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Classic event set for September revival

12:37pm Thursday 20th March 2008

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A HEREFORDSHIRE club are reviving their classic motorcycle event later this year - more than a decade after it fell off the track.

The race is being organised by Wye Valley Auto Club and will take classic riders through rough countryside in the Golden Valley.

Riders will follow the route of the Wye Vallley Traders' trial around Longtown on September 28.

Long-serving club secretary Trevor Hunt said: "We ran the event for 50 years until about 12 years ago and we are going to bring it back. It will be similar to the original."

Hunt organised the original event for 30 years which attracted around 200 entries at its peak. He explained: "It will be motorcycle trials run over sections. It will be over rough countryside, woods, streams and hillside. The event will be around 30 miles on road and then digress from road to off-road riding before finishing back at Longtown."

Hunt said the race was first held in the 1920s but was stopped after the number of competitors dwindled.

"We had British Championship status for a number of years, but because of a changes of rules, we found we could no longer meet those requirements," said Hunt.

Wye Valley Auto Club have a long tradition of organising motorcycle trials in Herefordshire and plan to run a host of events this year.

They are staging their first event, an off-road trial for classic machines at Bowley Court, Bodenham, on April 27.

The club runs trials for modern machines, Classic British and Twinshock bikes. Members also compete in trials held by other clubs in the area and take part in events across the UK.

John Sanders remains as the club's chairman, having been re-elected at their annual general meeting.

Other officers elected were: secretary, Trevor Hunt; treasurer, Joyce Lewis; competitions' secretary, Daniel Sanders.

The club have around 50 members and meet on the last Tuesday of each month at the Three Horseshoes pub in Allensmore More information about Wye Valley Auto Club is available from Malcolm Herbert on 07720 079845.

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Your Say Your Herefordshire

Clive G, Hereford says...
7:05pm Thu 20 Mar 08

Glad to see that what used to be known locally as the "Traders" is to make a comeback. This was a popular event with the "locals" and well remembered because it was usually held on the same weekend as the Grand National horse race. Residents of Vowchurch, Michaelchurch Newton St Margarets and Longtown have had the privalege of rubbing shoulders with both National and International competitors, some of which were World or British champions. It is an event that is still talked about, although it hasn't run for a few years. A point i would make though, with all due respect to the author, the Wye Valley Traders Trial is NOT a race! In fact it is exactly the opposite. A motorcycle trial consists of a number of "sections", each section run over a short area of rough terrain sometimes no more than 30 or 40 yards long, the object being for the rider to "tackle" the section as skillfully as possible, marks being lost for stopping, or touching the ground with ones foot, or falling off completely! Once the section has been attempted it is usually a casual ride along the road to the next section. There are never any sections on the highway and speed between sections is very much discouraged. Sections are attempted by ONE rider at a time, and competitors are usually set off from the start at intervals. As i mentioned, it is NOT a race! Good luck to the Wye Valley Auto Club in bringing back what was once a VERY popular event with the people of the Golden Valley and surrounding areas.
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Clive G, Hereford says...
7:05pm Thu 20 Mar 08

Glad to see that what used to be known locally as the "Traders" is to make a comeback. This was a popular event with the "locals" and well remembered because it was usually held on the same weekend as the Grand National horse race. Residents of Vowchurch, Michaelchurch Newton St Margarets and Longtown have had the privalege of rubbing shoulders with both National and International competitors, some of which were World or British champions. It is an event that is still talked about, although it hasn't run for a few years. A point i would make though, with all due respect to the author, the Wye Valley Traders Trial is NOT a race! In fact it is exactly the opposite. A motorcycle trial consists of a number of "sections", each section run over a short area of rough terrain sometimes no more than 30 or 40 yards long, the object being for the rider to "tackle" the section as skillfully as possible, marks being lost for stopping, or touching the ground with ones foot, or falling off completely! Once the section has been attempted it is usually a casual ride along the road to the next section. There are never any sections on the highway and speed between sections is very much discouraged. Sections are attempted by ONE rider at a time, and competitors are usually set off from the start at intervals. As i mentioned, it is NOT a race! Good luck to the Wye Valley Auto Club in bringing back what was once a VERY popular event with the people of the Golden Valley and surrounding areas.
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