Trial GB
With Jack Price (Gas Gas) confirmed as champion on Saturday, it was the turn of Jack Peace (Sherco) to take an emphatic win at the final round which took place near Dunlop in Scotland on Sunday. Riding at the back of the field, Peace avoided maximum penalties in a controlled ride to win by nine marks from Price who gave himself far too much to do following a poor first lap of twenty marks which included two maximums. Round eight winner, Toby Martyn (Beta) had to settle for the lower step on the podium on this occasion, but that was enough to secure runner up in the series ahead of Dan Peace (Sherco) who finished third on Saturday.
Some very large rock faces challenged the class, but with grip at a premium and some relaxed observing, the top four edged clear of the rest of the field ahead of their resumption of world duties next weekend.
In a close contest, Billy Green (Montesa) managed to fend off Andy Chilton (Scorpa) by a single point for overall fifth position as the two shared the points over the weekend.
Missing two rounds with injury, Iwan Roberts (TRRS) skills was not reflected in his seventh overall position ahead of Hugo Jervis (TRRS) and Jack Sheppard (Sherco), whilst exiting Champion, James Dabill, who only contested two rounds finished in tenth.
Trial 2
Ross Danby made it difficult for himself trailing in fifth position for most of the day, when he could only afford a sixth place finish, but a final lap of a mere one mark penalty ensured the title remained in his hands. On the day it was first round winner, Sam Connor who emerged as victor with James Fry (Sherco) posting his best result of the season to finish second after leading on the opening lap. Title contender Richard Sadler (Gas Gas) finished third.
Trial Expert
Keeping the pressure on for the whole weekend, Dan Thorpe (Gas Gas) won the final round which was part of the Bob McGregor Trial on Sunday. However, it was not enough to stop Chris Stay (TRRS) taking the ACU Trial Expert crown after a nervous first lap. These two were locked in battle for the whole weekend and indeed, the result on Saturday - round eight - only one mark separated the two whilst Thorpe won by two marks on Sunday. Lloyd Price (TRRS) , who held the Red Plate as championship leader for a short while earlier in the year, took third on Saturday but a poor result by his standards put him down in fourteenth on Sunday. Sam Yeomans (Gas Gas) finished on the lower step of the podium on Sunday and finished a comfortable third in the series.
Emma Bristow (Sherco) has shown her talent throughout the whole year with a visit to the podium at round two and a fourth place on Sunday was enough to put her into fourth overall in the series and edge Gwynedd Jones into fifth. Price finished sixth despite missing two round mid season, with Charlie Smith (Beta) finishing strongly at the final two rounds to take seventh ahead of Tom Culliford (TRRS) and Aldis Blacker (Gas Gas), whilst Bradley Bullock (Beta), who also missed some rounds completed the top ten.
Stay has already confirmed that he will move up to ACU Trial 2 in 2020 so the question is which of the young guns can challenge Thorpe in his quest for the title.
Trial 125
Riding in his native Scotland, Ben Dignan (Gas Gas) signed off with another emphatic win in both days of the final round of the ACU Trial 125 class over the weekend. Riding with confidence, but with the handicap of a damaged foot, the Killin rider dominated both days, although Adam Harris pushed him hard over the first two laps on the opening day over the twelve section rocky course. Irish visitor Harris moved into an overall second place in the series with consistent point hauls during the year ahead of moving up a class for 2020.
Scotland was well represented in the class with Jamie Galloway (TRRS) making a debut appearance and finished on the lower step of the podium on both days.
Dignan's supremacy in the class is highlighted by the fact that following a defeat in the opening round in March he was won all of the remaining rounds. A fitting touch was that his mentor over the years, Dan Thorpe made the presentation of the winners Gold plate at the end of the weekend.