HEREFORDSHIRE Motor Club’s Damian Cole was the highest placed finisher from the county at Saturday’s Weir Engineering Wyedean Forest Rally.

Cole and co-driver Jack Morton come home sixth in their Ford Focus WRC – an exact repeat of the Hereford driver’s last visit to the rally in 2010.

The duo also finished fifth in their class.

Car dealer owner Theo Bengry and Les Forsbrook took their hired Subaru Impreza to an outstanding 13th overall and ninth in class, while garage owner John Ballinger and co-driver Mike Wilding came under the finish arch 34th overall and first in their class.

Other finishers were Ian Evans and Justin Brooks, who finished 25th overall and second in class in their Vauxhall Nova, Tim Phelps and Elwyn Manuel, who were 55th and first in class in a Ford Escort Mk2 and Scott Partridge and his brother Quinten, who drove their Subaru Impreza to a comfortable 76th overall and fifth in class.

Quinten stepped in as Scott’s co-driver for the very first time as regular driver Chris Ridge was due to become a father.

Tyberton’s Rachael Patterson meanwhile took home the Bob Brain Memorial Trophy after becoming the highest-placed female driver.

Patterson, along with co-driver Tom Wood, took their 1400cc Peugeot 306 to an excellent 105th overall, much to her delight.

“It was a fantastic time in the woods with Tom who helped me stay on track,” said Patterson.

“I’m not sure of my next plans yet as Saturday was being treated as a test and to just get Percy round.”

The wet and misty forest meant that some crews did not finish the course.

Crews that did not finish include Kevin Pugh and Mike Pugh, who had a gear box problem on the second stage, Russell Davies and John Fellowes, Sam Davies and Adam Wilks, who lost drive on the penultimate stage and Rob Hansford and Lewis Mason, who saw their MG ZR gearbox split.

The rally, which saw 167 cars start, was won by Penrith’s Paul Bird and Welsh co-driver Aled Davies.

It started at Chepstow Racecourse, with the going becoming extremely slippery in parts.