bank and onto an off camber with various twists and turns up and down
between the trees before a slippery climb out the section over a clay bank. All our riders excelled here
without too much loss of marks.
Section 7 – “O Dear, Back to reality with a bump”. This section caused a bit of a log jam of
Championship route riders for understandable reasons. The start cards took riders down over a steep mud
bank over tree roots and down into a basin from where they had to turn 180 left and negotiate an off
camber climb up a steep bank to a sump trapping off camber ridge. From there a drop into a gully before
being confronted by a sheer 8ft high wall of stone that had a nasty undercut formed by a tree and its roots
right at the top edge. If riders made it this far, a perilous off camber slither along the ridge some 8ft above
the logging track required pin point accuracy and throttle control. Launching off this ridge back to the
logging track was not the end, as a slippery 180 right then a 6ft undercut bank climb into the wood saw
the end cards. The championship riders seemed reluctant to attempt this section, and much discussion and
head scratching was going on. They all were waiting for the first crash test dummy to test it out.
First championship rider in the section was doing well to clean up to the first gully and then
launched himself and the bike at the 8ft stone bank. He hit the overhanging roots very hard and the bike
went skywards, some 4ft above the top of the bank. He instantly bailed out and drooped to the rubble
below. The 3 catchers did an excellent job of plucking his gas gas from mid air and prevent almost certain
self destruction.
Kurt Brain was next up and had watched all this drama unfold, what was going through his head I
asked myself. With catchers poised at the infamous bank he was clean to the critical point where he again
launched at this stone bank. This time Kurt made the correct Aerial adjustments and made it up onto the
ridge. After jumping back down to the logging track, success or failure was now all hinged on the last
undercut bank up into the woods. The Beta did not let him down, and he sailed up and through the end
cards to a standing ovation and cheers from the watching crowd and riders. Understandably the likes of
Sam Conner, Sam Haslam, and Alex Wigg etc, also followed through without too much drama due to
their top level experience.
Sorry I got carried away there and went on a bit there !!!!!!!!!.
Another rain shower (just to make sure the ground didn’t dry out too much)
Once again a large queue and I managed to catch up with a few other riders here, while waiting
and watching as sections 8 .9 and 10 were grouped closely together.
Lee Hassell told me he was enjoying it and going pretty well. Ben Skinner was also on form and
going well. I also saw Jody Tarrant here and he was turning in some tidy performances. Simon Welch
was doing what Simon does best and put in some solid rides with minimum losses. Fred Adams was
settling down a bit again now, but still looked much shaken by his huge off in the quarry on section 4.
Tom Hooper was also getting to grips with the new 300 Sherco.
Section 8 - A climb up into the trees followed by an up hill cross camber climb across tree roots of
approx 60-70 ft then an uphill left turn on roots to a near vertical bank and a climb uphill over roots for
another 30ft. This section proved too much of a challenge all day, even for the top few riders as the turn
uphill after negotiating the camber proved too difficult. The only score I am lead to believe that was not a
five here all day by all championship riders was achieved by Sam Conner. He literally dragged and pulled
his bike to the summit with his huge powerful legs proving the motive power. Full respect to Sam, who
could probably have carried the bike up on his back I think, such is the power in the man.
Section 9 - Deemed to be impossible, by most watching and riding. This was a true test of precise bike
control, throttle control and forward momentum because any loss of traction resulted in an instant stop
with engines revving like chain saws. A 4th gear blast up into the woods onto clay and over a large fallen
tree with a vee in it that formed a nasty gap between the trunks. Onto an off camber bank and an uphill
180 turn before attempting to get enough traction and grip for the necessary speed to again cross the same
fallen tree. Another uphill 180 turn without any run up, and once again over the tree farther up the
embankment. Two more crossings of the off camber bank and fallen tree saw the end cards. Many, many
marks lost here on both routes due mainly to the slippery ground, the wet tree bark and complete lack of
any traction. Even the top few riders were losing marks here with 2 or 3 lost a major success.
