Last Sunday saw the Tenterden and District Mcc run their prestigious South East Championship Man of Kent trial near Cranbrook in the heart of the garden of England.
The competitors had 48 sections to tackle on a very warm, humid but ultimately dry day with the winners of each class earning the right to have their name etched on the John Buttle Trophy. The sections were a true test of man and machine and with four classes riding, there was a mix of streams, gullies and cambered banks to suit everyone.
The Elite class was to be a battle between two younger members of the centre Mark Cottingham and current championship leader Thomas Moss and two more experienced locals in Simon Bird and 2013 Man of Kent and multi South East Centre Champion Ashley Newbery.
The conditions were slippery after the mid week rain, conditions which in the South Newbery has for the last 20 years revelled in. The sections had been expertly laid out with open wide gates allowing for the slippery conditions and perfectly for the no stop rules. All too often local trials come down to just one section but all 12 sections had something to test the best, meaning marks could go anywhere.
It was Newbery who made the early running leading by just one from Bird with Cottingham just 2 further back in 3rd. Newberys second lap for just 10 was to match the best of the trial a feat he repeated on lap 4 to take victory on 58 marks lost in an excellent display of grip finding in tough conditions. Cottingham's last lap for just 10, gave him a final score of 69 marks lost meaning he was able to beat a battling Bird by just 5 marks for second.
The expert class was won by veteran and another master of tricky conditions Kevin Morphett by a massive 30 marks ahead of Nicky Dowland with Mathew Strank in 3rd.
Adam Bell led the intermediate class for most of the trial but a last lap 3 on section 10 gave Jamie Puttock the class win. The over 40 intermediate class was won by Micheal Stiles with Dave Heather 5 marks back and Dave Strank a distant 3rd.
Emma Morphett made it a family double by collecting the Novice win ahead of fellow Tenterden rider Jack Beck with John Bird and Ian Cole collecting the over 50 and twinshock award respectively.
A fantastically run event well worthy of the tradition of this event with all the riders enjoying their day out in the Kent countryside. The next Tenterden event is the Barbecue trial, the East Kent Combine run in memory of Rasher Moore on the 10th of August.
Elite - Ashley Newberry 58, Mark Cottingham 69, Simon Bird 74, Thomas Moss 91
Expert - Kevin Morphett 17, Nick Dowland 47, Mathew Strank 48, Jack Stiles 94
Inter - Jamie Puttock 5, Adam Bell 7, Pete Willoughby 42
Over 40 Inter - Michael Stiles 5, Dave Heather 10, David Strank 45, Chris Anderson 49
Monoshock Inter - Micheal Nutbrown 26
Novice - Emma Morphett 14, Jack Beck 17, Scott Wilson 23, Nick Allcott 24
Girls Novice - Hannah Moore 15.
Ladies Novice - Jenny Stephen 2
Over 50 Novice - John Bird 5, Vaughan Wilson 11, Derek Baker 11
Twinshock - Ian Cole 3, Steve Jones 9, Simon Rye 14
Youth Novice - Oliver Whorlow 36
Report by Tony Turner