Tristan Barnicoat and Jack Selwood overcome difficult conditions for Chairmans wins

Competitors and Marshals were challenged by persistent rain turning the muddy sections into a quagmire.

With his BSA’s crankcase deep in mud retiring ACTC Championship Motorcycle coordinator Chris Barham resorts to leg power on Smallbrook Wood (Photo by Vince Feeney)

Tristan Barnicoat pipped John Luckett by one mark to be best Solo. Steve Urell and Julie Williams came out on top amongst the outfits

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Narrow Exmoor Win for Paul Merson

Paul and Zara Crane had a narrow win in the familiar Shopland Mk2 from Tom Walker and Tom Jones who were also in Class Eight. Guy Winsor was best Solo

Paul Merson and Zara Crane had a narrow win, equal on points with Tom Walkers Toyota engined Leige but coming out on top on test times. Photo by Paul Morris Photography where you can find more

North Devon Motor Club had good weather for the Exmoor Trial starting near Barnstable. It proved a tough trial for the lower car classes and only Class Eight came out with scores under twenty.

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Duncan Stephens wins Dry Cotswold Clouds

There were ten clean sheets spread across four classes. Duncan was fastest in his Fugitive from Joe Browning in his Baja.

Long Term Dellow Trialler Richard Andrews looks on while marshalling the restart as Duncan Stephens claws the air on Nailsworth Ladder on his way to winning the Cotswold Clouds. Photo by Calvin Samuel

Stroud attracted their usual full entry for this years Cotswold Clouds which was held in unseasonable dry conditions, resulting in a number of clean sheets.

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Slippery Clee Hills

Dean Partington only dropped one mark to win the car class. However Dean could only claim victory on the last section as until then Matt Facey had been clean. John Reeves was best bike with a clean sheet on his KTM

Colin Gwyer captures Matt Facey giving his BMW some air at the top of Longville. Matt was clean and in the lead when he arrived at the last section but spun to a stop on the slippery mud and it was Dean Partington who was best car with one mark lost on Oak Dingle.

It had been very wet in the week leading up to the trial, but it was dry when competitors set off from The Squirrel in Ludlow after completing the Clees very efficient administration. After many years in the hands of the Midland Automobile Club the reigns had been transferred to the Midland Manor Motor Club. However the old team were still at the helm in the form of Simon Woodall, Pat Toulmin and crew. Pat was using the Spotify App to keep competitors up to speed before, during and after the event and this was very successful.

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Matt Johnston wins Bodmin Heights Road Trial

Successful inaugural event for Camel Vale

Matt Johnston on his way to a narrow win on the first Bodmin Heights Trial (Cap from a Video by Duncan Stephens)

Camel Vale had planned to run their single venue Bodmin Trial in November but it had to be called off after principal organiser Simon Groves broke his leg motorcycling. Simon didn’t spend his time convulsing idly, resulting in a new 40 mile road trial incorporating sections in Dunmere, Cardinham and Laneskin Woods, The first Bodmin Heights Road Trial.

Class Eight dominated the event Matt Johnston pipping Dean Vowden to the win by a single point.

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Exeter 2024 Class 0

It was back to the old format for this year

Stuart Roach left his familiar HRG behind and went family trialling in his recently acquired Ford Model A. Photo on Simms by Stuart Palmer

There was a significant change to last years Class 0 event which pretty much followed the main trial, just missing out some of the rougher hills, although including Slippery Sam!

This year there was little in common with the main trial apart from the special tests, Fingle and Donkey Trot.

There were a couple of new sections. Bovey Warren was in forestry just opposite the Normans Hump/Clinton Complex and was a nice addition. Then after breakfast Butterdon was an easy section near Wooston Steep.

Donkey Trot was the challenge for the cars, only four going clear, but then there were a lot of failures in the main trial who also did the section.

Neil Bray was one of the Donkey Trot clears but failed to position his Escort correctly in the Millen Lane restart box reducing the tin count to three.

Only one of the Class 0 motorcycles finished the trial.

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Exeter Trial 2024

Lots of medals but a tough trial for Class Eight

Luke Evans captures the atmosphere as Mike Tucker tackles Simms in his rather special Morris Minor. The Exeters Signature Hill was on form as usual

After organisational issues last year the 2024 Exeter was in the safe hands of the genial Pete Batty with Pete Hart as Deputy Clerk of the Course. The team were concerned when a severe storm hit the South West a couple of days before the event, but with a bit of work all was well on the day resulting in a very successful event.

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Dan Keat wins Camel and Jack Selwood the Wheelspin Trophy

Jack and Dean Partington took their year long Wheelspin battle to the wire. Jack taking the honours by one point after the Camel

Dan Keat battles to keep his wheels in the ruts on his way to best car on the Camel

The Camel was back after being absent for a while because of forestry issues.

Dan Keat was best car, Ben Brownhill Solo and Steve Urell/Julie Williams the class for outfits.

Camel Classic Videos. Click Here for the full Video playlist

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We have been publishing stuff about Classic Trials on the Web since 1995 and always appreciate feedback. Comments, Corrections, Criticism & Concerns are all welcome. You can leave a comment to have your say here on this web site or our Social Media

Tough Allen Win for Dave Haizelden

Rob Holden was an excellent second in his BMW estate with the only other clean sheet apart from Dave’s. Dean Partington was third, keeping his Wheelspin Trophy hopes alive.

Rob Holden finally found some engine reliability, cleaning all the hills in his BMW but having to give best to Dave Haizelden on special test times

The ever popular Allen Trial took just four days to max out the entry in the main trial. There was also provision for Heritage cars to take part in a parallel event but as this didn’t attract any entries it looks as if Heritage is defunct. It was a damp start to the day which didn’t brighten up and ended with persistent rain.

The start at The Bull at Hinton. Lined up are three of Dean Partingtons DP cars competing on the trial. From left to right. The DP Falcon, trialled by Dean many years ago and recently re-acquired and updated. In the middle is the very familiar rear engined DP Wasp recently purchased and driven on The Allen by Paul Merson. On the right is Jack Selwood’s DP Ford, originally constructed by Reg Taylor. This is the car that took Mike Furse to a triple and Graham Marshall to ACTC championships. It still has the original 1500 pre-crossflow engine (Photo by Kieran Bartlett)

Tog Hill was just up the road from the start and there were some delays after about half the field went through as one of the Austin 7’s experienced problems and blocked the section. It wasn’t a happy start for Class 2 as Michael Wall’s Trojan had to retire on the following road section.

The restart on the polished stones on Bitton Lane challenged some of the Austin 7’s in a bumper Class 2 entry.

Not so Mick Holmes who got away smoothy in what I believe was his cars first trial. Mick’s passenger was son Sam, normally seen driving his very competitive Class 4 Beetle with Mick as his passenger.

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2023 Neil Westcott Memorial Trial

Very sorry for lack of information. I wasn’t there and the event has very little Social media or Web presence.

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We have been publishing stuff about Classic Trials on the Web since 1995 and always appreciate feedback. Comments, Corrections, Criticism & Concerns are all welcome. You can leave a comment to have your say here on this web site or our Social Media