Section 10 - From the same plateau this section was a blast at a 60ft off camber dirt bank alongside a
large mature tree which had kindly exposed its roots to the surface to make it more of a challenge. From
there riders dropped down a steep bank into a sharp left turn onto slippery lime and chalk rumble to climb
back up again. A further drop down to the track again and a 180 left turn saw riders face a very steep bank
of approx 50ft with a fallen tree to be jumped at the top of the bank before a “s” shaped manoeuvre and
the end cards. Few marks were lost here by the top riders in each class with most riders managing to get
the better of the section. Tom Culliford on the little 125 Sherco was going well with the throttle back to
the stop and engine screaming.
A short ride (and a decent yomp for the old git) to the final two sections that were located
adjacent to the pits / parking area high on the wooded embankment.
Section 11 – Once again a cross cambered entry into the section followed by an uphill climb on the lime
and clay surface before a series of turns round trees and across cambers, while steadily climbing upwards
to a nasty series of root crossing and uphill exit from the section. This took marks from all riders that
were not pin point accurate and correctly positioned at key points in the section.
Section 12 - The final section that by all appearances looked as though it would prove no problems to the
riders, but it had a sting in its tail. The start card had riders jump up a clay bank over a root ridge to a
tricky off camber downhill right turn and onto a cambered crossing of firm solid lime and clay surface
that offered next to no grip at all. Riders were challenged to ride across this and up around a series of
small trees before plunging downhill to the track below. This section took a huge amount of marks from
even the best of the best riders. The bikes could not be held on line and prevented from sliding down the
steep bank and into the trees where they were trapped on footrests etc. Consequently many marks were
lost on this section by the majority of riders.
I thought to myself, this is probably enough for my poor old legs today. The thought of a further 2 laps
seemed a fairly daunting prospect, considering the allocated time was rapidly racing away for riders to
complete the trial.
3 Laps of these arduous 12 sections and all riders had known they had ridden a hard trial that day. Many
were nursing aches and pains, together with sweaty brows and mud splattered faces.
The organisers were very much on the ball with a scoreboard being constantly updated as the riders
handed in each lap scoring punch card of each lap completed. Within 30 minutes of the finish the scores
were in, and Sam Haslam was pronounced the winner.
From what I saw of Sam’s riding on the day, it was a mixture of superb calm and controlled riding
without any unnecessary dabbing.
Results of the championship class: - Sam Haslam 1st
Sam Conner was 2nd
Alex Wigg 3rd rounded out the top 3.
James Fry came in 4th.
To our delight Kurt Brain finished 10th
Western Centre Champ Simon Welch 12th
In the support class:- Ben Skinner came in 2nd,
Lee Hassell 6th place
Full set of results are available on Trials Central Website
Everyone I spoke to, agreed that it was a superb event, both from a spectator and rider perspective.
Many thanks to the Organisers, Observers and Support team involved with the running of the
2014 Southern Experts Trial and the huge amount of effort put into the running of this annual event.
Also worthy of a mention, was the quality and consistency of the Observers marking. They had obviously
been well briefed and coached on the expectations of them before the start of the event. The marking was
consistent with what I have witnessed at British Trials rounds this year. The observers allowed riders a
momentary pause to regain balance in potentially dangerous hazards, providing all attempts were taken to
progress through the section. In basic terms almost a 1-2 second rule before awarding a FIVE.
In my humble opinion and with our current non – stop ruling, this seems to be the way forward.
Modern riding techniques and section challenges you would have to agree dictate this. To FIVE a rider
who is perilously perched on a 3ft wide off camber ledge with a 10ft vertical drop just inches away
because his front wheel momentarily stopped, seems harsh to say the least. Fortunately, none of that
silliness happened at this event. Perhaps something all our clubs could do well to employ.
I feel a common standard of observation across the centres would give the riders a better set of
rules to compete under. Our lads appeared to be rushing at certain points in some sections, in an attempt
to maintain front wheel rotation and then suffering the consequences of forced errors.
Congratulations to all the Wessex riders that put in sterling performances and gave it 100% effort
throughout the day.
In summary, and surely the sign of a good hard trial, I had a job to walk for the first few steps on
getting out the van once back at home again. Then I had cramp in my legs twice in the night.
(In my defence it was a tad up and down though). And it was like yompin around in a load of treacle
underfoot. Ha. Ha. !!!!!!!!!!
Yours in Sport.
Rog.