CHG 18th Annual Sphinx Trial, April 17, 2011
Report by Steve Venn
Cheltenham Home Guard MCC Ran its ever popular Sphinx road based trail bike trial on Sunday.
It was a beautiful sunny day in the Cotswolds with dust on the tracks causing some problems for those who forgot their goggles!
30 sections including a graded hill climb and a timed special test greeted the riders. With the dry conditions a few section were on the tight side with the opening section being harder than planned catching many for an early '5'.
Also the none inspection rule cause great difficultly for a few riders, but most relish the challenge, and riding sections blind is a skill which is all part of this type competition.
The well known Kilkenny quarry unfortunately too well known has been lost to the club because of illegal riding but we were able to visit Austin Keir's which is the former home of Cheltenham's famous MX rider Johnny Draper.
It was here in spite of the dry weather that section 11, a good old muddy bog sorted the entry and winners out. Tony Coleman the overall winner was among the elite few to clean this section. Another was Pete Barnett who must be the most outstanding rider of the day losing just 7 marks on a big hairy Suzuki DRZ400. Well done that man, well done that bike!
He was part of the Stratford/Lemington gang who were enjoying the 'craic' all day.
Trevor Wall from Somerset was most disappointed to have doubled his score with a 4 on the hill climb which had a kink in it this year. When it's wet a straight blast is hard enough for most.
With low scores the special test times were used and Oxfords Rob Faulkner was quickest, he was also part of the winning team Ixions Elites with Ken O'Brien and Sam Cheery.
The Geoff Gibbons trophy awarded to best Western centre resident was won by BVM parts man Rick Ferrier on just 2 marks lost.
Forest of Dean rider Alf Bendall riding his son Henry's bike on 4 and Max Hawkins on 5 pushed Rick all the way and had there best rides to date since starting trail bike road trials. The competition was fierce among the Pre-65's with a creditable win by Ken O'Brien.