Wednesday October 12, 2011 at 9:01am
The countdown is ticking as the Richmond Motor Club work through the mountain of work required to run the eighty second Scott Trial on October 22. It could be the eighty third depending on when petrol rationing was eased after W.W, Two. Initially a ride in the Yorkshire Dales for Alfred Scott’s employees, partly as a test run and partly to develop the then revolutionary twin cylinder two stroke engined machine built in their Saltaire factory. The winner, on a Scott, was Frank Phillip, who lived in Ilkley. Fourteen started and nine finished which according to statistics comes out at 64%. That was way back in 1914. The machines weighed a ton, or so it seemed when I had the pleasure of owning and riding a 1929 version of the original design. It was a dream to ride, The war years accounted for a dozen Scott Trials, and foot and mouth disease in 2001. 1998 was the epic of all proportions when just twenty seven riders slogged up the final section at Clapgate. Strange but true, the lure of Scott Trial persists. Askrigg garage owner Phillip Alderson won his first Scott Trial in 1987 then added another three Scott Spoons to his collection. Dougie Lampkin broke off world trialling to take the Alfred Scott Memorial Trophy three times. Michael Phillipson, Wayne Braybrook and 2010 winner and British champion James Dabill added their names to the coveted trophy. One name stands above all others, nine times winner Graham Jarvis. Even at thirty five Jarvis is more than capable of making it ten Scott's And all those illustrious names will ride again next Saturday. Two hundred and ten will leave Feldom Range to face eighty sections and about the same rugged moorland miles battling with terrain and time. As in the previous years there will be a comprehensive programme listing all competitors, their machines and home towns. Among that list are World Superbike stars Leon Haslam and Leon Camier who both capable off-road riders. Don’t expect them to stop and sign autographs! Julia Robinson has taken over as Programme Editor from Bernadette Tennant as put hours of labour into the compiling of the eighty eight pages of information. These can be purchased at the start on Feldom Range, or from Queens Road Garage, from Marwood's Garage, Rodbers and The Food Weighouse, all in Richmond. Price is set at £4.00. Remember, the Richmond Motor Club have donated over the years over £107.000 from the proceeds of the programme and the famed auction which precedes the awards ceremony.