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 Cotswold
Enduro ClubAMCA Rock Oil H&H and Club Championship Shuckburgh Hall Northants. Report & photos Tim Tighe Shuckburgh Hall is a firm favourite in the Cotswold Enduro Club calendar. It is massive with a huge amount of land for three separate courses potentially but it rarely runs following wet weather. Last Sunday was the exception to the rule. The third round of the AMCA Rock Oil Hare and Hounds championship and CEC club championship was very well attended and this could have complicated the issue. Parking is usually the problem in the wet but careful alignment of vehicles along the access road saw the event crammed with riders, all raring to go. Shuckburgh Hall contains a variety of forest and woodland sections, linked by open meadow and grassland, all slightly undulating and extremely slippery initially. Plenty of rain in the run-up to the event left the top layer of ground very wet and made even the slightest slope into a challenging off-camber. Cotswold guru Pete Carter and his trusty team had laid out a ‘wet weather’ course but altered it on Friday to a ‘very wet weather’ course, cutting over a mile from the original five-mile layout. There was plenty of room to manoeuvre as the course had a choice of lines at every tricky section. The woodlands were not too bad in some places, once the top layer was removed the clay underneath provided grip but polished up in others, making the going tough. There was no place to rest anywhere on the course, full concentration was required at all times to prevent the front wheel sliding out or getting stuck on any of the numerous roots. All in all, a fantastic and challenging course where experienced riders could shine, and they did.
Holland won his class as Curtis took second in the Pro Champs behind Porter with Ben Adams in third. Adams had a big crash on the final lap but gathered himself and charged onwards. Holland won the Experts from Lee then Mick ‘on the pegs’ Boam as Over 40’s Veteran Derry Milling carefully steered his way to fifth overall and top of his class. Grant Churchwood wasn’t far behind him while Gary McCoy completed the over 40’s top three. Keith Jenkins was virtually on home turf and took the over 50’s Veterans class win with ease, a lap ahead of second placed Rob Sewell and Colin Griffiths in third, both on 10 laps. Always a skilful rider in tricky conditions Jenkins made the hard stuff look easy. One over 50’s Vet who was really a fish out of water was John Mitchinson. He can usually be found in some desert somewhere on a month long rally but on Sunday he was out at Shuckburgh on a new Beta X Tranier and loving every minute. Easy to ride with plenty of power when needed, the new Beta made a great impression on Mitchinson and many other riders.
Mathew Jones topped the Clubman 2t class, fending off two hard chargers in the form of Ed Gwyther and Steve Norbury. This was Norbs first podium and he missed second spot by just 35-seconds.
Richard Baxter had a clear run at the Clubman 4t class win, a lap up on John Underwood and two laps ahead of third placed Josh Buckley. The Sportsman class was anybody’s guess to who would win. Seven frontrunners were all on eight laps as time ran out but it was Sam Hollows who took the honours by nearly two minutes over Jason Wittering with Tom Mahoney a further minute behind in third spot. Jerry Adams manhandled his Pre 86 around the course to take the Classic class win and it was a nice change to see him finish on the same bike he had started the race on. The course was tricky in places to say the least. When Matt Porter slithers uphill then bounces down the other side, desperately trying to get his feet back on the pegs it doesn’t bode well for any lesser riders but everyone had their moments and all thoroughly enjoyed the course although it was hard work. The weather stayed fine for a pleasant day of spectating while the riders thanked their lucky stars it didn’t rain. |
Matt Porter simply dominated the race from the moment the flag dropped.
Ben Adams charged hard behind him initially while Ben Swambo hit the whoops
on the start straight very hard and ended up on his head, at the back of the
Championship and Expert class. Jack Lee followed Porter for the first few
laps but then Expert Roger Holland took up the running, ahead of Frazer
Curtis as Lee dropped to third place.
Norb’s friend Paul Ellis-Smith sat in the pits with a poorly bike as
his wife, Wendy Ellis-Smith showed him how it should be done, winning the
Ladies class into the bargain. Gemma Hotham took runner-up spot even thought
her KTM spat its dummy after a single lap.