It’s not cricket but two clubs are recognised for reaching 100 NOT OUT
The annual awards for the Southern Centre Trials Championship have been presented at Otterbourne in Hampshire. One hundred and twenty guests packed the Village Hall for the Southern Centre and Waltham Chase annual awards ceremony with awards presented by former Southern Centre Trials Champion and five times British Sidecar Enduro Champion George Greenland.
Thomas Moss carried away much of the silverware including winning three of the nine round expert championship. He also won most of the open to centre trials and gathered a solid haul of points to take the centre 2022 expert class. George Gosden, Chris Stay, Matt McDonald, Brian Francis, Ben Lovelace and Will McBain all got in on the act with single round wins. Despite all these single round victories it was Jack Stiles who earned enough points to finish a close second. The clubman expert class was very competitive with Nick Hosford, Andy Kilbey and Martin Carter taking the championship down to the wire, although Neal Hubbard had won the first three rounds and Gary Tarrant who was injured at the Isle of Wight Two Day putting him out of contention after a competitive start. Nick Hosford who has returned to competition having seen his children Jess and Sam through to the petrol power topped the class. In the clubman Mark Elms and Graham King vied for top spot, Elms took two wins and finished top whilst King gathered regular points through the season, Paul Doney had three wins from the three rounds he competed in.
Lloyd and David James completed a family double act for the second season running, Lloyd was top novice and David added Youth C to his 2021 Youth D class win. The Owen family picked up three Southern Centre Awards after an exciting end to the season, Scott Owen on his modern GasGas thought he had pipped brother Mark by a point int he sportsman, but Scott had to drop the two lowest scores from the nine rounds which meant Mark who campaigned his ageing mono shock JTR GasGas 370 had beaten his brother. Dad Tim thought he had lost his chance of the Veteran class win as his season was cut short through injury missing the Perce Simon in November, unfortunately Andy Somerton had a tough day and fell three marks short of overtaking Tim in the standings, Andy finished second.
In the Pre65’s Matthew Caulkett was presented with the George Allan Pre65 award pipping Bob Hampton by two on the C route. Jim Gray who left the presentation with a massive haul of trophies winning all of the Pre65 D rounds and club trophies on his immaculate Ariel Sprung and Rigid machines. In the final Pre67/ Twinshock round run by Aldermaston Nomads Jim took the rigid class and Trev Newell had a superb ride to top the Pre65s, so both riders were given a maximum haul of points for that one, Newell was second in the championship. Geoff Muston, Tony Billingham and Mik Machinek finished with just eleven points apart after a season long rivalry in Twinshock C, Muston won four rounds to Billingham’s three to finish seven points ahead with Machinek four marks back in third.
National ACU Youth Championship rider Taylor Burnell was top in Youth B with Adam Kilbey getting closest to him after moving up from Youth C mid season and showing great improvements. Alfie Hayden won both rounds on the Isle of Wight. In Youth D Ollie Barr won, making good use of his new TRS. Katie Butcher was a close second winning the two Isle of Wight rounds. Sam Hosford, NJ Hyde, Richie Keet, and Dexter Rowden all won rounds, Katie Butcher came from the island to collect her award and Dexter Rowden collected several awards including the club Autumn Shield won by his uncle in the early 1990’s.
Three clubs in the Southern Centre had big celebrations this year, Waltham Chase MCTC celebrated their 50th Anniversary with a party in October, whilst two clubs, Blackmore Vale and Salisbury MC&LCC were given special awards for their centenaries.
George Greenland, 90 years young presented the majority of the 140 awards during the evening including a club award for himself, and awards for the next two generations of his own family. It was fitting that Karen Clarke, his daughter and a committee member at the Salisbury Club collected the centenary award on their behalf. Dean Whitty came from Blackmore Vale to collect their award for their fantastic achievement. The Southern Centre not only supported this presentation but also provide a range of support to ACU clubs, not least for the purchase of club defibrillators, one of these helped to save George’s life earlier this year when he was taken ill, it was great to see him at the presentation and he is now back riding trials!
Champions
Solo Star - Tom Moss
Clubman Expert - Nick Hosford
Clubman - Mark Elms
Sportsman - Mark Owen
Veteran - Tim Owen
Novice - Lloyd James
Pre65 C - Matthew Caulkett
Pre65 D - Jim Gray
Twinshock C - Geoff Muston
Twinshock D - Peter Woodthorpe
Youth B - Taylor Burnell
Youth C - David James
Youth D - Ollie Barr