Tom Plant	Rob Faulkner
Bradley Taylor	Mark Kenyon-Bell
Steve Dowling	Alicia Robinson

2014 Harold Avery Trial & Club Champs 3rd Round

Report Ken O'Brien

Pictures by Gary Dowzall, others can be found Sliders Gallery

A cold but sunny morning greeted eighty plus riders for the 67th running of this prestigious Open to Centre Trophy the ' Harold Avery Cup ' where in the past such great riders as John Avery Sammy Miller Don Smith Bill Faulkner Pat Lamper and John Reynolds have all been triumphant.
Twelve sections were plotted to be ridden three times with mainly long wooded climbs and loose cambers including the infamous Graded Hill.
This event also included the third round of the Club championship.
On paper it was always going to be close in the Expert class and so it was as Thomas Plant 200 Beta took the honours one point ahead of Chris Wickham.
Feet up rides at section eight ' The Bomb Hole ' a knot of roots just inside the begins then a sharp very slick climb to high in the woods where a tricky turn awaited before descending made the difference for Thomas as Chris recorded a two on his final visit.
Best Adult performance on the Standard White route ensures your name will be engraved on the Phillip Howkins Memorial cup and this year it is that of Rob Faulkner who put an accomplished ride in on the Scorpa although was caught out for a dab on section seven the graded hill this was Rob's only loss of the day.

The 'Graded Hill' is quite a spectacle for the crowds to watch as it rises gently from the edge of the Evenlode river and 300 yards later we are talking probably a gradient of 1in1 for the last 20 yards or so and not for the faint hearted.
Tim Blackmore 250 James was flying today and a very respectable fifth place score of nineteen made for good reading from a field of 35 modern machines he was best Pre 65.
Tim was clean every lap at ' Axford's ' a long cambered double-sub climb then dropping to the goat track before another massive climb up over roots.
Best Novice went to Mark Kenyon-Bell with Beta 300 power under the bonnet he just nudged out Beta 250 mounted Andy Perry by a single mark both riders taking section two in their stride a section that deteriorated over the day.
A right handed turn over a stump then a gentle camber before hopping over a fallen tree with a very loose climb and greasy drop.
Evergreen Jon Bliss migrated over from the western centre and it was a worthwhile trip as the Cotswold 150 model was put though its paces and the Twinshock pot was in the bag.
Section ten the toughest of the day proving no problem as the little sloper found grip where other more conventional machines could not.
Liam Anderson took best Youth A and the Beta 125 powered up the steep gradients of section five a treat as this was uncharted territory and a really tough rooty outcrop appeared after a hundred or so bikes had passed.

On the Blue sportsman course Bradley Taylor from the Milton Buzzard club aced them up with single figure performance of seven dropped, three straight cleans on the graded hill set him in good stead for the win with  a combination of forth gear and Ossa 280 power on hand.
The next four home all lost sixteen marks with local electrical contractor Ron 'Sparkie' Walters getting the shout with most cleans.
Graig Hargreaves gave riding companion Tim a lesson on how to ride a 4RT with a most ones verdict third whilst Alicia Robinson had a great day on the little 80 Beta taking best Youth B and fourth placed Steve Dowling screamed the TY 175 up and down dale all day although sounding pretty gutless the ageing Yam did the trick as it's all about  finding that elusive grip.