THE ROUGH Holden trials venue took the brunt of the weather on Sunday when the Bradford District Motor Club staged one of their WBS championship events at the exposed venue high above Silsden.

Series sponsor Nathan Wrigglesworth and his assistant Anthony Ayrton, along with Jason Dunning, plotted a ten-section four-lap test for 30 competitors as the distant village of Cowling vanished from view when the rain arrived half an hour after the riders had headed for the opening sections.

For Wrigglesworth, it was a return to trialling after some knee and ankle injuries that have kept the Glusburn builder off his Scorpa machine for two months.

A steady ride was rewarded with the expert class victory, two penalties better than Leeds top novice Chris Hunt while 'assistant' Ayrton won the Inter class.

Silsden's Gabby Whitham took a real tumble off her Beta machine at the top of section six on lap one but was unhurt after what was a dramatic spill on the steep hillside.

The grassy climb at the sixth tested the 50/50 competitors with its cambered slopes and only four riders in class managed a clean ride. The seventh twisted up and over a large rock, then tightly turned on grass to climb the gradient where Whitham abandoned her Beta in style.

Results, Expert: Nathan Wrigglesworth (Scorpa) 6. Inter: Anthony Ayrton (Beta) 17. Novices: 1 Chris Hunt (Vertigo) 8, 2 Gabby Whitham (Beta) 87. Youth class A: Josh Chew (Beta) 56.

Youth Class B: Brett Harbud (Beta) 27.

50/50 course: 1 Darren Holmes (Gas Gas) 18, 2 Josh Isherwood (Beta) 21, 3 Jason Hancock (Beta) 36. Youth Class B: Kieran Skehan (Beta) 57.

Easy course novices: Peter Hollingworth (Beta) 16.

Over 40s: 1 Peter Cliburn (Beta) 1, 2 Martin Pratt (Beta) 7, 3 Nick Hammerton (Gas Gas) 14.

Youth Class B: Martyn Pratt (Beta) 21. Youth Class C: 1 Bradley Crabtree (Gas Gas) 66, 2 Thomas Wright (Beta) 107. Youth Class D: 1 Toby Shaw Beta) 22, 2 Jonnie Fannon (Oset) 131.

Beginners novices: 1 Steve Nunns (Sherco) 0, 2 Alex Sykes (Montesa) 29.

Youth Class B: 1 Lucy Ayton (Beta) 3, 2 Ethan Chapman (Scorpa) 13.

Youth Class D: Oliver Arkwright (Oset) 21.

* Skipton Beta UK importer John Lampkin competed in only his second trial in over three decades after a serious motoring crash which more or less ended his trialling aspirations.

He rode on Saturday in Ripon Motor Club's final Acklams Beta Championship Trial in Harrogate.

He triumphed on a 1984 300cc Fantic machine and won the mid-course novice class by a huge margin, even wearing the team clothing bearing the Fantic name.

The former international ace is preparing for a commemorative event at Costa Brava in November when Glen Scholey and John will compete.

Lampkin's famed softly-softly attack was the best of the day in Harrogate with a two/clean/one score. Boroughbridge contender Aldis Blacker won the novice hard course class from Harrogate's Rob Bratley and Otley's Joe Bradley.

Scorton's Chris Laws was just too sharp for Skipton's Richard Pearson in the Over-40s class while Elliott Laws topped the Youth class on the same course.

Results

Hard course novices: 1 Aldis Blacker (Gas Gas) 17, 2 Rob Bratley (Sherco) 18, 3 Joe Bradley (Montesa) 26.

Over 40': 1 Chris Laws (Beta) 6, 2 Richard Pearson (Beta) 24, 3 Steve Watling (Gas Gas) 34.

Youths: Elliott Laws 21, 2 Guy Stones 55, 3 Harry Slack 66. (All Beta) Green course novices: 1 John Lampkin (Fantic) 3, 2 Michael Benson (Beta) 21,

3 Ian Brogden (Beta) 24.

Youths: 1 Josh Brown 27, 2 Callum Benson 58, 3 Bradley Green 60. (All Beta).

Over 50: 1 Tony Calvert (Montesa) 17, 2 Graham Sanderson 30, 3 Stuart Wainwright (Montesa) 30.

Beginners: 1 Mark Leng (Beta) 50, 2 Jeffrey Bennett (Sherco) 51, 3 Lewis White (Gas Gas) 64.

Youths: Alfie Royle 56, 2 Oliver Watling 66, 3 Max Marston 70. (All Beta).

Twin Shock: 1 Michael Platts (Honda) 11, 2 Glen Scholey (Honda) 16, 3 Dave Wilkinson (Honda) 31.

Non-competitive: 1 Joel Sadler (Beta) 11 mc, 2 Anthony Ayrton (Beta) 11.

Small Wheels hard route: 1 Jack Vasey (18, 2 Cameron Brunskill 26, 3 Imogen Laws 27. (All Beta).

Middle route: 1 Ashley Watson (Oset) 15, 2 Rory Wilkinson (Sherco) 17, 3 Max Green (Beta) 21.

Easy route: 1 William Ethell (Beta) 34, 2 Martha Dennis (Oset) 36, 3 Sam Ethell (Beta) 42.