The annual Southern Centre Trials Championship Awards and the Waltham Chase annual awards for 2024 were presented by FIM Trial GP Women top ten rider Alicia Robinson at Otterbourne in Hampshire. One hundred and fifty guests packed the Village Hall for this very popular event which included the presentation of over 220 awards for the club and centre.
In his absence Ben Lovelace was awarded the Southern Star Award for the expert class after wrestling the award away from Thomas Moss who had won the award for the previous four years. Lovelace won six rounds and Moss the remaining three out of four he contested. Lovelace’s haul of wins included the Isle of Wight Two day trial and the Bridport and Weymouth MCC’s West Dorset Trophy Trial where he outscored Moss. Moss who rode the early season trials came back for the Ringwood LC&MCC Perce Simon Trial in October to carry off Sammy Miller’s prize money with the trial returning to the Ashley Hollow venue. Oli Gray finished runner up with Tom Richards third, both of these riders having strong seasons and promising to be in the mix for the championship in 2025.
Kev Nolan was awarded the Southern Centre top Clubman Expert for the second year running having won five rounds. He was pushed all the way by Jordan Peach who won one round on the Isle Of Wight but he finished up only five points off the top slot. Marley Lowman and overall third in the championship James Gammons won a round each whilst Wayne Holdsworth took the Perce Simon class win.
The Past Masters introduced in 2023 was hotly contested once more with the top seven riders reviving rivalries from the past including some from schoolboy days. The contest went down to the last round at the Perce Simon with the top three still in with a chance of winning the championship. Gary Tarrant took a second in class on the day to hold onto his crown by ten marks from Andy Ball and fifteen marks from Paul Doney. All three riders took two victories each during the season as did Neal Hubbard in the two rounds he contested, Ian Wakeford took one. The lively championship was reflected in the banter during the presentation ceremony showing the great enjoyment of trials riding and belonging to the trials community.
2024 was another excellent for the Keet Family, dad Glenn took a comprehensive win the Clubman class whilst sons Richie and Tommy topped the Youth A and Youth B classes and Reuben took second in Youth D. As members of the Alton Club the family helped to organise a very successful round of the ACU Belle Trailers National Youth Championship at Manor Farm at Langrish. Richie added the Youth A title to his Youth B from 2023 in a three way contest going down to the last round of the championship. He finished seven points ahead of Kai Fisher and eighteen ahead of Rowan Stewart, all three winning rounds but Richie winning five. Tommy came out on top in Youth B by the closest of margins, winning the last round he finished one mark ahead of Howard Mumford and two ahead of David James. James won the most rounds on three to Tommy and Munford’s two each. Reuben took three wins from the four rounds he contested in Youth D but was second to Riley Baker, one of the Isle of Wight riders who contested the championship, he took one win but his consistent riding paid off. Two Isle Of Wight riders were runners up to Glenn Keet in the Clubmans, young Ajay Shaw having a strong season for second was ten points ahead of Rob Baker in third. Hats off to the Isle Of Wight riders who have the extra travel fun of making the ferry trip across to contest the championship.
In Youth C Billy Guilford and Tommy Wakeford tied with three round victories each to share the Southern Centre championship title.
Jacob Ball went one better than dad Andy in the past masters by claiming the Novice championship from Scott Owen in second. Tom DeJonge was runner up for the second year running in the sportsman class, Graham King winning three rounds including the Perce Simon round on home territory to finish twenty points ahead of DeJonge. In the veterans Andy Somerton also claimed a second runner up spot finishing second to Dave Penfold who had a strong club and centre season taking three round victories in the centre including the Perce.
In the twin shocks and Pre67’s, multiple Southern Centre Champion Geoff Muston added another Twinshock C trophy to his collection, riding his trusty 125cc Honda for the 28th year, five wins were enough to push Tony Billingham into second. Mark Billen rode his Fantic to the Twinshock D title with a dominant season in the centre and the club. Jon Hunter in the Adult D class also had a dominant season at club and centre level. In the Pre67 C class, multiple champion Bob Hampton reclaimed his crown he loaned to Graham Barton in 2023. In Pre67 D, Jim Gray took a clear championship win riding three different machines, rigid and sprung 500cc HT Ariels and a Tiger Cub which ‘had to go’ even though it took a Round One victory.
It was fitting that Alicia Robinson presented the awards as several girl youth riders are just starting their second season of trials and showing a massive upturn in confidence in 2025. Freyja Owen, Alice Dowding and Charlotte Newcombe all picked up awards following in the footsteps of the excellent women rider role models within the club Karen Clarke, Emily Page and Chrissy Rowden.
There were special awards which included recognition of Steve Greenan’s efforts in organising the Prostate Cancer UK trial raising £4800 for the charity, an award from the Southern Centre to Terry Graves for his role for the last twenty plus years in promoting the ACU Benevolent Fund for the centre and to Mike Wiseman for his leadership of Waltham Chase and particularly his efforts to support clubs in the centre in making sense of ACUSport80. As a club in 2024, Waltham Chase organised twenty one trials, plus practice trials, training days and social events, club trials are now attracting 100+ entries as a norm!
Photos by Andy Withers