I am really pleased with the positive and encouraging response that we have received in our first year , putting a British World Team in the Main working Paddocks on the World circuit from all British riders, minders and their families, manufacturers, importers, fellow opposing teams and our team sponsors on the circuit this year.
In 2007 we had 2 riders, Lee Sampson and Richard Ellwood and both boys achieved personal bests through the support of the team's supporters mentioned above. Without Ace Trials teams sponsors it would not be possible Britain to have a British team in the Worlds Paddocks.
Lee stood on podium representing, for the first time ever, a British team and not a foreign team full of British riders! That was really well received by everyone associated with trials and I had so many people approach me and state how fantastic it was that finally British talent was at last riding for a British team, that a British Team was in the Main working World paddock and that a real corner had been turned on the trials world circuit.
I have today signed my three riders for 2008. However, you will see as you read on that this number will climb to 5 on occasions.
Ace Trials Team YOUTH rider will be :
JACK THOMPSON
Jack is going to represent the team and Britain by riding for ACE British world team in the World FIM 2008 Youth class. I have been watching Jack very closely since his father, Colin, approached me early in 2007. With a lot of hard work on Jack's part he has, in the last part of this year, made enourmous progress and I can see a future World Champion if he continues to work as hard as he has done over the past few months on his temperament and continue with the routines that we have put in place for him. The youth class is a great start for British World Class riders like Jack to learn and start to understand what is required to become a true world champion.
With the Youths you have time to work on , and lose , all the bad habits they may have acquired, and build on all the true potential. Jack, over the last few months has been practicing weekly with World Championship class British riders on a 1-2-1 basis and what he has learnt is already starting to pay off with Jack securing the best lap of 2 marks lost- best of the day - last weekend at Dudwood farm in the final round of the Youth A YMSA Trials Series. Jack will continue to train every weekend as he has done and when the season starts in March 08 Jack will be fully prepared for the sections that await him on the world circuit. Jack's Minder for the whole 2008 series will be Team mechanic and Assistant Manager Chris Kilhams. Chris will support Jack in all World and European Rounds, British Youth A YMSA Trials, British Youth A Championships and the British Championships Youth support group. A busy year for them both.!
The second rider is DONNA FOX - Foxy lady.- who will be the teams JUNIOR WORLD CLASS Contender.
Donna has approached me and I have agreed that she will compete against, on the same route as, the likes of Alexz Wigg, Lee Sampson , Richard Ellwood and the newest member to the juniors and a fantastic British talent Ross Danby in the FIM (Mens) 2008 Juniors World Class for the team.
This is a huge undertaking but if anyone can pull this off The Foxy Lady can. Lia is a fantastic rider but up until now there has been no female competition for her in the Juniors class on the World (mens) circuit. Now she has a real rival in the "foxy lady".
I will be minding for Donna in most of the World Junior rounds as her ladies competition minder, Robin Moorwood has prior commitments and obligations to his family through a very successful sidecar career that he and his wife Jill have built up with the support of their No 1 fan, their son. Robin and Donna will continue to work exactly as they have done in all ladies competitions apart from the FIM World Championship Juniors class where she will be working mainly with myself. Donna will be practicing every weekend with the whole team around the Matlock area preparing herself for the sections that await her in the Juniors class in March 08. As with Jack, Donna is practicing not only with current Championship world class British riders but also reguarly practices in the week with Graham Jarvis. A fantastic Mentor for her.
Donna, who will be too old at 23 !!!! to compete at this level after next year, is a real inspiration and mentor to all up and coming ladies riders, both in this and other countries. She has been one third of the winning TDN Ladies teams for the past 2 years bringing Gold home to Britain.
I am really pleased that Donna has agreed to take a year off full time employment and make Trials her full time profession for the next year. Lets hope that other Top British lady riders follow her example.
This brings me onto my third rider KATY BULLOCK.
Katy is going to represent Ace Trials Team and ride for the British Team in all ladies European Rounds in the intermediate class. I have been able to monitor Katy over the past year through her and my won close association with Lee Sampson. I decided very early that she has everything it takes to get on the podium in the intermediate class of Ladies Europeans. Like Jack and Donna I have arranged for Katy to receive 1-2-1 tuiton from British Championship class riders. Katy will be practicing on really "big stuff" reguarly as well as learning technical riding so that when she enters the ladies arena she has all the knowledge and confidence required to win.
In the 2007 World Series LEE SAMPSON and RICHARD ELLWOOD rode for the team in their first year in the juniors class. This is a huge step up but these two fantastic young adults delivered their best every round for Britain. They both changed Trials history by becoming the first ever British riders to ride on the world circuit and work from the World Main Paddocks for the British team and not foreign teams. Lee added to this by becoming the first ever British Junior rider to stand on podium representing the British World team and not an Italian team. Something that only appears to happen in World events in our sport!!
Through sheer hard work and determination Richard, who at the start of the season and the end of last season, was finishing around 20th position in the results scores moved to a staggering 10th place by the end of the 2007 series. What an achievement when you are competing against the best in the world. 10 places!
Both these riders achieved fantastic personal goals but really struggled with the routines, discipline, training programmes and structure that comes from working from a professional World Paddock Team. Both riders also struggled with personal issues. Lee had a personal tragedy which resulted in him having to immediately become financially independent and secure some kind of profession. Richard likewise had problems throughout the 07 series with his apprenticeship and college commitments associated to his job. Both this year have approached me and are very reluctant to withdraw from the Team and keep stating that they will be remaining with the team and then that they wont. However, after long discussions at the Scott trial both agreed that although they really want to ride it is just not sensible. However, I have agreed with them that when they can secure annual leave they can ride for the team, under the team banner and become part of the team in as many rounds as they can secure holidays for. in 2008.
To keep up to date on the British World Team over the winter log onto our website www.acetrialsteam.co.uk