Gabby Joins Chris Birch

BOP Trials Success

 

The BOP trials group took out all but one of the overall awards for the North Island Trials Champs series which concluded a couple of weeks back  in the Hawkes Bay.  Congratulations to all the team for their trophy haul. 

Phil Shilton, Tauranga, won the A Grade contest followed closely by fellow club member, John Haynes from Reporoa, who joined the series at mid-season.

It was Shilton's second North Island A-grade title following a 2008 success and follows an earlier success in the junior class. Shilton, 25, is now planning a step up to the Expert grade in 2012. "That's a huge step up in the size of obstacles and the precision you need," said Shilton. "It means you have to be riding every week and I've got a new bike coming as well."

Gabrielle Gundry, Tauranga, rode steadily throughout the 2 day event to secure 1st place in the Clubmans, while her brother Jacob (pictured above with Gabby and their trophies) took out the Junior title ahead of Te Puke’s Ben McLeod. The junior class was the closest of the series with Gundry only six points clear of McLeod after 10 events.

Gabby is now the proud holder of the North Island Observed Trials Clubmans Challenge Shield. She is the first female rider to be inscribed on the trophy since its beginnings in 1984.  She joins other illustrious names from the trials scene including  that of Chris Birch who won it twice in 1994 and 1995.

Warwick Merriman, Tauranga, is rarely off the podium and once again confirmed his skills with a win in the President’s grade. The Intermediate title went to another BOP Club member, Gary Samson, from Waihi.

The Experts grade, won by Taranaki’s Matt Foster, was the sole grade without a BOP club entrant.

“Day 1 was a tough day,” says Warwick. “Te Mata Peak is not far off the snowline and it was almost doing just that, snowing.  With the chill wind as well, at the end of Saturday, it felt like we had done a day and a half’s riding instead of just one.  The next day, fortunately was the absolute opposite.  No wind and a beautiful warm 18-19 degree sun.”

The BOP club have regular rides and competitions in the area and beyond and share their skills during training days.  Because of the nature of the sport, trials can be a multi generational family activity, as is the case with the Gundry and McLeod families in particular.