Inside the Yorkshire farming tradition of motorcycle trials riding - with more than a century of history

Nigel Simpson grew up near Ripon where his parents had a smallholding keeping pigs and took up motorcycle trials while in his teens. Nigel is chairman of Ripon Motor Club that is on the up at present with nearly 200 members and said he recalls his first time watching a trials event as a teenager.

“My first connection with trials bikes was a guy in the village where I lived in Laverton who had one. I used to go to speedway at Halifax with him on a Saturday night. One night the racing was cancelled because of the rain and he said he was off to watch a trial the following day. Did I want to go and watch? It was at Fellbeck and that was it, I loved it. I was hooked.

Trials riding is regarded as the safest motorcycle sport because it is not about speed but concentration, balance and skill on all type of terrain whether going up hills, across banks, up or down streams or over rocks.

Because of the terrain it is a sport that is reliant upon the countryside and particularly farmers to embrace it through allowing competition on farmland and Nigel said the relationship between everyone is vital and something that he and his Ripon Motor Club members are always conscious of maintaining.

“Without the farmers and landowners we can’t run events. There have been quite a few farmers who have been very good trials riders like Dave Mawer at the moment, whose father has the farm we are grateful to have the use of at Kirkby Malzeard; and Rob Shepherd, who is a former British champion. His brother Norman farms at Fellbeck that we also use.

Nigel said the nature of what is involved in trials riding is a draw for everyone in the world of motorcycles whether they are racing on shale, tarmac, grass or mud.

“It is a sport that attracts a lot of road racers to ride in trials because it keeps them sharp, balanced and concentrating on finding some grip.

“Mick Grant, from Wakefield, who won the Isle of Man TT seven times and won three Motorcycle Grand Prix races still rides in trials regularly. Dean Harrison of Bradford who won the Isle of Man TT three times was spotted at our Christmas trials; and former speedway star Eric Boocock occasionally comes to ride too.

“Dougie Lampkin, the top trials rider, who won 12 world championships, indoor and outdoor, has ridden in Ripon Motor Club trials. Dougie rode it this past Christmas and won it. James Dabill rode as well, another former British champion. James was unlucky. He stalled his bike in a section that cost him the trial.

Nigel said he is particularly pleased with the way the sport has always been strong in Yorkshire.

“We have such a strong team of committed people who love the sport at Ripon Motor Club, everyone gives their all. Richmond is another very big club. Yorkshire has always been very good for trials, particularly the central Yorkshire area. I remember turning up at a local meeting and it being like a British championship round because all the best riders were from our county. People like British champion Rob Shepherd; Martin, Alan & Arthur Lampkin, all brothers. Martin, sadly passed, was Dougie’s father.

“At Ripon Motor Club we regularly have over 90 riders for a club trial. Our annual Christmas trial at Kirkby Malzeard was full in just 20 minutes with 150 entries. That’s where we are also hosting the Jack Leslie Ellis Trial tomorrow for one of the ten rounds that make up the National Trials Championships.

“Tom was a great rider in the 1940s and 1950s. His brother Jack passed away at a motorcycle trial and that’s when the Jack Leslie Ellis Memorial Trial was named in his memory.

“We are doing well for major events this year as we are also hosting a British Championship round in the summer at Brimham Rocks.

Nigel said the sport has also seen some great lady riders and that this is another area on the increase.

“There are now quite a few girls that are quite handy. The current Ladies World Champion, Emma Bristow is British. There are a lot of younger girls coming up.

While Nigel also still rides, he and Ripon Motor Club are keen to bring on the new generations from as young as 4-year olds.

“I ride in the over 40s or over 50s Clubman Class. I used to ride with the experts but at 62 I don’t bounce quite the same as I used to. In my time I rode in the Scottish 6-Days Trials three times up near Fort William. That’s one event any trials rider wants to do.

“There are quite a few different formats of trials. I’m running a series of beginner’s easy trials this year that have 10 observed sections, which are the sections where points are awarded. We also have our popular Saturday night series with 12 observed sections for different classes.

“We are really keen to encourage more younger people into the sport and for the last 20 years we’ve run a small wheels class where we get them started on little electric bikes at 4 years old. They ride around a little course to have a blast round. It’s really rewarding. Some of those we’ve started off have gone on to really good things.