Is there anywhere that reports on Ladies and Girls in UK Trials ? I thought there used to be a Specific Forum on here ? 

I've looked on other Trials related websites and I'm struggling to find any coverage ? 

With Ladies and Girls sports (especially ball sports) being heavily promoted I'm unsure why Trials is lagging behind ? Or maybe i missed something ? 

As we are all "new" men we do not count women as any different to men.  ☺️

There are a few females in our club including the missus.  One of the better riders injured her knee and has more or less packed up the last couple of years - a real shame as she was good.  Some very good female riders generally in the surrounding clubs as well.  I think the problem is that as the teenagers and 20 somethings get a bit older then other things start to get in the way.  Mostly it is dad or boyfriend that gets them started and that can wear off too.

Trials is a great sport and no reason at all that women cannot enjoy it and be good at it.  More the merrier IMHO.

Don't agree trials is lagging behind at all. It's probably the most inclusive sport, girls/ladies compete in the same event and there is NO differentiation. They are welcome and capable. No need for separate events locally and I doubt they would want it as most ride with family and friends.

I dont think the OP is questioning trials inclusivity of women, more the reporting and coverage of women in trials and women events. 

Edited August 22, 20224 yr by faussy

clearly we in our sport have a PR problem. results, reports, photos from events aren't getting out there.

back in the day you saw extenisve, wide ranaging and in depth coverage in the press (blue un, green un, MCN, TMX, etc)

in today's media landscape of high costs, lower circulation, etc its clearly a challange for the press to keep going (TMX stopped during lockdown, DBR is quarterly, etc)

do we the fans/riders/clubs/promoters/etc have to step up and provide that coverage instead, i know many media outlets (this site included) are always looking for coverage of events and we (whoever) are keen to see those reports.

 

i can't say i'm a great wordsmith, the thought of trying to write a report is really offputting, but many people are clearly there at events capturing the action as photos, video, etc so i can't be impossible

I guess I have skin in this game, being a woman rider who has previously had a second job doing grassroots motorsports coverage.  Making professional quality content (not counting modern "content mills" online) takes a surprising amount of effort - getting results quickly from organisers can be like pulling teeth, alongside taking photo permissions seriously, actually traveling to the location, taking decent photos, speaking to competitors in a way that gets some insight into the event, and actually writing in an engaging way rather than just padding out a list of results with some fluff.

I've only been to a couple of trials events specifically for women, and they had a very different feel.  I think they have a place in the world of trials, but without the kind of support and love that, say, women's football receives, it's never going to become more popular than it is now.  Yes, trials is very welcoming and friendly, however it doesn't appeal to a large cross section of women in the same way as trail riding or road riding can.

3 hours ago, turbofurball said:

... Yes, trials is very welcoming and friendly, however it doesn't appeal to a large cross section of women in the same way as trail riding or road riding can.

How do we change that?  Trials is all about balance and skill and should be something women enjoy in the same way they enjoy ballet or gymnastics.  Clubs like the one I belong to are not very competitive nor very "masculine" places, everyone has a good laugh and everyone is very OK with female riders.  A friend has a GG300 and he is a very good rider but does not like the organised nature of competitions so he only rides the practice grounds.  His GF is very competent for a person with one years' riding.  She would (IMHO) benefit a great deal meeting and riding with others and other women in particular.

Is it the mud, the UK weather or just a lack of knowledge that the sport exists and how easy it is to get into it, or how cheap it is compared to other activities?  Or (more likely I think) that women are a little "shy" (for want of a better word) to turn up on their own at a trial and have a go?  All the females in our club are "male accompanied".

It's just a harder thing to "get into" in general, you've gotta be a bit dedicated to do trials (regardless of gender).  Trail and road riding can be done with multi-purpose bikes, you can go traveling or to work with them, thus they make more sense economically.

While out trail riding this last weekend my partner basically reinvented long-distance trials, she said "I like riding along and then having to get past something difficult, and then carrying on a bit before the next hard bit.  In trials you just get non-stop obstacles which isn't my thing."

Putting on "have a go" events specifically for women might help, Camp VC (a women's moto-camping event in Wales) has this with Inch Perfect and it's very popular, however it took concerted effort for nearly 100 years for women's football to become recognised on a grand scale and I don't think trials has that sort of pull in today's society.  The most successful women's motorbiking events are the ones organised by women, so I would look to those already in the sport to get the ball rolling.

34 minutes ago, turbofurball said:

...

utting on "have a go" events specifically for women might help, ...

 

Yes, I can see the appeal of that.  It needs the ACU to get behind it so clubs can promote a "have a go" event which includes a one day ACU licence.  Any contributors have a friend in the ACU?

Women and girls in trials?

Blimey, it's never been so good for them to get involved in 2022, there's even classes and championships devoted to women only, plus they can compete side by side with the men too, on the same terms and an equal footing (they can't do that in Tennis/Football/Golf championships - it's either MEN or WOMEN)

At club Trials, there's a good number of women competing each week and doing very well

Compare that to 30-40 years ago and there were virtually zero women at trials, competing

It's fine as it is, at present and good on them............Emma is the best ambassador we have got

 

 

Edited August 24, 20224 yr by johnnyboxer

On 8/22/2022 at 8:54 PM, rabie said:

clearly we in our sport have a PR problem. results, reports, photos from events aren't getting out there.

back in the day you saw extenisve, wide ranaging and in depth coverage in the press (blue un, green un, MCN, TMX, etc)

in today's media landscape of high costs, lower circulation, etc its clearly a challange for the press to keep going (TMX stopped during lockdown, DBR is quarterly, etc)

do we the fans/riders/clubs/promoters/etc have to step up and provide that coverage instead, i know many media outlets (this site included) are always looking for coverage of events and we (whoever) are keen to see those reports.

 

i can't say i'm a great wordsmith, the thought of trying to write a report is really offputting, but many people are clearly there at events capturing the action as photos, video, etc so i can't be impossible

Not a problem with Trials media coverage with it all on Facebook and the likes of Jitsie doing their own media channels

Print media, is as dead as the dodo................it's finished

Twitter/Facebook and Instagram are where it's at and you can interact directly with the stars and 'converse' with them online

Edited August 24, 20224 yr by johnnyboxer

I would guess that there are typically 3 women riding at the trials I do, alongside 60+ men. So we have a long way to go. I can't imagine women ever making up 50% of entries but that could be the potential target, and would double the size of the sport.

I accept that this comment is just an impression rather than a measured fact, but I get the feeling that the kids doing conducted routes are pretty close to 50/50. But by the time we get to the teenagers who are the future of our sport, the ratio is down to the same as the sport in general ie about 5% girls/women.

We can all appreciate what fantastic value-for-money trials are, but that does mean that there is very little money swilling around for promotion and education, whether that is targeted at the fairer sex or any other objective you may care to choose.

 Our main club is NMTA and we have 14 girls/women that currently compete. Ffom junior through Expert. And one of those riding Expert usually beats the boys!. Our 

 Club averages about 75 riders an event.

This has gone slightly off Topic . I was referring to the ' Reporting and therefore the Promoting of Ladies and Girls Trials ,not the numbers competing.  

To be fair there is not much promotion of the sport in general, men's or women's.  I don't know why there are so many more people willing to go and watch top level trials on mainland Europe than there are here.  I went to Rennes to watch the X Trial and there were lots of youngsters there and the local club was actively looking to get people involved.  It was a great night out and very entertaining whether you ride or not.

In respect of male/female there is a women's X Trial (the final was in Barcelona) but they do not have the same level of breathtaking obstacles, so I guess it is not as popular from a spectator point of view.