COWLING builder Nathan Wrigglesworth set the standard on Saturday with a stunning ride to win the annual Ilkley Grand National Trial.

He finished an impressive 17 penalties ahead of the Glasshouses rider Danny Gamble who set the fastest time in a battle with ten miles of heather-clad moorland.

The fastest ten finishers over three laps set a standard by which all are penalised. The race through the 20 observed sections involves avoiding hidden rocks, deep drainage gullies which can swallow up an unsuspecting rider.

The weather shortened the odds of an early bath on Saturday. Veteran Scott Trial winner Philip Alderson ventured down from his Askrigg home aiming for two fast laps on his brand-new Gas Gas machine.

The bleak moor got him on lap three. He said: "One minute I was riding my bike and then low flying into the heather.

“The bike was somewhere above my head, but I will be back next year."

Rawdon’s Chris Beecroft 'enjoyed' the same experience. "My new Montesa was above me somewhere and I was just hoping it did not land on me," he said.

Guiseley's Danny Cockshott joined the 'low fliers' within a mile of the start. That crash damaged his Gas Gas machine and more or less signalled end of his day on the moors.

Twenty-eight contested the full three-lap expert course. Wetherby's Robert Bratley was on a mission. He rocketed round the two-lap Clubman circuit in an amazing one hour and 37 minutes.

As well as being the best on all 20 sections three marks better than Darley garage owner Ian Myers he had an eight-minute time advantage.

Myers was the Over 50-year class winner while Skipton's Richard Pearson was top in the Over 40 class.

Results

Best performance and 1st expert: Nathan Wrigglesworth (Sherco) 28 obs + 1 time = 29, 2 Phillip Alderson (Gas Gas) 39 +7 = 46, 3 Danny Gamble (Sherco) 50 + 0 = 50.

Inters: 1 Anthony Ayrton (Montesa) 51 + 5 = 56, 2 Billy Craig (Honda) 75 + 0 = 75.

Novices: 1 Aaron Dugdale (Montesa) 68 + 0 = 68, 2 Rob Pickard (Beta) 69 + 10 = 79, 3 Chris Beecroft (Montesa) 92 + 4 = 96.

Best Newcomer: Phil Hancock (Vertigo) 95 + 17 = 112.

Fastest time: Danny Gamble 1hr 58m 37s. Standard time: 2-10-53

Clubman: 1 Rob Bratley (Montesa) 55 + 0 = 55, 2 Ian Myers (Sherco) 58 + 0 = 58, 3 Richard Pearson (Beta) 70 + 0 = 70.

Best Newcomer: Chris Barnett (Beta) 80 +3 = 83.

Best Over 40: Jonathan Baker (Sherco) 72 + 26 = 98.

Best over 50: Dave Lamin (Vertigo) 65 + 12 = 77.

Standard time 1.48.47.

Yeadon-Guiseley M.C. 3rd Club championship trial, Addingham Moorside, Sunday.

The third closed to club championship trial on the Yeadon-Guiseley club's calendar at Addingham Moorside on Sunday attracted over 100 competitors.

Youngsters from Derbyshire and Lancashire plus a contingent from Richmond competed on a four lap ten section where the bright sunshine hampered vision.

The girls and boys have a choice of three routes as befits their skills and strength. On the main course, Ben Hemingway won the hard route class from Bradford teenager Kieran Child and Ossett’s Thomas Housecroft.

Idle youngster Joe Faunthorpe was in sparkling form. He got his Beta home in overall sixth place and won the Class A category.

Liversedge Montesa rider Jamie Stephenson headed Clubman A from Paul Kettlwell and Andrew Jackson.

Clubman B went to the Sherco-mounted duo of Phillip Hammond and Rob Hardisty with John Bannister just one penalty behind the two leaders. The small wheels class winners were Jonnie Fannon, Jimmy Crabtree and Charles Skehan. Their trials course was a testing but short six section four lap which tested the electric powered bikes and the batteries that propel them.