Marlborough Trials Centre

 (articles supplied by Pioneer Trials Club)

Training Day at Horsford Downs

It was the second training day we had experienced with Karl and Brendon and it was just as good, if not better than the last one.

 It was the first time we had used the Horsford Downs property for many years. After a quick warm up, we headed towards our practice section that Paul and Rob had put in earlier. Paul had mentioned logs but I wasn’t quite expecting what we found. After some instruction on how we should be looking at tackling logs it was time to throw a bike over them. After a couple of attempts, Brendon separated the group and took them off to do some other training in a different area. The rest of us stayed with Karl to try and master the section. Ross was the only one I saw game enough to carry his front wheel off the bigger of the logs that we were all sumping.

After lunch we played follow the leader on the way back to the other area for more training. We were faced with another set of logs which everyone tackled with new found skills from the previous section. Brendon pulled part of the group aside to explain the art of hopping. The rest of us were faced with a double log and a gap big enough for a wheel to fall between (of course) to add to the trickiness the second log was higher than the first. There were a few minor offs, but everyone that attempted it made it up and over in the end. Quite a feat and I wasn’t the only with a smile on my face after getting over those.

We ended the training on that high. I think most of us were finding it hard to keep the bike upright by then. The improvement that was seen in people throughout the day in confidence and skill was amazing.

Thanks Karl and Brendon for another wonderful training day. Can’t wait for the next one!

Stef 

Horsford Downs Trial.

 We arrived at Horsford Downs for the trial on Sunday. It was looking a bit overcast and the sandflies were out…. Paul J gave us some clear instructions at riders brief “there’s a paddock with buffalo, don’t go there” and “there is a water hole at the end of section 2, don’t go there”. We were the set loose to test those new found skills from the training the day before.I had the pleasure of riding with Karl, Brendon and Cullum who made everything look effortless as you would expect. We also had Bradley and David riding with us and they were looking very sharp after the training the day before.

The sections had a variety of terrain from slippery creek beds, to logs, hillsides and dry rock. There was enough in them to catch even the best of us out. Section 5 turned into more of a let’s see how many rocks we can ride over before we get to the end. And section 8 had had a few different interpretations from what I heard and saw.

I saw a couple of twin shocks tackle the intermediate line. Brent D’s TY was thrown at the rock slab in section 7 with a few revs in 1^st gear. Alan and Paul D rode the day in intermediate, even getting up section 4s hill which had me almost looping my bike at the top.

It was good to see a good number of riders and supporters out again. The sidechairs came out to play on the sections and one of the chairs and its riders went for swim…. Andy, Kendal and they weren’t the only ones to go for a swim but I won’t name names.

Thanks to those who put the trial in, it was a great day.

See you all at the next one.

Stef